Money Matters in Occupational Therapy

Show Summary: 

The new grad OT journey, there’s nothing quite like it. You’ve graduated, aced your boards, and are ready to dive into the OT world. But then reality hits: so much of what lies ahead is unfamiliar, especially when it comes to settings like home health or early intervention, or deciding to go the independent contracting route as a new grad - all areas of OT we don’t typically cover much while in our programs. In this episode, I’m joined by Ashley Wright, MS, OTR/L, a newly licensed pediatric OT who took the bold step of jumping right into contracting. Ashley shares her experience navigating life as a 1099 contractor, budgeting as a new grad, managing the hidden costs of becoming an OT, and tackling taxes and fluctuating income. She offers real tips and insights on setting up for success, even when facing those first-year challenges. If you’re nearing graduation or just stepping into your first OT job, this episode is packed with encouragement, real talk, and practical advice to help you embrace the unique path you’re meant to take as an OT.

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Guest Bio:

Ashley Wright, MS, OTR/L is a newly licensed pediatric occupational therapist, diving into her career as an independent contractor in both home health and clinic pediatrics. A recent MSOT graduate, she’s passionate about supporting children’s development and sharing creative intervention ideas through her Instagram account, @OTwithAshley, where she connects with fellow pediatric OTs and parents. Ashley is enthusiastic about navigating the financial side of life as a new grad, from budgeting to licensing costs, and is excited to share her experiences and insights with other therapists just starting out. When she’s not working, Ashley loves running, snacking on popcorn, and planning her upcoming wedding!

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Show Summary: 

Student loan debt can feel overwhelming and never-ending, and I know that from personal experience. As therapists, we work so hard to get to the finish line, only to face a pile of debt waiting for us. It’s a reality many of us struggle with—whether you have $20k or $200k in loans, it’s easy to feel stuck or defeated. In this episode, I’m joined by a special guest, Dr. Connor Pierce, DPT who understands exactly what it’s like to graduate with student debt. Instead of letting that burden hold him back, Connor developed a practical plan to pay it off and is now on a mission to help clinicians take control of their student loans. If you’re feeling the weight of your student debt, I hope this episode reminds you that you’re not alone. You can take control of your financial future and pay off your debt without feeling stuck or overwhelmed. 

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Guest Bio:

Dr. Connor Pierce, DPT CMPT, COMT, CSLP® is the Founder of After the DPT. Connor is a financial planner and student loan consultant. He is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy and was a full- time practicing clinician for over 5 years. He passed the Certified Student Loan Professional® exam to become an industry leader in student loan advising and he has advised on over $75 million in student debt. He has been teaching and offering his online curriculum to DPT schools on handling student debt as an adjunct faculty at physical therapy programs for the past 4 years. He understands first-hand what DPT debt feels like as he and his wife, Hannah, are both DPTs who graduated with student debt in 2018. His mission is to help DPTs understand and handle their student debt so they can live the life they dreamed of. He and his wife are blessed to have two kids who are 3 and 1 yrs old. 

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Show Summary:

In today’s episode, we’re diving into the all-important topic of asking for a raise as an OT. Should you do it? Absolutely—whether you're a seasoned therapist or fresh out of school, it's time to advocate for your worth. I'll walk you through the specific steps to take before asking for a raise so you can approach the conversation confidently and maximize your chances of success. Plus, if you missed our last episode on job negotiation, I highly recommend giving that a listen too—it’s the perfect lead-in to today’s discussion!

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Show Notes:

You know what the motto is over here: There is nothing wrong with enjoying what you do, loving your profession, helping people, AND wanting to be paid well to do it. In today’s episode, we’re talking all about knowing your worth and getting paid what you need, want, and most importantly - deserve! Our guest shares how she made well over six figures in her first year as an OT—without leaving clinician practice. She’ll explain how negotiating confidently played a key role in making it happen. Plus, we talk about student loans, time freedom, and the importance of financial balance. If you’re ready to boost your income, stand in your power, and never settle for less, this episode will give you all the inspiration and practical tips to get there!

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Guest Bio:

Originally from Indiana, I have been passionate about sports, fitness, and health since I was young. I earned my B.S. from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, and then moved to Pittsburgh, PA, to complete my Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. During my clinical training, I gained valuable experience working in ICU Burn and Trauma at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL, as well as in outpatient pediatrics. Currently, I am a licensed Occupational Therapist in both California and Indiana. In California, I worked in sub-acute rehab primarily with the adult and geriatric patient population primarily from low income or unhoused households. I am now excited to be in the process of opening my own private practice in my hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana in early 2025. In my free time, I enjoy hiking with my husband and our dog, staying active through strength training, trying new restaurants and tackling DIY projects around our home.

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Show Summary:

Is occupational therapy a dying profession? Depending on who you ask, you might hear it is. Scroll through any OT Facebook group, and you'll find comments about burnout, dissatisfaction, and people leaving the field. But while this may reflect some people’s truth, it doesn’t represent most of us who love what we do and value our profession, even if we wish to see changes. In today’s episode, I’m sharing my take: Why are people saying this? Is there any truth to it? Plus, I’ll give my honest opinion on recommending this field to others and tips for those feeling burnt out—how to reignite your passion. Bottom line: OT isn’t dying…but OT as we know it is changing - as it should. Just as we as practitioners are constantly growing and evolving, our profession has to grow and evolve too. 

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Show Notes

Is it possible to graduate OT school debt free? The answer just might surprise you. In a time where it feels like literally all of us are drowning in student loan debt, I’m here to share a very special story of someone who has decided to do things differently and is on track to graduate with absolutely no debt. But just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s easy. Our guest shares how she’s overcome obstacles, beliefs, and misconceptions to keep a promise to herself to avoid student loans. We’ll also dive into the power of scholarships, creative ways to earn money as an OT student, and intentional money-saving strategies. Whether you’re a pre-OT or current OT student—or even if you’re already in debt—this episode will inspire you to be bold, brave, and different whether it’s in your financial journey or your career as an OT… because sometimes, being different is the key to the biggest rewards.

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Guest Bio:

Shanmin is a second year masters of occupational therapy student based in Michigan. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in sociology from Wayne State University in 2021. She also works part-time as Executive Assistant of Taking OTs Online, a business that helps occupational therapists create their own online businesses.

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Show Summary:

Happy August! I can't believe we're already halfway through the year. Today is a very special episode because...it's my birthday! If you know me, you know I'm a big birthday person. In this episode, I share some of my life lessons and reflections as I enter a new decade, new season, and new chapter of life - with lots of big surprises along the way. Plus, I also sprinkle in a little personal student loan update and an important reminder to still enjoy your life even while paying back those pesky loans. 

trigger warning: episode contains themes of pregnancy; loss, grief, announcement

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Show Summary:

The new grad season is such an exciting time, but there’s also a lot to juggle as we enter this new chapter of our lives. Instead of studying for exams and going to class, we’re learning to navigate paying bills, finding a job with benefits, and knowing what to do with our paychecks. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Paige Leite better known online as P the OT to talk all about the importance of building and prioritizing a healthy money mindset even as a new graduate. Paige is an occupational therapist with about 3 years experience working in a variety of settings. She decided to jump into travel therapy as a new graduate and one of the reasons was so that she could maximize her income in order to tackle her massive student loan debt. We also chat about what it’s been like navigating the financial side of adulting, her plans for early retirement, paying off her loans, and so much more. This conversation is the perfect dose of inspiration as you learn to juggle your career as an OT while also building and prioritizing a healthy money mindset, advocating for your worth, knowing your worth and ultimately the steps to take so that you can establish a firm financial foundation and find your financial footing. 

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Guest Bio:

Paige Leite, MOT, OTR/L, CSRS is the face behind P the OT. She is an occupational therapist with about 3 years of experience, starting her career in travel therapy as a new graduate working in outpatient neuro, skilled nursing, and acute care. Travel therapy allowed her to pay off over $70,000 in student loan debt in 2 years. She is now permanent staff working in critical care, mainly with cardiac patients and uses instagram as a side hustle to help other OT practitioners. Paige has a passion for neuro and recently received her Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist (CSRS) certification. She created her page to help therapists improve their clinical skills and learn about the travel therapy world.

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Show Summary:

OT school for me was one of the most profound seasons of my life. It’s the season where I can wholeheartedly say I experienced the most tremendous amount of growth as a young adult. And although I may have made many mistakes while in OT school, I truly look back on this time with absolutely nothing but gratitude and happiness. In today’s episode, I’m sharing about my time in OT school in hopes of inspiring those of you who are maybe preparing to begin school or are currently attending school. Of course, I’ll also be sharing tips and tricks related to navigating the transition from undergrad to graduate level learning, choosing your OT program, studying, the finances, preparing for fieldwork, maintaining a social life, and of course the sheer balancing act of it all. Whether you’re in your first year, last year, or have already graduated, I’m sure you’ll get something out of this episode. Because if there’s one thing we all have in common, it’s that we experienced OT school, the good, the bad, and everything in between. We’ve all got our stories, our own unfiltered truth about what it was like navigating OT school, and I’m ready to share mine. 

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Show Summary:

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a travel occupational therapist? Well, in today’s episode I’m joined by Paige Rickman, OTR/L who is an occupational therapist that took the leap into travel therapy as a new graduate and has been absolutely thriving in her career. In this conversation, Paige shares what sparked her initial interest in travel therapy, how she’s navigated some of the initial challenges she faced, what the more rewarding aspects of being a travel therapist have been, and also gives an abundance of advice, practical tips and tricks for new grads interested in becoming a travel therapist.

This episode is jam packed with so many insightful tips from Paige and we really dive into this misconception that new graduates can’t or shouldn’t pursue travel therapy. She is a walking testament of someone who has decided to tune out the noise, trust her instincts, and pursue the OT path that lights her up. And I love that, I absolutely love that for her. So whether you’re interested in travel therapy or not, this conversation is a good one because Paige is an incredible reminder that you can achieve some amazing things in your career as an OT as long as you’ve got some tenacity, initiative, confidence, and of course, an open mind. 

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Guest Bio:

I graduated with my masters in OT from Indiana State University in December 2021 where I also got my undergrad degree in exercise science. I took some time off after taking my boards to live with my husband (then boyfriend) in Austria where he was playing basketball at the time. My situation is a little unique because of my husband's job, so currently we live in Japan during basketball season (roughly August-May), then in the summer I will be doing travel assignments until the season starts again in august. This year I came home early because I wanted to get some school experience so we are going back to long distance until May. All through school, travel OT was the LAST thing I wanted to do (also has NO idea what setting I wanted to be in) but with our lifestyle it really is just what was going to work out the best and i ended up LOVING it. I am currently in my 5th travel assignment and have worked with 2 different agencies in various settings (SNF, OP peds, EI, acute care, inpatient, OP/IP neuro with tons of TBI/behavior patients and now I am in a school setting). As of right now my end goal would be to work in a NICU setting (this could totally change lol, i want to try as many settings as I can), but for the way our life if right now travel is what works the best and it definitely helps that I love it. 

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