In the spring of 2024, the Board launched the Graduating Student Workforce Survey with the aim to better understand the rising workforce of new graduates of Louisiana-based physical therapy programs. While completing the Minimum Data Set (MDS) survey is a requirement for applying for licensure in Louisiana, the MDS captures workforce data that primarily speaks to the active workforce. This leaves a gap in understanding. The Board’s new graduate survey looks to dig into the expectations of the new PTs and PTAs and the challenges they face.
Answers to the survey were entirely anonymous and the data was gathered purely for informational purposes.
At the culmination of the May-July graduations from Louisiana-based PT and PTA programs, a total of 68 new graduates completed the survey with 53 PT students and 15 PTA students participating.
The following programs were contacted to participate and the number of students from each that completed the survey are as follows:
- Louisiana Health Sciences Center in New Orleans (PT) – 38 students
- Louisiana Health Sciences Center in Shreveport (PT) – 9 students
- Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (PTA) – 9 students
- Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (PT) – 6 students
- Bossier Parish Community College (PTA) – 6 students
- Delgado Community College (PTA) – 0 students
- Louisiana Christian University (PTA) – 0 students
*The University of Louisiana at Monroe was not contacted to participate this year as their PT program is in its first year. They will be included in the future when their first class prepares to graduate.
Of these new graduates, 26 were in the 18-24 age range, 40 in the 25-34 age range, and 1 each in the 35-44 and 45-54 age ranges. Forty-five new graduates reported their gender as female, 22 reported as male, and 1 reported other.
In order to assess the impact on the Louisiana workforce, the survey asked questions specific to new graduates’ employment goals. Fifty-nine new graduates reported they planned to be licensed in Louisiana while 9 reported that they would not be seeking licensure in Louisiana. Other states that individuals reported plans of seeking licensure in included California, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, and Texas, to name a few.
The survey also sought to discern which regions of the state where graduates were interested in working. Individuals were allowed to select more than one region. Twenty-four new graduates reported an interest in region 1, 17 for region 2, 13 for region 7, 11 for region 4, 6 for reagion 3, 6 for region 9, 4 for region 6, 3 for region 8, and 2 for region 5. Ten answered they will not be seeking employment in Louisiana.
*It is important to note that in order to be employed in Louisiana, new graduates could be residents of neighboring states and may seek Compact privileges in Louisiana in place of a license which may explain the difference in the previous set of data which showed 9 new graduates would not be seeking licenses in Louisiana. The topic of Compact privileges and the option to choose contract travel work may also be a factor to consider when examining this survey data.
The survey next sought to understand what factors might be contributing to new graduates considering seeking employment outside of Louisiana. New graduates were allowed to select more than one factor. Twelve reported family as a factor for considering employment outside of Louisiana, 12 reported the social scene, 10 reported job availability, 9 reported diversity, and 4 reported economic challenges. Eleven chose other and 40 reported they were not leaving the state.
Figure 2
While the MDS assesses the workplace settings where licensees are currently working, the new graduate survey sought to assess which settings interested new graduates prior to entering the physical therapy workforce. They were allowed to select more than one option. Fifty-four new graduates reported an interest for outpatient settings, 27 for inpatient rehabilitation facilities, 16 for acute care hospitals, 11 for pediatric, 9 for academic institutions (post-secondary), 6 for skilled nursing facility, 4 for home health, 2 for school systems, and 1 reported other.
Figure 3
The new graduate survey also sought to assess new graduates’ ranked interest in practicing specific specialties as shown in the chart below. The most popular specialty was orthopedics with neurology and sports being close seconds.
Figure 4
Turning more toward what new graduates’ expectations were for their work week, the survey asked how many hours per week graduates expected to work once they began a full-time job. Seventy-eight percent responded that they expected to work between 30-40 hour per week while the remaining 22% answered that they expected their work weeks to be between 40-60 hours.
Figure 5
The survey next asked about new graduates' salary expectations post-graduation. The majority of new graduates expect to be earning between $71,000 - $80,000 post-graduation.
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Figure 6
When considering salary expectations, the Board also wanted to assess the impact of student loan debt. Sixty-nine percent of new graduates reported that they would be leaving their programs with student loan debt while only 31% would be leaving their programs debt-free.
The survey then sought to assess the total debt new graduates had incurred by the end of their PT and PTA programs, which may include debt prior to entering their programs.
Twenty new graduates reported they would have $100,000+ student loan debt after leaving their programs with the second most being 10 graduates reporting they would be leaving with $70,000 - $90,000 in student loan debt.
Figure 7
The survey also asked new graduates if they had any concerns entering the profession of physical therapy. Among the most common responses were concerns of professional burnout, insurance reimbursement rates, and student loan debt to income ratio.
Figure 8
The Board hopes that the results of this survey will be helpful to employers and clinicians alike as the profession and its practitioners evolve. The Board plans to collect data annually and report on trends. Future iterations of this survey may be updated to include more questions to assess the usage of the Physical Therapy Compact and the rise in both contract travel work and telehealth, and how these factors impact attracting new therapists to the state of Louisiana.