Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Palmer.
Jennifer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Maryland, where I initially wanted to be a math teacher. Once I injured myself playing soccer (dislocating my kneecaps), I soon figured out I wanted to be a physical therapist. I attended Lebanon Valley College, a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania, for six years (three undergraduate and three graduate) to receive my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Soon after graduation, I moved to Virginia Beach, where I met my now-husband.
As a member of the Navy, my husband was stationed in Japan, where I flew back and forth using vacation time to visit him. After four trips back and forth from the east coast, we decided I would move to Japan with him for the last seven months of his time there. The downfall of this was that I would no longer have a steady income in my career field to pay off my loans. I was unable to find a “normal physical therapy job” while in Japan, so I decided to look outside the box.
Eventually, I found a few jobs where I was able to assist medical doctors, Ph.D. candidates, and others in learning English. I was able to help translate presentations for international conferences, teach anatomy, and assist with medical terminology all because of my background. Seeing how medicine was practiced in other countries had me curious about how physical therapy may be similar or different in countries around the world. I soon planned some solo trips while my husband was deployed.
During one of these trips, I was able to visit a physical therapy school in Singapore, where I learned about their program. Then, I was able to observe an outpatient program in Japan AND soon was able to teach a Japanese physical therapist various physical therapy phrases and terms. From this, I soon developed GlobalPTConnect, a social media platform with an aim to connect physical therapists around the world. One struggle I noticed while trying to plan trips abroad was the lack of response I got from the formal physical therapy societies (sadly). Seeing this lack of wanting to help a PT learn about the global aspect of physical therapy made me upset, and I knew a more informal way would help to connect all of us!
So far, GlobalPTConnect has been represented in countries such as Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Switzerland, Kenya, and more. The goal is to continue to show how different yet similar we all are in our practices in an informal way.
Of course, since returning from Japan in early 2018, I have returned to a clinical job as a physical therapist in addition to being a lab assistant at a local physical therapy school. On top of that, I run my own website where I give tips for physical therapists (like how to be a smaller PT in the acute care world), tips on facing your student loans (I have managed to go from 170k to 70k in just a few years!), information on plus tips on traveling and for the general public in regards to things I’ve experienced (like pregnancy). I enjoy helping others through things that I have gone through myself – especially if it can prevent someone from learning something the hard way.
I have personally enjoyed watching myself grow and learn over the years in multiple different ways – especially when having to become comfortable with the uncomfortable when I lived in Japan. Of course, PT school and getting my doctorate was difficult, but learning how to use your degree in a way you’re not taught about in school had its own learning curve. Not only did I have to look for various outlets outside of my career to make an income, but I also had to learn how to save for months in advance to ensure I could pay my student loan minimum (which was $1000/month at the time) for months.
I hope to continue to inspire others to live financially smart yet be okay with taking risks and venturing outside the box every once in a while. Now, as a new mom, this takes on an entirely new level and I hope to live a life where I can be the greatest role model for my daughter. I want her and everyone else out there to know that, even if you come from a place of massive debt (170k), through hard work and a belief in yourself, you too can achieve whatever goals you have set out for yourself.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. My parents were divorced since I was a young kid and weren’t able to help out with college. That being said, I still knew what I wanted to do (I feel very fortunate that I knew!). I put myself into 170,000 of student loan debt, had a maxed-out credit card, AND a new car loan when I graduate from physical therapy school. I didn’t want the car loan, but my old run-down car broke down in the middle of a highway and I decided to take a job five hours away from home – soooo I wanted to make sure I had a legitimate car!
Moving away from my home was something I very much wanted to do and I don’t regret it at all, but I did move to an apartment by myself which left me being able to save very little at the end of each paycheck (due to bills and student loan payments). Since about six months after I graduated PT school, I’ve almost always had 2-3 employers. For the first two years as a physical therapist, I averaged around 50 hours of work just to help pay down my loans sooner (something I’m very passionate about).
After my first year of living by myself, I decided it would be smarter financially to move in with a roommate. This allowed me to put more money towards my loans and have some extra spending money to do what I really wanted – travel! No matter if you can only go a short distance, I truly believe that travel helps people to understand other cultures, ways of life, and learn about yourself as well. I feel it is so important to everyone to travel somewhere new each year – even if it’s only a few hours away.
When I decided to move to Japan with my husband, I had to make sure I had enough money saved up. Of course, he contributed too, but I am a stubborn, strong, independent woman so I wanted to make sure I didn’t need a man – even if I was married to him. 😉 As I said before, this was tough, not knowing I would have a steady income and still having over 100k of loans to pay off. I just had to put faith in myself knowing I’d do whatever I could to make ends meet. I searched online, reached out to people, did whatever I could to find some way to make an income and advance my career as well. It took a lot of time and definitely some tears, but I was determined.
I think the biggest advice I have for any other women starting a journey is to be confident in yourself. Know what you want and make an outline to reach your goals. Forgive yourself if it doesn’t go the right way, but know that you will eventually get there. Even if it gets tough – don’t give up! And of course, if you need help – reach out to someone who you can confide in (make sure you’ve surrounded yourself with a good group of people who will support and encourage you – not break you down).
Nothing is going to be perfect, I am still paying down my loans. New obstacles present themselves every day! For example, I now have a daughter. I am reorganizing my finances and how I will use my money to still try to pay my loans down quickly (goal is by the end of 2022) but also make sure I am present with her and putting money towards the family. Be flexible and adapt to what’s going on, and I can’t say it enough – do not give up.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
As a physical therapist, I am fortunate to work in a variety of settings within my profession. I currently work mainly in the acute care setting at a local Level 1 trauma hospital. This is absolutely my favorite setting because I get to work with highly complex medical patients unlike what I would see in another setting. I especially enjoy working in the ICU with patients with neurological impairments as I always see these patients as a challenge -plus, it’s usually a good workout ;).
In regards to teaching, I am a lab assistant for my favorite subject: Differential Diagnosis. This course focuses on using clinical reasoning to rule out medical issues and ensure a patient is okay to be seen for a musculoskeletal injury (aka what we treat as physical therapists). I love helping students understand this and love even more when I see the light bulb over their heads! It’s such an amazing feeling knowing you can help someone become a better clinician and eventually treat patients to the best of their ability.
I also just began treating patients in California through an app on your phone! The app is called Joint Academy and it focuses specifically on patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis. This is such a cool opportunity to progress our profession and also make healthcare more accessible for people with such a common condition! This also allows me to stay well-rounded in our profession.
Last but not least, my work with GlobalPTConnect has allowed me to help connect physical therapists around the world. I’ve had multiple people email me to get in touch with a PT in a country they’re going to visit so they can meet up in person- how cool, right? Knowing that I can facilitate a connection to improve our profession worldwide and help people get out of their comfort zone is priceless.
Being so involved in multiple aspects of the PT profession helps me connect and help out a variety of people all while strengthening my own skills and knowledge. Additionally, I love writing blogs to help anyone who is going through things I’ve been through myself – such as student loans, healthcare issues, being a small physical therapist, traveling solo as a female, pregnancy, etc. I love having the ability to connect and help others with everything that I do.
Who do you look up to? How have they inspired you?
One of my biggest inspirations would have to be my mom. She worked so hard as a single mom to provide for us, take us to daycare, let us play in competitive sports, and more. She was always working multiple jobs and for a long time, would drive an hour or more to work every day. I appreciate all of her hard work and the sacrifices she made to make sure we stayed on track to have a great life. Having a daughter now, I know what kind of sacrifices I will make for her and I truly respect my mom even more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://drjenpalmer.com; https://www.globalptconnect.com
- Email: jnpalmer19@gmail.com
- Instagram: jennpalmer19; globalptconnect
- Twitter: x3jennyfur; globalptconnect
Image Credit:
Paola Sanchez
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