California Physical Therapy Association Conference Report: The inside scoop on our iPad 2 raffle winner, the 'Barefoot Debate', Recent PT School Grads and the Tax Advantage Plan Located just 20 miles south of Los Angeles, nestled along one of the west coast’s most picturesque waterfronts, Long Beach is a pretty sweet place to catch up on the latest news in the physical therapy field. Conventions like the CPTA are a great resource for practitioners seeking to connect with other PT’s and learn more about the latest developments in the industry. And conferences are also a great opportunity to expand your employment horizons and think about a PT career in a new way. As part of American Traveler’s program to reach out to allied health professionals, Dennis Grandic, PT, Clinical Resource Manager and Account Manager for Allied Health -- and Kimberly Mayhue, Account Manager -- two of American Traveler’s key contacts for allied health job seekers -- attended the recent California Physical Therapy Association convention in Long Beach. The 2011 CPTA featured noteworthy physical therapy experts like John Meyer PT, DPT, OCS, FAFS and Irene Davis PT, PhD who, respectively, led classes in Intraarticular Hip Pathology and [+]

Legislation Aims to Help Physical Therapists Pay Back High Cost of Education Loans In June almost 1,000 physical therapists met on Capitol Hill to lobby in favor of legislation that advances the profession. They were lobbying in support of the  Physical Therapist Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act of 2011, which would make physical therapists eligible for repayment of their student loans under the National Health Service Corps (NHSC)  Loan Repayment Program. The bill forgives up to $30,000 in student loans per year, for a maximum of 2 years, in exchange for service in a disadvantaged area. The Loan Repayment Act provides incentive for physical therapists to practice in certain rural and urban communities, chiefly by easing the educational debts of physical therapists. The hope is that some of these therapists may continue to practice in these locations, once their NHSC service is complete. How to Speak Out You can track the status of this bill here. If you would like to weigh in on this legislation (H.R. 1426/S. 975), you can email your Congressional representatives directly or through the APTA’s Legislative Action Center . Travel Therapy Jobs - Managing Educational Expenses Some physical therapy grads have looked [+]