Informational Interview

Name: Mary Lamb

Position: Physical Therapist, Rehab manager at Roper St. Francis Hospital
Employer: Roper St. Francis, Charleston, SC
Date Conducted: March 28, 2015
1.
What training or education was required for you to become a PT?
2 years of college pre requisites heavy in the sciences, then apply to PT school and
once accepted, 2 full years including full summers. We did short clinical rotations
through out the time but our last 18-24 weeks was spent in 3 different longer clinical
rotations
2.
What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful in
this field?
Positive attitude, critical thinking skills, common sense, and ability to apply didactic
knowledge to clinical applications. Can-do attitude and ability to adapt to changes
easily and on short notice
3.
How did you get this position and what other PT positions have you had
before?
Selected as manager of Rehab services among multiple applicants when our
manager retired 20 years ago. Other positions include staff PT, clinical coordinator
and assistant manager here in hospital setting. I currently manage at Mt Pleasant
hospital and St. Francis. I have also worked in home health and outpatient private
practice settings
4.
What do you do on a typical day in this position?
Mentor staff, coordinate scheduling for daily coverage and weekend therapy at both
facilities. Occasionally treat patients if someone out but dont carry my own patient
load any longer. Review reports to make sure paperwork has gone into medical
records, assist with coordinating our outpatient documentation system and reviewing
for timely billing and exporting to our main medical record system and alert
Information services of any issues. Work with nursing services to coordinate care,
compliance reporting and whatever else needs to be done. Round with patients to
make sure they are satisfied with care, address any issues or concerns. Available to
staff for any questions with patient care or charting or billing issues
5.
What part of this job do you find the most challenging or satisfying?
I love treating patients and to see patients get better! Challenging part now in
managing the ongoing changes with regulatory issues that sometimes limit patient
access to care. Also challenging to educate staff in timely manner to keep up with
regulatory changes
6.
What are the positive/negative aspects of working in this field?
Positive would be to see patients overcome a disability and get back to prior function
either through adaptation or full recover

Negative would be challenges of patients not showing up for appts and not bothering
to call to cancelalso the regulatory issues and high deductibles and copays for
some of the coverage for our services
7.
How many hours do you typically work each day/week?
It varies but probably 50 to 55
8.
What is a typical start salary? Average salary? Other benefits?
Hospital salary is typical less than other settingshealth care benefits have been
really good and reasonably priced especially for individual. Family benefits still very
reasonable
Average starting salary would be mid 50s to mid 60s depending on site and place of
practiceour salaries are based on entry level position and not dependent on type
of degree..Most programs now offer Clinical Doctorate degree but it is still
considered an entry level position. Our facility currently has staff with BS degrees,
Masters degrees and more recent hires with the DPT degree
9.
What are some of the rewards of your occupation?
The great staff I work with as well as the patients recovery/ rehabilitation
10.
How would you evaluate the future of this career field? How do you see
jobs in this field changing in the future? What areas do you feel promise the
most opportunity? The most growth?
More independent practice and more cash based toward wellness
11.
What opportunities for advancement are there in this field? How will this
job change over the next 5 years? 10 years?
Multiple opportunities and so many areas to practiceHospital, nursing home,
cardiac rehab, sports medicine, home health, wellness centers, independent practice
and private practice with a group, rehab centers, traveling therapy
12.
Is your organization expanding, shrinking or maintaining? Who are the
competitors in this field?
Expanding.Competitors for us are the private practices but we all stay very busy!
13.
What is the corporate culture here, i.e. is it formal, informal, do people
work autonomously, does everyone come early, stay late?
Our organization at Roper Saint Francis is great to work with and our depts are open
7 days a week to provide hospital services and our outpatient areas provide more
flexibility with staff schedules
14.
What, if anything, do you wish you had known before you entered this
occupation?
The amount of paperwork involved
The rate at which regulations change. I have never been sorry that I chose this as
my career path and love the profession!

15.
What special advice would you give a person entering this field?
Study hard, be flexible, people oriented and kind heart but able to be stern if needed
with patients that are not doing as they should to get better! Dont get discouraged
easily and be eager and passionate about the field. There is always something to
new to learn!