What’s it like to work in the USA as a Filipino Physical Therapist?
Many Filipino physical therapists consider building their careers in the United States because of the strong professional growth opportunities, advanced clinical settings, and long-term stability that U.S. practice can offer.
As more PTs explore this pathway, programs like Grandison Therapy’s US Sponsorship Program, and deployment support have become part of the conversation — especially for those who want a structured guide through the complex process of PT licensure in the USA and immigration.
In this interview, let’s find out what’s it like to work in the USA as a Filipino Physical Therapist.
Grandison Employee Review Summary: Filipino PT Success in US Geriatric Care
"With Grandison, I never felt that I was alone because like when even before you get here like you're gonna get assistance with your documents, your requirements and they're like very prompt in responding to your questions. They'll even call you if you have any issues with it, I remember that time I had like some issues with my medical or physical exam so they were replying very quickly they were giving solutions like what I can do just so I can leave on time for my flight and then when I got here in the USA, the pick-up from airport and the staff house, it's like most of it is provided for you. And even if you have problems with your facility you just let them know, don't hesitate to call."
Patricia Potente
PTRP, RPT
First, let’s warmly congratulate PT Patricia for completing her contract with Grandison!
In this episode of the Grandison Espresso Lounge, we are featuring an interview with US Physical Therapist Patricia, a Filipino PT who recently completed her five-year contract in New York. She began working in a skilled nursing facility in the Bronx in August 2019.
PT Patricia discussed the significant adjustment required for the skilled nursing facility (SNF) setting in the U.S., noting it differed significantly from typical sports, hospital, or outpatient settings in the Philippines. She emphasized that the goal of preparing residents for a safe return home is “very fulfilling”.
She shared her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, which she called the biggest challenge of her contract due to fear about getting sick and job security. She credited a strong support system—including praying and maintaining caution—as well as welcoming Filipino colleagues and staff at her facility, for helping her overcome homesickness and uncertainty.
When discussing her experience with Grandison, PT Patricia stated she had “no complaints” about Grandison personally and felt “secure” with them from start to finish. She explained that she “never felt that like I was alone” and appreciated that the agency provided assistance with documents and requirements, including quick responses to medical issues.
Furthermore, she heard that when friends faced job-related issues (like staff adjustments due to PDPM changes), Grandison immediately helped them find specific placements and ensured they had a place to stay. She also commended Grandison’s system of having a specific coordinator check in with new employees to aid their transition.
Her advice to other Filipino PTs awaiting placement who are affected by retrogression is to “keep the faith” and believe that there is a “perfect time” for their journey. She also encourages new PTs to “prepare for it” and embrace the “hustle,” emphasizing that they must be prepared to handle tasks independently but should “don’t be afraid to ask for help”.
Questions About Grandison Experience and journey to the United States
Play and Watch Full Interview and Grandison Review below:
Here’s a quick summary of the interview and PT Patricia’s USA journey. Disclaimer: Some parts were translated and summarized in context. You may refer to the full raw video for complete review, experience and advise.
Kamusta and how long have you been in the United States?
Thank you po for asking, I'm good po and so again I mentioned earlier I started in August 2019 and then I finished my contract in the same facility in August 2024 so I stayed here for 5 years in New York in the Bronx and then after my contract I came home to the Philippines for like a few months. Because it was my first time to go home after 5 years I felt really refreshed after some time with like loved ones and family. I came back in the US and I applied to the same facility where I was previously assigned by Grandison by the way it's no longer under Grandison but just like what I heard from other PTs and Ms. Alyssa, once a Grandison always a Grandison PT!
How did you overcome your homesickness?
So for about being homesick, it's really a blessing that at least my facility, they were very nice and like welcoming because like when I first started I was like the youngest therapist there. I felt welcome just because they were like telling me "okay, this is what you're supposed to do it's okay to make mistakes," and all that and also my PT Rehab Director she's also a Filipina and I have like other co-workers that are Filipinos like basically everyone in the facility was welcoming and they were able to train me well. I had a great support system in my family even though they're back home and also the friends that I had here so every weekend we usually meet and let's just go out have like brunch or something so when you get together with them you don't feel so far away from home.
Can you give us a description of your job as a physical therapist in a skilled nursing facility or rehab facility setting?
It's very different from what I experienced back home in the Philippines because we don't have that many nursing homes I believe so back home it's usually like sports or like hospital or like outpatients so in skilled nursing facilities what happens is like from the hospital the patient or the resident they go straight to the skilled nursing homes just so they would be prepared to like how how they'll be when they go home like for instance can they walk, can they take the stairs, can they even do sit the stands from the bed to the chair so like it's an adjustment for me just because we weren't usually dealing with that type of demographic in the Philippines and so that's the main difference because it's like from hospitalization up to going home.
What is the biggest achievement nam and challenge that you had experienced throughout your contract with Gandison?
For me personally the biggest challenge would be during the pandemic because I was here that time so when it started we didn't really know what was going on. It was just scary at first because you don't know what's going to happen like job security is not there sometimes too and even you feeling that okay if I get sick will I be hospitalized will I like survive it and all that and it's also a sad part like because when you get sick usually you're going to be fine but then when the older population gets sick usually the effects are like longterm like until right now like some people have long covid and all that so sometimes they don't even survive that so that was really hard during that time. And then I guess for the biggest achievement for me is when you are able to send a resident home, like if they haven't been home for a long time they miss their families and then if they go home you feel like at least you did your job because you were able to do a safe discharge making sure they're going to be back to how they were before even if not 100% at least you did your part.
How did Grandison helped you overcome those challenges?
I lived in the Grandison staff house probably like around 6 months and then when we moved in s Bronx po probably a week or two weeks after we moved in s Bronx the pandemic started around March 2020 so we had to adjust a lot of course. You fear of job security but we didn't really have any issues with it, so our case load was consistent we were being taken care of you vaccines were like provided so I didn't really have any issues. Grandison really did make sure that you'll be taken care of, like for me personally it didn't really affect it as much as the psychological aspect of it too.
How did you prepare your prepare for your first day of work can you describe the first day of your arrival skilled nursing facility or were you were assigned
So again it's a blessing because when I first started, my roommate in the Staffing House that I mentioned earlier, she already started there for a week or 2 weeks and then she got deployed somewhere else so even before I started I had a bit of an idea how you treat residents in a skilled nursing facility like these are the staff here these are the stuff that you would need to do. Then, when I came to work of course you commute po and everything it's like different for everybody but fortunately commute going there is not that bad we just take the subway and then when I first got in I'm like "Okay this looks like a hospital." That's what I thought and then what I noticed more is there are patients that are there for short term so it means it's not their home they're only there to get therapy or to get like treatment for their medical issues and then for higher floors because my facility there are long-term so the facility is like their home. So I remember even during my orientation I was told to make sure to knock on the doors because this is their home this is not just like a hospital or anything this is where they live so etiquette should be observed. So overall the transition for me is very good naman.
Do you recommend having experience first in the Philippines?
Yes I do recommend that. It's just hard to look for very similar type of facilities or SNFs because facilities in the Philippines are different but in terms of establishing your treatment or your rapport with your patient or like how to make quick decision making I feel like it's going to help you if you have an experience in the Philippines and also you're doing your documentation even if it's like completely different the fact that you're able to have experience with doing documentation and all that I feel like it's going to help. It's not like mandatory just because like some of my friends here that are PTs they weren't PTs they didn't practice PTs back home but they're still able to like work well here but I just feel like it's going to help you in like one way or another.
How is your relationship with the facility?
They are very welcoming like I learn every day from them and then like of course there are times that you're going to have trouble at work and all that they always have your back 100% so I really like the relationship also like and my director like even if she can be strict at times but that's really good because you get to learn from her and like how it really is to be a PT and be a patient advocate as well not you're not just like working just to earn so you're working because you want the patients to be better and you're like enriching your skills as a PT as well that's what I learned from my director.
Was there any problems you encountered in the facility? How was Grandison able to help you?
Fortunately I didn't really have any issues with my facility. But I hear sometimes like for example there's this thing that we called you PDPM before so that was the reason why like most of the facilities they had like adjustments for example they needed to let go of some of the PT staff and all that what I heard from my friends is that Grandison helped them immediately to find a specific or new placement po so which is really good that's all I've been hearing, it's nice to know that Grandison makes sure that they would have a placement and they would have a place to stay and all that even if it's their first time here.
What advice can you give to newly licensed PTs who are soon to come to the United States?
An advice I would say is to prepare for it because like for me I'm like used to being babyed back home in the Philippines so here like everything that you do, everything that you need you have to do it on your own. But then you're going to have friends and co-workers who are supporting you along the way. Also, enrich your faith because during times that you feel like it's just you at least when you pray, you'll be comforted you'll have more strength to move on. And just continue what you're doing and just you know, don't be afraid to ask for help you're not supposed to know everything on your first day anyway so it's okay to make mistakes but just be open, if you don't know something you have to say it so you won't endanger the patient. It's going to be hard when you start I guess but then you'll enjoy it like some of the best years of your life, you're going to enjoy it here.
What is the best thing about working with Grandison and the Skilled Nursing Facility?
With Grandison, I never felt that I was alone because like when even before you get here like you're gonna get assistance with your documents, your requirements and they're like very prompt in responding to your questions. They'll even call you if you have any issues with it, I remember that time I had like some issues with my medical or physical exam so they were replying very quickly they were giving solutions like what I can do just so I can leave on time for my flight and then when I got here in the airport and then they're going to take us to the staff house and then the staff house you already have like internet like and all that and then like most of it is like provided for you any assistance you need like if you needed like a car and all that like my friends they received like help from Grandson like how to do all that. And even if you have problems with your facility so just let them know don't hesitate to call and then my facility like again like I mentioned like they're very welcoming i'll never stop saying that like you feel at home when you first start working there so yeah cuz even if like in the Bronx sometimes they say it's oh it's more dangerous there like I have co-workers who make sure that I get home like safe po and all that so it's level so it's like yeah don't worry
How did working in geriatric skilled nursing facility changed your life and career outlook. And why should the other Grandison PTs finish their contract just like you?
For me even back when I was in the Philippines during internship I felt like I had a stronger connection with the elderly or geriatric populations unlike kids or athletes for sports just because I feel like you know Filipinos I guess have very close family ties that why I feel like it's easier to build a relationship or you rapport with the elderlies. For me it's just very fulfilling even if a resident just says like a simple thank you or if you just see that they're walking better or they need like less assistance like than how you did like last week with them so I feel like it's very fulfilling that's why like I I said I'm going to finish my contract and like I even applied after I finished it to the same place so yeah for me that changed my life talaga.
Would you recommend Grandison to your friends or other Physical Therapists?
Yes but like what I usually tell the other Grandison staff, when they ask me, I have no complaints about Grandison. Personally in my experience from start to finish, even before I got here I felt like I was secured with them po. I had some friends before that were like "this feels like very sketchy" yung agency nila and that is something I never felt to be honest that's why I highly recommend Grandison.
What is your message to other Physical Therapists that are affected by retrogression?
I had friends that are like that also in the same boat right now so just continue what you're doing keep the faith I feel like whenever I prayed for it there's always like a perfect time say Lord for that cuz I remember before when I really wanted to leave like for my visa I didn't have it yet and all that i was thinking okay when it will when will it be my turn and then finally when I got there I realized okay if I left no time when I wanted to I probably won't be in the same facility that I am now that I love so much so that's what I'm thinking about l delays you setbacks you stuff that you have to deal with before you leave there's like a reason for that so just keep the faith keep going continue l in waiting because like it'll be worth it and also like the other side of it too is like not you're not just like furthering your career you're not just helping your patients you're also helping your family because you can like provide for them so like you like like there's a difference then like salary back home and then salary here so at least you know that like you're working hard it's like being put to good use then if you're able to like provide and help your family.
Conclusion
If you’re a Filipino PT actively researching for physical therapy jobs in the USA or comparing different Grandison PT reviews, one thing becomes clear: the U.S. pathway is challenging, but highly rewarding when you have proper guidance and structured support.
Grandison provides assistance in areas where most PTs struggle—credential evaluation, NPTE preparation, visa sponsorship, and transition support—making them a strong option for those who prefer a guided, step-by-step pathway.
And if you are a PT aspiring to work in the United States, you too can be the next successful deployment of Grandison!
Find out how Grandison Secure placement can help you achieve the American Dream.
