PTT EXTERNSHIP GUIDE
Physical Therapy Technician Externship in Louisiana
Your complete guide to gaining hands-on clinical experience in Louisiana. Work alongside licensed Physical Therapists at top rehabilitation facilities. Louisiana has 1050+ job openings with $28K average salary.
40-80
Hours Recommended
105+
PT Facilities
1050+
LA Job Openings
$28K
Avg LA Salary
$0
Externship Cost
Why Get a PTT Externship?
A Physical Therapy Technician externship gives you real-world clinical experience that employers value. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapist aides earn a median salary of $35,330 nationally, with Louisiana paying 19% below average at $28,640. Hands-on experience sets you apart from other candidates.
An externship helps you:
- ✓ Practice patient transfers, therapeutic exercises, and equipment operation in a real clinical environment
- ✓ Build professional references from licensed Physical Therapists and PTAs
- ✓ Discover which PT setting fits you best (inpatient rehab, outpatient clinic, sports medicine, SNF)
- ✓ Convert your externship into a job offer — many facilities hire their externs
- ✓ Gain confidence working with patients recovering from injuries, surgeries, and neurological conditions
New to physical therapy? EHired offers free training to prepare you for AMCA certification. An externship is optional but highly recommended for building clinical skills and professional connections.
⚠️ Important: EHired does NOT place, arrange, or supervise externships. You contact rehabilitation facilities and PT clinics directly to arrange your own placement. This self-managed approach gives you flexibility to choose sites near your home and build direct relationships with potential employers.
How to Find a PTT Externship in Louisiana
Follow this step-by-step process to secure a clinical externship at a Louisiana rehabilitation facility.
Identify Potential Sites
Look for facilities with PT departments:
- ✓ Outpatient PT clinics — Touro Rehabilitation Center, ATI, Athletico
- ✓ Rehabilitation hospitals — Ochsner Health
- ✓ Hospital PT departments — LCMC Health, Our Lady of the Lake
- ✓ Sports medicine centers — Athletic training facilities, team clinics
- ✓ Skilled nursing facilities — Genesis, ManorCare, local SNFs
- ✓ Home health agencies — Bayada, Amedisys, LHC Group
Prepare Your Approach
Get ready before contacting sites:
- ✓ Update your resume — Include EHired training, any fitness/healthcare experience
- ✓ Prepare a pitch — "I'm completing PTT training and seeking hands-on clinical experience"
- ✓ Highlight relevant skills — Physical fitness, patient interaction, attention to detail
- ✓ Be flexible — Offer to work their schedule, early mornings or evenings
- ✓ Dress professionally — Scrubs or business casual for in-person visits
Make Contact
Reach out to PT facilities directly:
- ✓ Call first — Ask for the clinic manager or rehab director
- ✓ Visit in person — Drop off resume during non-peak hours (early AM or 2-4 PM)
- ✓ Email if provided — Brief, professional, attach resume
- ✓ Explain the arrangement — Unpaid, flexible hours, eager to learn PT skills
- ✓ Follow up — If no response in 1 week, call again politely
Complete Your Externship
Make the most of your experience:
- ✓ Arrive early — Show reliability and eagerness to learn
- ✓ Ask questions — PTs appreciate engaged learners
- ✓ Take initiative — Help with equipment setup, cleaning, patient prep
- ✓ Document your hours — Keep a log for your records
- ✓ Request feedback — Ask for a reference letter before you leave
PTT Externship Sites in Louisiana
These healthcare systems and facilities have PT departments that may accept extern volunteers. Contact them directly to inquire about externship opportunities.
Ochsner Health
Top Employer📍 New Orleans/Statewide
📞 504-842-3000
Louisiana's largest system
View Opportunities →Our Lady of the Lake
Regional Leader📍 Baton Rouge
📞 225-765-6565
Capital region's largest
View Opportunities →Willis-Knighton Health
Growing📍 Shreveport
📞 318-212-4000
North Louisiana leader
View Opportunities →Touro Rehabilitation Center
Tuition Aid📍 New Orleans
📞 504-897-8560
Comprehensive rehab services
View Opportunities →ATI Physical Therapy
National Chain📍 Multiple locations
📞 Contact local clinic
National outpatient PT network with locations across the state
View Opportunities →🏃 Sports Medicine & Orthopedic
- • ATI Physical Therapy — National chain with local presence
- • Athletico Physical Therapy — Sports rehab focus
- • CORA Physical Therapy — Growing regional network
- • Pivot Physical Therapy — Orthopedic specialization
- • Local university athletics — College sports medicine
🏠 SNF & Home Health
- • Genesis Healthcare — Skilled nursing facilities statewide
- • Kindred Healthcare — Post-acute care and rehab
- • ManorCare/ProMedica — Rehabilitation and skilled nursing
- • Bayada Home Health — Home health PT services
- • Amedisys — Home health and hospice
Skills You'll Learn During Your PTT Externship
A clinical externship provides hands-on experience with core PT Tech competencies that classroom training alone cannot replicate.
Patient Mobility
Safe patient transfers, gait training assistance, wheelchair mobility, and use of assistive devices (walkers, canes, crutches).
Therapeutic Exercise
Setting up exercise equipment, assisting with stretching protocols, monitoring exercise form, and tracking repetitions.
Modality Application
Hot/cold pack application, ultrasound preparation, electrical stimulation setup, and paraffin bath treatments.
Equipment Management
Treatment table preparation, equipment maintenance, supply inventory, and ensuring clean treatment areas.
Documentation Support
Recording patient attendance, tracking exercise completion, scheduling follow-up appointments, and basic EHR navigation.
Patient Communication
Professional interaction with patients, explaining exercises, providing encouragement, and reporting concerns to supervising PT.
Louisiana PT Tech Market
Louisiana offers unique advantages for PT Technicians:
Ochsner's Gulf South Empire
Ochsner Health has grown into a regional powerhouse operating 46 hospitals and 320+ clinics across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas. This scale is unusual—most health systems serve single states or metros. For PT Techs, Ochsner offers career-long mobility without changing employers, from urban New Orleans to rural Louisiana clinics. Their standardized training, tuition reimbursement, and wage scales set industry standards across the Gulf South.
New Orleans' Healthcare Renaissance
Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans healthcare in 2005, but the rebuilding created opportunity. Consolidated systems (Ochsner, LCMC Health) operate modern facilities built post-disaster. PT Techs in New Orleans work in some of Louisiana's newest infrastructure. The city's unique culture—music, food, festivals—attracts healthcare workers seeking work-life balance in America's most distinctive city.
| Region | Salary Range | Externship Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Metro | $30K-$38K | Ochsner hub, most diversity |
| Baton Rouge | $29K-$37K | State capital, OLOL |
| Shreveport/North LA | $27K-$35K | Willis-Knighton dominant |
| Lake Charles/SW LA | $28K-$36K | Petrochemical industry |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about PTT externships in Louisiana
How does Ochsner Health dominate Louisiana's PT market?
What's unique about New Orleans healthcare after Hurricane Katrina?
How do Louisiana's industrial injuries affect PT demand?
Is there a salary difference between New Orleans and rural Louisiana?
What PTA programs are in Louisiana?
How many hours should a PTT externship be in Louisiana?
Ready to Start Your PTT Career in Louisiana?
Complete your free training with EHired, then secure an externship at one of Louisiana's top rehabilitation facilities. Many externs convert their experience into full-time positions.