Karla already has a successful career. After completing her training, she’s worked as a pelvic-floor physical therapist for over ten years! Her patients love her, and she loves serving them.







But no matter how skilled she becomes at her craft, there’s still a limit to how many people she can help. A PT, working in a clinic, can see only so many patients per day if she wants to give each one the time they deserve.







That’s one reason Karla decided to go back to school to earn a PhD. She wanted to find a way to continue serving her patients, while also advancing the practice of physical therapists everywhere through research and teaching.







But quitting her job to enroll in a traditional PhD program wouldn’t work for her patients, or her lifestyle. She had to find another way.















Karla Wente





This week, we talk with Karla Wente, PT, DPT, WCS, CLT (whew, that’s a lot of degrees!) about her quest for a PhD. She’s currently enrolled in an online Health Sciences PhD program at Rush University.







Karla tells us how she made the big decision to go back to school after ten years of clinical practice. We talk about her career opportunities, the financial impacts of going back to school, and learn more about how an online PhD program works.







If you enjoy this episode, check out Karla’s work with www.thefirstsixweeks.com, where she and a team of clinicians support new parents during the first few weeks postpartum.