New grad 😕

I’m a new grad PT working in an outpatient setting and have been at my job for about a couple of months now. I’m struggling a lot more than I expected and could really use some perspective.

ALL of my coworkers have significantly more experience than I do, including newer hires, and I constantly feel like I’m behind. Even though I have 1:1 patient care, I feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with documentation, clinical decision-making, and just knowing what to do with certain patients. I second-guess myself a lot and worry that I’m not giving the best care.

I ask for help pretty often, which I know is normal, but it’s starting to feel one-sided. Instead of feeling supported, I just feel like I come across as incompetent. There have also been times when a coworker has stepped into my session (of a patient that is theirs) and taken over parts of the treatment (asking questions, doing manual therapy, etc.). I know it’s meant to help, but it honestly makes me feel worse—like I’m still a student and not capable of handling things on my own.

On top of that, I’ve been feeling pretty isolated socially. Some coworkers seem to have strong connections with each other, while my interactions tend to stay surface-level and work-focused. It’s been hard not to internalize all of this and feel like I’m the weakest link.

For those of you who’ve been in a similar position—does this get better? How long did it take before you started to feel more confident and less overwhelmed? Any advice for getting through this stage would really mean a lot.