Physical Therapists can't help it, overachieving is what they do
Clinicals are wrapping up, cap and gown orders are flying in, resumes are being polished, and ‘do not disturb’ signs are being hung because, “sorry I can’t, I’m studying for boards” is on autoreply
Yes, it’s that time of year again... Wedding Season!
Wait, what?
That’s right, along with years of intense schooling, physical therapy students bond over books Maybe it’s all the anatomy courses or perhaps it’s because their human interaction is limited to cohorts and patients, but it is a well-known fact that PT school breeds PT couples.* And if I know one thing about PTs, it’s that they are type A perfectionists not afraid to graduate, study for the NPTE, find a job, and plan a wedding all at the same time. It’s called being an overachiever.
Sorry, you’re not a PT in the midst of joint wedding/grad planning?
Well, your best friend is. Therefore, along with scouring Indeed, you’re checking off all the bridesmaid or groomsman boxes You know what I’m talking about – cute, monogramed tumblers from Etsy or lastminute reservations for an epic (but not too epic, you’re broke) bachelor party.
Time to adult in a big way and accept that job offer times two.
In case you were wondering, you can both work for a Therapy Partners Group Brand and some couples do What can we say, we just love, love! For your enjoyment, or distraction from those aforementioned boards, we’ve pulled together insightful Q&A from one of our favorite married couples of TPG.
Meet Rebecca & Brady Leissner
Q: How did the two of you meet? Did you go to the same PT school?
R: We met as 19-year-old undergrads at the University of Texas at Tyler. I went there to play volleyball and Brady transferred as a sophomore to play basketball I first saw Brady when I was a sweaty mess at the end of three-a-days for volleyball, and Brady was headed to open gym for basketball. He walked down the stairs at our school gym and for me it was love at first sight When UT Tyler played Hardin Simmons in volleyball a few weeks later, Brady retweeted a school tweet about our win. I saw this as my opportunity to slide into his DMs and asked him, "hey, are you new here?"
B: We met in undergrad. She played volleyball and I played basketball. I was new to campus and was settling into the area and a new school. I got a DM and recognized it was one of the volleyball players Rebecca was easy to talk to and we hit it off
R: We began talking, instantly had a connection, and became the best of friends. We happened to have the same major, kinesiology, and ended up having some classes together. When his basketball career ended abruptly due to a concussion and a car accident, his focus shifted, and he began shadowing in an outpatient physical therapy clinic while I was observing in a pediatric therapy clinic.
Following our college graduation ceremony, on a dock overlooking the campus lake, Brady asked me to marry him. After our wedding, we worked for a year as PT techs (and both waited tables at Red Lobster), while we applied to PT school I was accepted to the University of North Texas Health Science Center and began in July of 2018. Brady continued to work two jobs while I completed my first year, and then he moved to North Carolina where he attended Methodist University for PT school, starting July of 2019.
B: We were already married by the time we started school. Rebecca got accepted into UNT Health Science Center in 2018 I did not get into school the first time around so I continued to work and retake classes. Thankfully, I got in the following year. I had to cast a wider net due to a less than ideal GPA, but I ended up going to Methodist University (a small school in Fayetteville, NC). This meant Rebecca and I would be long distance for some time.
School was hard, but it was helpful having her a year ahead of me for advice and guidance Then, COVID hit at the beginning of my second semester. We spent time traveling between our families houses in rural West Texas and rural Oklahoma doing virtual classes until our schools were able to bring us back on campus
A tale as old as time. Two kinesiology students. Volleyball player slides into DMs of basketball player.
Q: What was it like to balance your relationship with academic requirements and clinical rotations?
R: Our time in PT school was a journey! During my first year, I commuted to school every day - 90 minutes each way - because Brady was working two jobs. I didn't want him to have a super long commute when he had to be at his clinic by 6:00 am, 3 days a week (where he was a tech for our very own Shane Hernandez of Edge Physical Therapy/TPG/GTC).
B: Being long distance in PT school was hard, but we are stronger for it, and it allowed us to carve out our own paths. Rebecca was able to get two of her rotations set up in North Carolina in her third year while I finished up my second year. Rebecca graduated at the top of her class (as expected) and she accepted a job in Austin, TX as a home health pediatric therapist, while I did my clinicals in the Austin area
All-in-all we probably spent about a year as a long-distance couple during our time in PT school. It was very hard to be apart, but we are both extremely thankful for our PT school experiences.
Q: How did you manage moving and job hunting together?
R: I did my first full time clinical rotation in North Carolina, the next one in Texas, then my final internship back in North Carolina. I studied for Boards while Brady was finishing the last semester of his second year. I got the news that I passed Boards, and two days later we drove our U-Haul back to Texas and moved to Austin, and I walked the stage for graduation a week later
I then began working in pediatric home health and part time for Concentra urgent care in an outpatient orthopedic environment. Brady completed his three full time clinical rotations in Austin, TX, and moved back to NC for two months of comprehensives. He then graduated in May, passed his Boards, and accepted a position in Cleburne, TX with realPerformance Physical Therapy
B: My first job out of school was a staff PT at the realPerformance Cleburne clinic. After about 6 months, my clinic director and realPerformance founder decided to step out of the clinic director role and scale back into PRN role. My goal had always been to get into leadership and grow with a company, but I didn’t expect to have the opportunity come up so soon
I threw my name in the hat and ended up taking over as the CD of our Cleburne clinic exactly a year after getting licensed as a PT. It’s been a roller coaster since then. Lots of changes have happened over the past year and I have learned and grown so much as a clinician, and a leader.
R: I transferred my two jobs and continued working for those companies until after our daughter was born. I then made a transition to work full-time for an outpatient orthopedic facility in Fort Worth, TX I had been hoping to work for realPerformance for a while and had spoken to Brady's regional director, but because he had accepted the position to become the clinic director, I could not report to him and have him be my supervisor. So, my plans of working for realPerformance and TPG were put on hold. When I found out about the opening at the Burleson location, I was so excited about the opportunity!
B: After working for a year as the CD in Cleburne, the CD role opened at our Burleson clinic. They had also been through quite a lot of change and needed someone to revitalize the clinic. I knew Rebecca would be perfect for the position. Even though she is my wife and I love her, this is a totally unbiased opinion. She took over as the CD in March of this year. We are excited for the future of realPerformance and TPG!
Q: Did you both always aspire to work in outpatient ortho?
R: I went to school with a passion for treating pediatrics and those with special needs. During undergrad, I founded a Special Olympics event on our campus which Brady and I volunteered at for two years (it’s still an event to this day)
Throughout school we both had diverse clinical experiences working with outpatient ortho, hospital, and inpatient rehab (which involved neuro diagnoses). I did home health and a pediatric rotation too I truly I love it all We’ve always had a goal to run a clinic that treats the whole lifespan; pediatric to geriatric and every diagnosis in between. Anyone that needs therapy should be able to get quality care with our teams!
B: Rebecca will always have a soft spot for pediatrics and I have a soft spot for the neuro population. The area that we both work in is great for this because our referrals are pretty diverse We like that about realPerformance
Q: Do you help each other and is there any competition?
R: We are competitive when we play any type of sport together or against each other. But when it comes to work, we are teammates first; always rooting for the other person and celebrating their successes and also being empathetic on hard days We know that if one of us succeeds it is good for us as a team and as a family Brady was very supportive and encouraged me to pursue this CD role.
B: Rebecca has helped me to tap into my outgoing side and made me a far better communicator and supporter. Admittedly, I am more analytical and enjoy diving into the numbers I have become much better at supporting, listening, and communicating with the help of Rebecca’s perspective We talk about difficult situations and help each other through them.
Q: How does your shared work life mesh with your shared home life?
R: Awesome, because we can speak our own secret language. We understand the stresses of the day-to-day and can discuss tough cases and treatment techniques. We can attend CEUs together and we can also work on each other when we have our own aches and pains
We also share ideas. We run scenarios by each other and when input is wanted, advice is shared. When the person just needs a sounding board, we are that for each other too It is nice to get another perspective.
B: Being married to a PT is fun. We bounce cases off each other, “people watch” anytime we go out, and regularly get questions from both of our families about their injuries and pains.
Q: What advice do you have for other PT couples? Would you recommend working for the same company?
R: I think working for the same company is great! Our teams are connected, and even though we are clinic directors at different clinics, we both represent realPerformance, TPG, GTC, and now the same hospital system. We are one big happy family, and our teams help each other out. It's really cool to be a connecting link between the two locations.
B: Leading a team is hard and different people respond better to different styles. Having someone in the same role with a different perspective has been helpful for both of us. We are able to bring different ideas to the table for difficult cases which makes us both better therapists.
Rebecca Leissner, PT, DPT, is the Clinic Director at realPerformance Physical Therapy in Burleson, TX She was the VP of her 2021 UNT Health Science Center DPT graduating class and member of the Pediatrics Club. Rebecca was a student-author and presenter at APTA CSM 2021 for this Journal of Physical Therapy Education study on bullying and culture in healthcare. She is most excited to treat the whole lifespan from pediatric to geriatric and serve the community.
Brady Leissner, PT, DPT, is the Clinic Director at realPerformance Physical Therapy in Cleburne, TX. After earning his DPT in 2022 from Methodist University, Brady quickly grew from a staff therapist into a leadership role. He enjoys the diversity offered in outpatient and is dedicated to providing individualized, evidencebased care to every patient.
Therapy Partners Group is a family of physical therapy and wellness brands that helps practice owners and therapy professionals grow through collaboration, teamwork, and exceptional clinical support Creating a rewarding experience for all, and making a lasting difference in the communities we serve If you’re ready to grow, come see what our unique approach to transforming care is all about Welcome to the family
