We recently connected with Dr. Nick Vernola and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Nick, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

Many students in Physical Therapy programs are offered a job at their final clinical rotation. Big name hospitals, like NYU, offer clinical internships in the Pelvic Health niche; my current specialty. I applied to the niche internships but was denied by all because only female applicants were being accepted at the time. I was only a student but knew I wanted to service people suffering from conditions pertaining to pelvic health. It became apparent, at that time, I had to do something to set myself apart from the competition. As a student, I created my own opportunities by sending out business letters to clinicians in New York, asking to shadow between classes. I also signed up for specialty courses intended for licensed Physical Therapists only. Eventually the stubbornness, I inherited from my Italian American family, paid off in the form of a clinical rotation I was offered in the Pelvic Health niche at a small clinic in New Canaan, Connecticut; this became my first job.

Dr. Nick, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started Atlanta Physical Therapy LLC in an effort to provide unrestricted care to patients via my unique approach treating Men and Women’s Pelvic Health, Neurologic Health, and Sports Medicine conditions.

At the beginning of my professional career I worked for insurance based clinics in New York, Connecticut and Georgia. I noticed that working with insurance payers impeded patient recovery. My unique approach to Physical Therapy required both clinician and patient to have full autonomy for the best results; unimpeded by insurance companies. Thus, Atlanta Physical Therapy LLC was developed as a concierge, cash-based clinic.

Also, as the field of pelvic health developed over the years, I received more inquiries from people who were denied from care by other proclaimed pelvic health specialists due to gender. The topic of gender is sensitive and deserves the utmost respect. I am proud to say that I work with all people regardless of gender assigned at birth or gender identity.

My comprehensive approach to physical therapy produces optimal overall health while assisting with many common issues, both known and underlying. These can affect posture, mobility, sexual activity, and many other core bodily functions.

Atlanta Physical Therapy LLC has its shingle hung in the City of Decatur and offers house calls for most of Atlanta.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Building a reputation is easy… but the right reputation, well that’s a different story. As a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist, I wanted people to recognize me as being both a competent provider and their friend. I believe it helped to add my light hearted personality to the writings of educational blogs, social media content and community seminars. If nothing else though, it seems to entertain my friends and family!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

To become a physical therapist in my specialty I had to pay extra (up to $2k) per course. I was a broke grad student and took on odd jobs such as shoveling snow and marine construction to afford myself the courses between physical therapy classes.

Eventually, I made it to Connecticut where I worked for the only pelvic floor physical therapist I could find that would accept a male clinician. I was used to help the owner find research for a book he was publishing (I am uncredited) and I found out from the front desk staff they were instructed, by the owner, not to put any pelvic floor cases on my schedule.

I wound up taking late shift hours so I could be in the clinic when my boss left and would use that time to read his text books and study coursework he wrote for another Pelvic Physical Therapy institution. I was getting no practical experience at this point so I would take the plastic pelvic floor model that he used when traveling to teach courses and set it up in an exam room to practice my assessments and treatments.

Eventually, I flew myself down to Atlanta for an interview where I would have to demonstrate a full exam and treatment on a live medical model. I was awarded the position and was subsequently flooded with patients seeking reprieve from pelvic health conditions; a dream come true. From there I refined my skills by working with patients, flying to advanced courses and shadowing local medical professionals (ie. urologists, gynecologists, etc.). With all the exposure to different disciplines encompassing pelvic health, I found my practical experience surpassed those who had been in the field for decades longer than myself. Confident in what I had to offer patients as an individual practitioner, I set off to start Atlanta Physical Therapy LLC in my image.

Contact Info:

• Website: PhysicalTherapyATL.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlantaphysicaltherapy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhysicalTherapyATL/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-nicholas-vernola-jr-pt-dpt-sdn-capp-pelvic-0181a690/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/PT_Atlanta
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPs_B-naoor7N639Evq8jXg
• Other: DrNicholasVernolaJr.com

Image Credits
JLL Productions