Theneurogirlpallavi | Dr. Pallavi Sarje (PT)

This week’s spotlight features The Neuro Girl Pallavi, Founder of the good physio project, Dr. Pallavi Sarje, PT. Pallavi manages her Instagram handle theneurogirlpallavi. In this spotlight, she shares her journey from completing her master’s and moving to Mumbai to becoming an entrepreneur. Read her story to explore what it takes to be a PT entrepreneur.

What is your name, title, and workplace?

Dr. Pallavi Sarje (PT) Consultant Neuro Physiotherapist, Mumbai.

What is your educational background?

I completed my BPTH in 2011 and did my MPTH in neuro in 2014.

What did you do soon after graduation?

So here’s a small story from my side. When I completed my graduation I was pretty clear that I wanted to pursue my master’s in neuro but I had 6 months to kill before taking the entrance exam.

After my internship in January 2012, I was in my hometown Aurangabad. I reached out to a family friend who ran a nursing home and orthopedic hospital near my house. I told them that I have completed Physiotherapy and it will be highly beneficial to your patients. He immediately agreed and told me to set up an entire dept there.

Initially, I was scared because I was completely naïve at that time, and starting a department was not something I was planning for. However, I took up this challenge. I had a word with my professors, took some basic advice, and planned out the department.

We started our dept in Feb 2012. At that time it was Rs. 100 for consultation out of which my take-home amount was Rs 50. To my surprise, I earned 26k in the first month in a small city like Aurangabad and my first salary was 13k. I worked there till June, I made money and experience of a lifetime. I paid the entrance exam fee with that money. And I was so happy about that.

Tell us more about your journey through your Master’s

In June 2012 I started my MPTH journey with my mentor Dr. Singaravelan sir at Pravara Medical College, Loni. It was going smoothly till he had to leave our institute and go to his native in Tamilnadu. We kept hustling and eventually we managed. Of course, it was difficult without his physical presence, but when you have a great mentor, you develop a strong connection. He was my guide, he still is and he will always remain so. Ultimately it’s your evaluated experience, which is a great teacher.
Difficult experiences will always teach the best lessons.

In June 2014 I completed my master’s. I worked at the neuro hospital in Aurangabad for a bit, before taking a break for my wedding. I moved to Mumbai after that.

What did you do after that?

In Mumbai, my journey was different because it was the first time I was traveling by local train. It was difficult but I wanted to work in this city since my childhood. I gave my first interview at breach candy in January 2015, and got selected too!

But God had other plans. I got a call from Bombay hospital for an interview. I met Dr. Roshan Vania, my mentor, for the first time. Her warmth and immense vibrant vibes made me choose Bombay hospital. I knew this place will make me a better Physio. Seriously, I don’t regret it. I made some amazing professional connections there. Roshan ma’am taught me all the important soft skills for PTs. She is the reason for my professional upliftment.

After working there for 4 years, I decided to quit and explore entrepreneurship. Again a difficult choice, but I was firm. You know what, life is about the choices you make, I made the best learning choices and am actually very happy with it.

What are you doing currently?

Currently, I’m doing a lot. I’m a home-based rehab specialist, I’m working on THE GOOD PHYSIO PROJECT which is a learning platform for physios With monthly webinars and it’s an online platform as of now. I’m also a content creator for my handle theneurogirlpallavi

Tell us more about your Instagram handle, theneurogirlpallavi

Initially, my IG handle was pallavi.sarje because I never had any intention of being an influencer until the lockdown. Lockdown was a game changer. I wanted to be productive and wanted to invest my time. So I started making small posts on this handle. Later I thought why not choose a name that resonates well with the content? Hence I named it the neuro girl Pallavi.

It became a part of my identity. I remember once I had a call with another medical influencer. In the end, he said sorry but I completely forgot your name, neuro girl. And I laughed so much. So now people call me neuro girl. It’s so simple, isn’t it?

I just wanted to use my time wisely. But I actually got to learn a lot, from digital marketing to branding, from hashtags to engagement, etc so much!

Additionally, I faced the camera for the first time. I was always uncomfortable in front of the camera because I have been body-shamed and skin-shamed a lot. I was never confident in my life. Neuro girl changed things for me. It made me do things out of my comfort zone.

In fact, when I faced the camera, people started appreciating me more. It was such a dopamine boost for me. I started enjoying talking with people. I’m an extrovert so I always loved interacting with new people. It made me comfortable in my own skin and body. I have become body positive and I love myself more now. This has been a journey that I’m enjoying a lot.

Trust me if I can come in front of the camera anybody can. I was poor in my communication because I wasn’t as proficient in English. I had my education in Marathi medium school. Despite that, I communicate confidently now.

This handle is my passion to show physios that neuro is not tough and to promote ethical practice. It was the best choice I made, yet again!

What is the typical day of work for you?

My typical day starts with some meditation in the morning with my cup of tea and thoughts. I plan my day then. After my housework, I finish my cases and edit my content plus make some time for reading as well. I try reading one article a day or at least 10-15 min a day. Daily, I see only 3-4 cases and strictly no patients after 5 pm. It’s a choice I have made for my own “me time”. I do things that I like to do after 5 pm such as cooking, and some self-care. I feel you need to make such choices in life to be happy and healthy mentally.

What are your work hours?

My working hours are flexible since I’m an entrepreneur. My day ends at 5 pm.

What do you like about your work?

I’m in love with this profession and everything about it. Every profession is challenging but it’s our passion that makes it worthy.

I feel even we as physios should be presentable in terms of body language, our soft skills. It will make you stand out in the crowd. You need to work on yourself before demanding respect. Struggle. Surviving and succeeding is my mantra.

What are the challenges you face?

The major challenge I face is the difficulty in commute. I keep traveling from one place to other. That’s troublesome.

Also as a home-based rehab specialist, sometimes people don’t pay on time so income is not fixed. But one needs to find a side hustle for the income to flow. Hence good physio project. I feel it is important to learn how to manage finances as a PT.

What is the pay like?

Well, since I’m an entrepreneur I earn definitely more than the hospital or clinic salaries. A good number. Pay depends on how you conduct your session and then word of mouth. In Mumbai, you can make good money.

I have seen patients in slums too! Over the years, I never kept myself restricted to a particular amount. I have a target day wise so I try to earn that much in a day. I have my charge sheet according to that.

According to you, what can be improved in this field?

An attitude of entrepreneurship should be cultivated I feel. Additionally, I feel soft skills are something that needs to improve in our field. People are lacking in that big time. Once you work on that, you will eventually understand the entrepreneurship game and you start enjoying it.

What books or course workshops helped you in your career?

Book: right in the middle by Patricia Davis. That book changed my perspective on stroke rehabilitation. The aquatic therapy course with IATF SWITZERLAND was again a life-changing experience. I used to get scared to enter pools. I made a choice to join this course because I wanted to overcome my fear and I did it. That is one course I would recommend everyone to do after 4-5 yrs of clinical experience.

What is next for you?

Well, next nothing is planned as such. Going with the flow, exploring myself personally and professionally. Definitely, my own dream setup is on the cards. Hopefully soon.

Are you hiring for theneurogirlpallavi?

I would definitely want my team and tribe to grow more. So hiring is definitely on the cards.

What is your advice for fellow PTs and PT new grads?

My advice to budding physios is to work on your soft skills, don’t run behind money, learning is the new earning. Build a community, not a follower number. Have a great network online as well as offline. Think out of the box and just dive in. Take that risk! It’s always worth it!

Where can people reach you?

People can definitely DM me on my Instagram handle, theneurogirlpallavi for further advice.