[etramsey1990]

Ok heres a simple question.

For those who wish to be a physiotherapist / physio ect

What qualifications should I look at and What courses are there.....I know there are loads but name the one you took will be helpful.


I have 2 years of college to do before uni so i have loads of time.

[Maes Seren]

What are you doing at college?

I would highly, ok no, extremely stress the importance of good grades and work experience.

Even having a previous degree doesn't enable you to do it unless you get some fantabulous grade.

[etramsey1990]

I have studied a QCF (i think) in Sport to get to Sport and exercise science BTEC Lv3 (which i am now doing) the qualification on the offical site + college tutors told me what it can lead me to. I have a Distinction from the lvl 2 course and I am aiming for the same in the Level 3, for work experence I am looking and asking questions but where is the best places to ask I know NHS will be verry busy so that can be a rare chance but worth a shot.

(The Distinction is like 5GCSE A grades or more i been told) By asking questions i am so far on the right path.

[M.Duggan]

(Original post by etramsey1990)
I have studied a QCF (i think) in Sport to get to Sport and exercise science BTEC Lv3 (which i am now doing) the qualification on the offical site + college tutors told me what it can lead me to. I have a Distinction from the lvl 2 course and I am aiming for the same in the Level 3, for work experence I am looking and asking questions but where is the best places to ask I know NHS will be verry busy so that can be a rare chance but worth a shot.

(The Distinction is like 5GCSE A grades or more i been told) By asking questions i am so far on the right path.

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer but I was strongly advised against Physio as a career, as I was told it would mainly involve working with old people.... I know several people who went down similar healthcare routes and are all very unhappy with how its turned out

[MissLightyear]

(Original post by M.Duggan)
I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer but I was strongly advised against Physio as a career, as I was told it would mainly involve working with old people.... I know several people who went down similar healthcare routes and are all very unhappy with how its turned out

To be fair, if that came as a surprise to them they obviously didnt research it properly

[Maes Seren]

I've been working as a physio assistant in outpatients and on medical and elderly wards for the past 14 months, I *know* it's the career for me. Hence why I would heavily suggest the need for work experience.

If the diploma is the equiv to gcses, then what are you planning on doing for a levels/equiv? I did a ND in horse management before doing a BSc (Hons) Equine Science.

I'm not sure whether you need a level level qualifications to do so but if you can do courses alongside them then have a look at open university modules, there are some good ones which are related.

Work experience wise, ideally you need nhs experience. So find out who you need to apply to in your area, and get it sorted. Try and get some in a community and an acute hospital settings, and other places to consider are private clinics and hospitals.

Most unis ask for at least a days experience, but more if ideal.

[M.Duggan]

(Original post by MissLightyear)
To be fair, if that came as a surprise to them they obviously didnt research it properly

What would me gf think of me touching up old men/ladies from 9-5 then slipping a few fingers in her? Tell you what, don't answer that actually......

[etramsey1990]

I have researched and still researching what the occupation involves and the demand levels of it ect and TBH i really don't care on who i help out, a job is a job is one thing a life time job like this is another, so far my interest has strongly improved to keep doing this at the moment, I been in a physio department as a patient and yes i mostly seen elderly people there and a odd had of 40 year olds and rarely did see anyone younger than 35 there. I am 21 so I am thinking carefully about my future.

[etramsey1990]

(Original post by Maes Seren)
Most unis ask for at least a days experience, but more if ideal.

I expect most careers like health will need experience of some sort, my area has a good number of NHS buildings and private buildings from a walk down my street for 10 seconds to 10 mins away.

In high school my dyslexic did effect my grades a lot so i was in the lower level and I do have poor GCSE grades however I got aload of merits and distinctions, I refined my English Key skills and working the same on Maths.

What did you do to set yourself up for UNI in education wise?

Thank you for replying by the way.

(Oh yes i understand NHS specially hospitals will be hard to arrange a work experience due to the busy nature)

[Ironmike]

I'm not sure where people are getting the idea that working in physio is mainly with old people? I am in my final year and I have come across everything from paediatrics to elderly care. On respiratory placement yes the vast majority of people were elderly, but mixed in with that there were 20 something year old alcoholics. My outpatients placement was everything from teenagers to old dears who had fallen over and broken a hip. It really just depends on what area you are going into, but it is true that you have to be prepared to work with people of all ages.

In terms of entrance requirements, well this is where it gets a bit tricky. I am a mature student and I got into the course off the basis of my previous degree - a 2:1 in english/computer science, so completely unrelated to physio. As I understand it, if you have a 2:1 or 1st then it can be in any degree, if you have a 2:2 or lower it must either be related or you will need to do an access to healthcare course. With regards to QCF/BTEC etc, I think it is really going to come down to e-mailing the universities you are interested in and getting an answer from them. I think it is impossible to say that a distinction is worth 5 A's at GCSE, or however many points at A level, they are two different qualifications. Some uni's may flat out reject you as they require a certain amount of A's at GCSE/A level - Birmingham would spring to mind. As a 21 year old, you will be classed as a mature student, and therefore will be judged differently to an 18 year old applying. Best advice as always is mail the admissions tutors for advice.

Work experience is a hard one. I was lucky as had a good mate who is a senior physio who pulled a few strings, but it is possible to do. You need to apply well in advance though. On one of my placements, the work experience rota was booked out 10 months in advance, so if you are going to be applying in this cycle, then get sending off those e-mails. You might need to travel a fair way (I had a 300 mile round trip), but having that day or two NHS work experience will be very beneficial to your application. If you can't get this, then pay a visit to private practice. I would recommend visiting in person if you can as it is much harder to ignore someone in their reception than it is an e-mail. Failing that, have a look at nursing homes, disabled charities etc. Many places will be happy to have an extra pair of hands for a day or two, and although you might not be doing just physio, you will show that you have a caring nature and that you can work with disabled/elderly people. If they have a physio attachement there, showing a bit of willing should get you a few hours shadowing.

As for whether the career is right for you, well that is what work experience is all about. Have a read round the internet, and if you have any questions, send them over. Ignore what M.Duggan thinks about physio - if you touched anyone up you would be hauled very quickly infront of a court, and even the messiest jobs (yes I have been pooed on) are pretty quickly sanitised due to the use of gloves, aprons etc.

[MissLightyear]

(Original post by Ironmike)
I'm not sure where people are getting the idea that working in physio is mainly with old people? I am in my final year and I have come across everything from paediatrics to elderly care. On respiratory placement yes the vast majority of people were elderly, but mixed in with that there were 20 something year old alcoholics. My outpatients placement was everything from teenagers to old dears who had fallen over and broken a hip. It really just depends on what area you are going into, but it is true that you have to be prepared to work with people of all ages.

In terms of entrance requirements, well this is where it gets a bit tricky. I am a mature student and I got into the course off the basis of my previous degree - a 2:1 in english/computer science, so completely unrelated to physio. As I understand it, if you have a 2:1 or 1st then it can be in any degree, if you have a 2:2 or lower it must either be related or you will need to do an access to healthcare course. With regards to QCF/BTEC etc, I think it is really going to come down to e-mailing the universities you are interested in and getting an answer from them. I think it is impossible to say that a distinction is worth 5 A's at GCSE, or however many points at A level, they are two different qualifications. Some uni's may flat out reject you as they require a certain amount of A's at GCSE/A level - Birmingham would spring to mind. As a 21 year old, you will be classed as a mature student, and therefore will be judged differently to an 18 year old applying. Best advice as always is mail the admissions tutors for advice.

Work experience is a hard one. I was lucky as had a good mate who is a senior physio who pulled a few strings, but it is possible to do. You need to apply well in advance though. On one of my placements, the work experience rota was booked out 10 months in advance, so if you are going to be applying in this cycle, then get sending off those e-mails. You might need to travel a fair way (I had a 300 mile round trip), but having that day or two NHS work experience will be very beneficial to your application. If you can't get this, then pay a visit to private practice. I would recommend visiting in person if you can as it is much harder to ignore someone in their reception than it is an e-mail. Failing that, have a look at nursing homes, disabled charities etc. Many places will be happy to have an extra pair of hands for a day or two, and although you might not be doing just physio, you will show that you have a caring nature and that you can work with disabled/elderly people. If they have a physio attachement there, showing a bit of willing should get you a few hours shadowing.

As for whether the career is right for you, well that is what work experience is all about. Have a read round the internet, and if you have any questions, send them over. Ignore what M.Duggan thinks about physio - if you touched anyone up you would be hauled very quickly infront of a court, and even the messiest jobs (yes I have been pooed on) are pretty quickly sanitised due to the use of gloves, aprons etc.

Thanks for that insight

Quick question, if you are on a waiting list for shadowing, and arent sure whether you'll get in before the UCAS deadline, if I put it in my PS and say I may be able to talk about it at interview do you think they'll be happy with that. Of course I'll have other caring roles that Ive done?

[bluemax]

Irrelevant but thought i should share.

Someone i know writes his name like

Dr. **** **** Physio- therapist

[Ironmike]

(Original post by MissLightyear)
Thanks for that insight

Quick question, if you are on a waiting list for shadowing, and arent sure whether you'll get in before the UCAS deadline, if I put it in my PS and say I may be able to talk about it at interview do you think they'll be happy with that. Of course I'll have other caring roles that Ive done?

This is a hard question to answer, and I think it will boil down to how sure you are that you can get experience. I wrote my UCAS in October before I had had any shadowing, but as I was booked in dead cert for January, I mentioned that I had had experience in the NHS in my personal statement. By the time I was interviewed, I had had the work experience and it all went well. The risk is obviously that something happens and you don't get that day or two in the NHS and then they ask you about it in interview leaving you scrabbling for an answer. I would perhaps phrase it along the lines of that you have work experience planned for whenever it is and what you hope to learn from it, i.e. that you are hoping to see neuro which is going to be very interesting because xyz and that you are also scheduled to spend time on respiratory which you see as very important due to the raising numbers of elderly patients within the NHS making respiratory a very important aspect of physio.

[xChrista]

(Original post by Ironmike)
x

Thank you for this. I'm so in love with physio

[MissLightyear]

(Original post by Ironmike)
This is a hard question to answer, and I think it will boil down to how sure you are that you can get experience. I wrote my UCAS in October before I had had any shadowing, but as I was booked in dead cert for January, I mentioned that I had had experience in the NHS in my personal statement. By the time I was interviewed, I had had the work experience and it all went well. The risk is obviously that something happens and you don't get that day or two in the NHS and then they ask you about it in interview leaving you scrabbling for an answer. I would perhaps phrase it along the lines of that you have work experience planned for whenever it is and what you hope to learn from it, i.e. that you are hoping to see neuro which is going to be very interesting because xyz and that you are also scheduled to spend time on respiratory which you see as very important due to the raising numbers of elderly patients within the NHS making respiratory a very important aspect of physio.

Yeah I a guaranteed it but its just a question of when. I'll probably just delay my application in the hope that the list isnt too long!

Thanks for the advice, really helped me out

[Maes Seren]

...

[Maes Seren]

(Original post by MissLightyear)
Yeah I a guaranteed it but its just a question of when. I'll probably just delay my application in the hope that the list isnt too long!

Thanks for the advice, really helped me out

...

[MissLightyear]

(Original post by Maes Seren)
I wouldn't delay your application, I'd look all elsewhere for experience. Dig out a yellow pages and find some private clinics, write a letter/pop down in person asking about it. Their list will be minimal so you may be offered a week or more there. You'll find private clinics have less variety sometimes (most specialise in msk/paeds/respiratory for example) so you may need a few lined up but if you want to do physio then get doing it. Another thing for nhs experience is apply to hospitals further afield, community and acute.

Ive contacted private clinics and theyve all said that they dont allow anyone to shadow Im currently waiting for my timetable so if I get tuesday afternoons off i will be able to apply to volunteer in a care home for the elderly which would be helping them on trips out. Im basically relying on my mum and public transport to get me to places so where I can travel to is limited, I will have another ring round to be sure though, thanks

[etramsey1990]

(Original post by MissLightyear)
Ive contacted private clinics and theyve all said that they dont allow anyone to shadow Im currently waiting for my timetable so if I get tuesday afternoons off i will be able to apply to volunteer in a care home for the elderly which would be helping them on trips out. Im basically relying on my mum and public transport to get me to places so where I can travel to is limited, I will have another ring round to be sure though, thanks

Something here to make your CV looking good for uni and work, buy a bike if you can and ride there, if they see that your willing to ride a bike to a vollenteer place then that could increase your chance on getting in/ the job.

I have a car but ill prefer riding anyday if it is a safe day.... which is really never but wheather wise safe.

[Harrow.7]

What sort of GCSE grades do you need to be accepted onto a physiotherapy course?