Physiotherapy as a career?

Hi George,

I have just finished my third year at the University of Birmingham. It is important to know exactly what you are getting into before you head off to university, especially for a degree like physiotherapy. It is a demanding degree with lots of contact time at university and lots of independent study. Intake is very competitive, as is the profession itself so a determined and motivated approach is essential.

First things first, a physiotherapist is NOT just a tracksuited figure running onto a sports pitch, in contrast to the common stereotypical view. Physiotherapy is an extremely broad profession encompassing specialties in areas involving the brain and nerves (neurological- stroke, parkinsons disease etc), the heart and lungs (cardiorespiratory- lung disease, cystic fibrosis, heart failure etc), young children (paediatrics- cerebral palsy, developmental disorders), elderly people (preventing falls, treating arthritis), treating amputees, working in the community, and of course musculoskeletal (concerning the muscles, ligaments and tendons). This last area includes your typical sports injuries.

It is important to have an awareness of this before you start looking for places. I doubt any university would offer a student a place who was only interested in sports physio. This is why degrees like Sports Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation have been introduced.

Most universities now demand some prior experience before starting university. For me, this involved working at a special school, a care home, and a neurological care centre simply shadowing the physios. This gave me a valuable insight into the role and responsibilities of a physiotherapist and was essential in my personal statement and interviews. However, they accept that this isnt always the case so most accept a good understanding of what physio is. You'll demonstrate this awareness in your personal statement and possibly an interview.

The CSP provides good advice on what you want to find out:
http://www.csp.org.uk/your-health/what-physiotherapy
Generally, physios work with individuals to prevent, maintain or rehabilitate their physical, mental and social wellbeing that may have been affected by an accident, illness or ageing. We generally work with patients over a prolonged period of time (in most circumstances) to rehabilitate them back to full fitness, or the best quality of life.



Every course is different, so it is important to look at this when you have all of your prospectuses. But every one will generally teach you your anatomy (names, attachments and actions of all muscles in the body) and similar anatomy for the neurological system (brain and nerves) and heart and lungs. You will learn about typical disorders and illnesses concerning these systems and ways in which you can treat them. A lot of the course you spend on clinical placement. In order to qualify, every student has to complete 1000 hours clinical practice. This is incorporated into the course, so you might spend 6 weeks at a time experiencing the different areas of practice in local hospitals.

Biology is a requirement for pretty much every institution. I did PE too, and found that useful (but not essential).

As I said, its a pretty demanding course. You spend most days in lectures/practical sessions, and clinical placement is basically working full time. There is also a lot to learn so you'll have to spend a lot of time doing independent study too. But saying that, I don't want to put you off. I have absolutely loved it all and had the best 3 years of my life! It is an extremely rewarding career.

Hope its not too much for you to take in. PM me if you have any more questions. Will be happy to help

Just wondering, is it hard to get a career after ?