[Lukas_]

I wasn't entirely sure where to put this so apologies if its in the wrong place.

I have a series of questions i am hoping someone can help me out with. The first is... Should i go to Uni? I know, how generic and un-specific but let me elaborate.

I have already been accepted By Roehampton (london) and guaranteed accomodation for my first year, my student finance is completed and only requires my final bank accounts but im having occasional second thoughts as to whether i should go.

I will be studying Sport and Exercise science (and 'therein lies the rub'). I will be paying nearly £7000 pounds a year to do a course which many will laugh at. Im not a meathead sportsmen but i LOVE anatomy and physiology and want to use this degree as a stepping stone to do a masters in Physiotherapy. My question is, should i be doing this course or not? I could wait another year and try to re-apply for physio directly (missed the deadline this year), or do another degree which may be more - dare i say it - helpful. My other sort of passion lies in writing, i previously wanted to become a journalist/media related workperson. Should i change my course?

I know many of these questions are answereable only by myself but hearing from someone who has previous experience or similar problems would help massively.

thanks in advance, Luke.

[PQ]

If you're interested in physio then it's worth contacting some unis this year and asking what your chances are (both for a BSc and for getting onto a MSc with the course you're planning on taking). Physio is massively competitive (because if you get onto an approved BSc course then the NHS will pay your fees and pay you a bursary - plus the NHS cuts have resulted in cuts in the number of places available) but also attracts a lot of applications each year from people who are interested in sports physio and so don't have any understanding of what the NHS approved course consists of (and leads to). Because of this the more research you can do into what universities are looking for from physio applicants the better (otherwise you might find yourself with a degree that isn't recognised for entry onto the masters course). Also remember that funding for fees and living costs on masters courses is rare. One of the things most courses will want is some experience working in a physio/rehab environment - so exploring the options for jobs or work experience/shadowing/placements at your local hospitals is well worthwhile.

This might not help answer things immediately but the more research you do into the courses you're interested in then the better informed your decision will be.

[Lukas_]

Thank you very much for your response, I'm glad you didn't directly tackle my questions but brought up some of your own.

In response i want to say that a fast track MSc in physio is typically funded by the NHS just as a BSc would be i believe (Correct me if this is old information).

The important point you brought up was that Sport Science may not be accepted as a degree which gets you into a Physio MSc. I would love to hear from anyone who has tried the same route or is aware of others doing it... I would imagine it is a closely related degree but very few places specify degrees like you say. I will have to carry out a bit more research but time is running out...

[jami74]

Could you find out how possible it would be to transfer to a Physio course after the first year? ie start this degree but submit an application to Ucas at the same time.

[PQ]

(Original post by Lukas_)
Thank you very much for your response, I'm glad you didn't directly tackle my questions but brought up some of your own.

In response i want to say that a fast track MSc in physio is typically funded by the NHS just as a BSc would be i believe (Correct me if this is old information).

The important point you brought up was that Sport Science may not be accepted as a degree which gets you into a Physio MSc. I would love to hear from anyone who has tried the same route or is aware of others doing it... I would imagine it is a closely related degree but very few places specify degrees like you say. I will have to carry out a bit more research but time is running out...

I'm going to get this thread moved to the health professions forum and renamed to try and draw in some fellow physios