The Student Room Group
Dan3274
Hi all!

Does anyone know whether the physio degree at University of East London is well respected, or any good for that matter?? :confused:

As all physiotherapy degrees have to cover similar ground in order to be acceptable to the regulatory bodies and to receive nhs funding I would suppose that means it is as well respected as anywhere else.

As to whether it is any good - well that depends on what your definition of any good happpens to be. As with everywhere else some people will love it, some people will hate it. Why not visit the place and do some investigation of your own and see if it suits you? Second-hand opinions from possibly disgruntled students/former students isn't much of a guide as to how you would like the place.

Information about the way the course is organised and how the assessments are carried out will be on the relevant website.
Reply 2
I know loads of people on physio at UEL. I live with a physio and half the rugby team are physios. UEL seems to have poured loads of money into it and all the new Stratford buildings are pretty much dedicated to physiotherapy and podiatry.

I guess the job prospects are okay. The London Irish rugby team physio is a UEL graduate and one of the guys whose graduating this year in the rugby team is going to work as a physio at Llanelli (I can't spell Welsh place names) rugby club so I guess there is potential. Like the above poster said, there isn't going to be a disgustingly rubbish physiotherapy degree anywhere since they need to meet a certain standard to be allowed to practice.
Reply 3
jinglepupskye
As all physiotherapy degrees have to cover similar ground in order to be acceptable to the regulatory bodies and to receive nhs funding I would suppose that means it is as well respected as anywhere else.

As to whether it is any good - well that depends on what your definition of any good happpens to be. As with everywhere else some people will love it, some people will hate it. Why not visit the place and do some investigation of your own and see if it suits you? Second-hand opinions from possibly disgruntled students/former students isn't much of a guide as to how you would like the place.

Information about the way the course is organised and how the assessments are carried out will be on the relevant website.

I agree with jinglepupskye and iscariot - all physio degrees have to reach the same level of competency so in that respect all degrees are qual. However, what is different is the way in which teaching occurs, the environment etc and this is a very person and individual choice. From what I've heard about UEL, there is a VERY large emphasis on self-directed learning so if this is something that appeals to you then it may be your place. However, thats only what I've learnt through the grapevine. As jinglepupskye syas, the best thing to do is go and visit, talk to current students and see what you think
Reply 4
Thanks for the adivce guys! Really appreciate it.

I have applied here through extra...since i didnt get onto a medical degree AGAIN! Im just worried about the snobbery of medical school - if they see i graduated from UEL, I am told i will have no chance at doing medicine because the uni is not respected (not an opinion of mine by the way!)
Reply 5
Dan3274
Thanks for the adivce guys! Really appreciate it.

I have applied here through extra...since i didnt get onto a medical degree AGAIN! Im just worried about the snobbery of medical school - if they see i graduated from UEL, I am told i will have no chance at doing medicine because the uni is not respected (not an opinion of mine by the way!)

who told you that? I'd like to think thats untrue......so is your plan to do physio and then do medicine? I would like to suggest that that is not a decent option given the difficulties with funding as a second student should you then go on to do medicine
Dan3274
Thanks for the adivce guys! Really appreciate it.

I have applied here through extra...since i didnt get onto a medical degree AGAIN! Im just worried about the snobbery of medical school - if they see i graduated from UEL, I am told i will have no chance at doing medicine because the uni is not respected (not an opinion of mine by the way!)

If you want to study medicine then why not go straight for it rather than wasting time training as a physio?

Apart from anything else it seems a bit dishonest to apply to train as a physio, knowing that you have no intentions of working as one. Quite aside from the fact that you are taking a place away from someone who might desperately want to be a physo.

If your grades aren't good enough to do medicine then do something which will improve your chances such as a foundation degree in biomedical sciences or such. This will also preserve your funding for the medical degree as you won't have an honours degree.

In any case do you really want to spend three years studying a subject that you are not interested in? And by studying for the Foundation degree you may be able to go to the university that you want to do medicine at and get your feet under the table and get to know the lecturers and especially the admissions tutors!
Reply 7
Many universities do not consider physiotherapy as an adequate medicine undergraduate degree - as it is not a biological science in all honesty, it is a healthcare degree. Your undergraduate degree will not really be considered greatly due to the fact you will cover very little cellular biology, biochemistry or physiology. Physiotherapy focuses upon anatomy and handling injuries/mobility/etc - not on any kind of microscopic level.

Some GEP medical programs accept healthcare workers (Leicester is one) for instance, but many do not (Warwick, Barts) as they require biological science degrees. Also many undergraduate degree medical programs require a biological science studied at undergraduate for your A-level results to be "ignored" (of course they're never truly ignored) - for instance without a biological science Kings require BB in Biology and Chemistry, Barts require AB in Biology and Chemistry.

I'd think long and hard about studying physiotherapy as a means to get into medicine.
Reply 8
jinglepupskye
If you want to study medicine then why not go straight for it rather than wasting time training as a physio?

Apart from anything else it seems a bit dishonest to apply to train as a physio, knowing that you have no intentions of working as one. Quite aside from the fact that you are taking a place away from someone who might desperately want to be a physo.

If your grades aren't good enough to do medicine then do something which will improve your chances such as a foundation degree in biomedical sciences or such. This will also preserve your funding for the medical degree as you won't have an honours degree.

In any case do you really want to spend three years studying a subject that you are not interested in? And by studying for the Foundation degree you may be able to go to the university that you want to do medicine at and get your feet under the table and get to know the lecturers and especially the admissions tutors!




I have applied to study medicine for the last 3 years, with adequate A-level grades and still didnt receive any offers of a place. I took a year out and went travelling...and for the past year i have studied a pre med course (like a foundation degree, but unbeknown to myself, and other people on the course, there are very little prospects at the end of the year!!)

As i am now approaching 21, i dont want to keep taking year out after year out trying to get into medicine.

Physio is the next, and i feel the only option for me - other professions allied to medicine arent of interest to me (like nursing, OT, radiography...), and a biomed or biology degree just does not interest me - so doing a physio degree is a good option for me. Besides, I know two people who have taken the same route as i am planning, and have been successful at securing their place at med school.
In addition, i want to graduate with good job prospects, for a job with patient contact, and in a hospital environment (amongst other things).

I would happily work as a physiotherapist for a number of years, and reapply to a med school elsewhere (i.e. in the UK, or abroad), or failing this, i would continue working as a physio with no complaints!!
Dan3274
I have applied to study medicine for the last 3 years, with adequate A-level grades and still didnt receive any offers of a place. I took a year out and went travelling...and for the past year i have studied a pre med course (like a foundation degree, but unbeknown to myself, and other people on the course, there are very little prospects at the end of the year!!)

As i am now approaching 21, i dont want to keep taking year out after year out trying to get into medicine.

Physio is the next, and i feel the only option for me - other professions allied to medicine arent of interest to me (like nursing, OT, radiography...), and a biomed or biology degree just does not interest me - so doing a physio degree is a good option for me. Besides, I know two people who have taken the same route as i am planning, and have been successful at securing their place at med school.
In addition, i want to graduate with good job prospects, for a job with patient contact, and in a hospital environment (amongst other things).

I would happily work as a physiotherapist for a number of years, and reapply to a med school elsewhere (i.e. in the UK, or abroad), or failing this, i would continue working as a physio with no complaints!!

Have you asked the unis why you haven't received offers?
Reply 10
Dan3274

In addition, i want to graduate with good job prospects, for a job with patient contact, and in a hospital environment (amongst other things).


Good job prospects and a healthcare related degree? You're having a laugh. Physios, nurses, doctors - the lot of them are struggling to find places to work inside the UK. If this is really just all to get into medicine, you should ask yourself why you didn't get into medicine with adequate grades and what will physiotherapy provide toward your medical school application that you cannot achieve elsewhere.
Reply 11
Sorry to add to the negative responses, but I also agree that doing a physio degree to get into Medicine is also a bad idea:s-smilie:

Can you honestly afford to do a physio degree (which I guess will be funded if it is your first) and then a medicine degree after that? You'll get minimal funding if it's your second degree, can you afford to pay your own fees of 5 years plus living costs, plus travel and accomadation for work placements?

Can you justify to a interview panel why you want to do physio? Obviously you'd be decieving them by not telling them you wan't to do medicine afterwards. They obviously want to know what it is about physio you like any why you want to do the job....with the current job climate for physiotherapy- 80% unemployment for new grads, there is no job security anymore. So it's not an option to just have a go working as a physio for a few years- my friend just got her first permanent physio job after 3 years of trying, it's a total nightmare and I am really suprised that someone would consider doing this course just for the sake of it in the hope it might get you into medicine.


I appreciate your dedication to get into medicine, I myself tried to get into physio when I left school and unforutnatley (due to the high amount of competition) was unsuccessful. I did another degree with the intention of giving up on physio, but after a few years of working in unfulfilling roles, I went back to uni and will graduate as a physio later in the year. I'm 27- so frankly 21 is nothing!!!! There are people on my course in thier 40's, age is irrellevant when it comes to a lot of careers, especially medicine.

I actually had a friend at school that tried to get into medicine for 4 years, she finally made it (without doing another degree), so it is possible. I would ask these universities that have rejected you what you could do to get accepted other than another full degree....I understand your frustrations but doing a highly competitive degree like physio is really unfair to those that are desperate to do it as a first choice.

Good luck :smile:
Reply 12
Iscariot
Many universities do not consider physiotherapy as an adequate medicine undergraduate degree - as it is not a biological science in all honesty, it is a healthcare degree. Your undergraduate degree will not really be considered greatly due to the fact you will cover very little cellular biology, biochemistry or physiology. Physiotherapy focuses upon anatomy and handling injuries/mobility/etc - not on any kind of microscopic level.

Some GEP medical programs accept healthcare workers (Leicester is one) for instance, but many do not (Warwick, Barts) as they require biological science degrees. Also many undergraduate degree medical programs require a biological science studied at undergraduate for your A-level results to be "ignored" (of course they're never truly ignored) - for instance without a biological science Kings require BB in Biology and Chemistry, Barts require AB in Biology and Chemistry.

I'd think long and hard about studying physiotherapy as a means to get into medicine.

That said, physios can be accepted to train and medics so there is no reason why it couldn't be an option (infact there is at least one physio on the Georges undergrad I know of) Whether its the best option or not is entirely different
Reply 13
I'd be surprised if there is a physiotherapist on the undergraduate degree at SGUL as SGUL explicitly do not accept applications to their undergraduate degree from candidates who already hold a degree. All graduates have to apply to the 4 year accelerated program. You might have the two confused?

Having said that though, any degree holder is eligible to apply to the 4 year graduate program at SGUL provided they sit the entrance exam. Therefore you could just as easily do media studies to apply for medicine and you'd be no less worse off than an applicant with a physiotherapy degree.

I'm not saying physiotherapy is a worthless degree in terms of applying to medicine as a graduate, all I'm saying is that it's worth taking a look at what many graduate entry programs require and even undergraduate programs require from you in terms of degree requirements. Many require a biological science at undergraduate level. Like I said in my original post there are some graduate programs specifically designed for people with healthcare degrees such as nursing, like at Leicester.

However if your only intention of doing the physiotherapy degree is as a means to eventually study medicine then I'd question whether it's the "right" degree to be using as a stepping-stone to medicine. To be honest I think physiotherapy seems like a pretty interesting course as an outsider, whether it's a good choice for medicine I'm less sure.
Reply 14
Iscariot
I'd be surprised if there is a physiotherapist on the undergraduate degree at SGUL as SGUL explicitly do not accept applications to their undergraduate degree from candidates who already hold a degree. .

No I'm not confused - she's a 2nd yr now. The no-grad rule was only recently implemented