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how competitive is physio?

horrorboy

im thinking of doing it after my degree but im worried i'l be older than others on the course i'l be 22!

Reply 1

*starbuck*

1

It is extremely competitive - 12:1 applications to places ratio at the best places. However you will not be alone in applying later. I applied for Physio this year too (later withdrew my application) but there are many people who apply as 'mature' students...a lot of them much older than you, so don't worry about that.

Have you got plenty of work experience? Most places will not even interview you if you don't. :smile:

Reply 2

horrorboy

OP

*starbuck*

It is extremely competitive - 12:1 applications to places ratio at the best places. However you will not be alone in applying later. I applied for Physio this year too (later withdrew my application) but there are many people who apply as 'mature' students...a lot of them much older than you, so don't worry about that.

Have you got plenty of work experience? Most places will not even interview you if you don't. :smile:

well i have 2 and half years yet until i finish this psychology and sports science degree so im planning on getting some work experience in nursing or physio along the way.
The thing is universitys tend to let mature students on courses who have no qualifications so im wondering if theres any point in quiting uni and getting a full time job and physio experience an then applying as a mature student which i will be by the time ive finished this degree.

im not sure which is best though

Reply 3

*starbuck*

1

Not necessarily. There are people on my course (Access to Science) who already have one degree and are applying for Physio in September...I would seriously doubt any Uni would let someone with no academic qualifications on to a course, unless they had been working as a physio assistant for a significant period of time...even then, I'm sure they'd want some indication of academic ability. :smile:

Reply 4

danni_bella

17

Um, yeah I'm thinking of completing a physio (or OT) degree after I get this current one, but then I live in Australia so the situation is slightly different. Plus I wanna earn some cash and be in the work force for a couple years and study part time. I'll be 22 too, H-dude, so don't worry. I'm 21 now, but don't finish my psych degree until Dec this year.

Reply 5

JackieS

11

horrorboy

im thinking of doing it after my degree but im worried i'l be older than others on the course i'l be 22!

horrorboy, I did a degree and then applied for Physio (starting at St Georges in Sept). I'll be 23 when the course starts! St Georges like mature students apparently 75% of last years 1st year intake were mature 9over 21) and many alrady had a degree. I would suggest you stick with the degree. The sports science side will help you alot when you start your physio degree. If you're not happy about doing a 3 year degree after your sports science one then you could aply for an accelerated degree...............thats 2 years at MSc level for people who already have a degree in another subjct. Competition is as fierce as for the undergrad though so be warned! You should apply for MScs and BScs to be safe!

quite a few of us here are aplying for physio as a second degree.............so you're not alone! POst any other questions you have!

Reply 6

!LJ!

1

horrorboy

im thinking of doing it after my degree but im worried i'l be older than others on the course i'l be 22!

Hey there,

Im 23 and starting an accelerated Physio degree in January. I suggest you dont quit the sport science and psych degree coz you wont be able to apply to the fast track courses unless you have a degree already (and usually a 2:1 hons, but not always)
I did sport science and leisure management for my undergrad degree and graduated a year ago now. I have spoken to alot of uni admissions peeps and nearly half of the applicants are 'mature' like myself. Physio often looks kindly upon those who are a little older because its a pretty hard core profession and us oldies can apparantly deal with it better, plus we may have more life experience, wehich is always a good point.

Work experience is a must.... I am working (in another year out, yet again) as a Physio Assistant at a school for the blind and disabled to get more knowledge and understanding of the proffession. I'm soon to be a technical instructor in the physio department at a large hospital to get even more(and better) experience. Plus I get paid better.
I've visited hospitals on day placements, and worked as a care assistant for a month(but soon quit, couldnt handle too much elderly faeces!!!)

Its all about getting out there and writing letters to anywhere which you know has physios working, from school and hospitals, to community centres and rehab homes!!! You will be supprised how many physios are working in your local town!
I got my job offered to me after being a volunteer for 1 day a week at the school.

Plus if you quit your dergee, you will have to do a science Access course(1yr full time and costly) in order to apply for physio. With your specific degree completed, you wont have to do an access course before applying.

hope this all helps, but dont quit the degree, a psych and sport science degree will look really good on an application for physiotherapy.

Good luck, oh and I'll be 24 when I start the course!!

LJ

Reply 7

JackieS

11

I agree with LJ, a degree will look excellent, show you're up to the challenge of a degree etc.

But like LJ sad you MUST get some work experience, anything at all! There is absolutely no point applying wihtout it.Try to get a variety, but ensure you get at least one hospital placement. 99% of physios end up working in the NHS so there is no point doing all your work experience at a private physio clinic where they earn loadsa cash because in reality it doesnt work like thta................Call u your local hospital physio department, nursing homes, schools etc...................

Reply 8

SamJL

1

I'm starting in september and I'm 25! I am however doing one of the acclerated courses (assuming I can get the finances sorted!), one of the MSc's- the majority on this course will be over 21/22 as it's a postgraduate qualification.

I also did a sports science degree, didn't enjoy it much and thought of quitting! I'm glad I didn't though, it's enabled me to get into physio at long last!

Reply 9

saturn

SamJL

I'm starting in september and I'm 25! I am however doing one of the acclerated courses (assuming I can get the finances sorted!), one of the MSc's- the majority on this course will be over 21/22 as it's a postgraduate qualification.

I also did a sports science degree, didn't enjoy it much and thought of quitting! I'm glad I didn't though, it's enabled me to get into physio at long last!

hey it sounds like you all have the same plans as each other (which isnt ironic since youve posted on the same thread .but still oh neva mind :redface:

)

erm im currently doing a sports science and coaching degree and want to apply to physiotherapy after but i dunno whether to change to sports and excersise science. It will be an hassle changing since ive nearly done the first year but will i have more chance of getting on physio if i change to sports and exersise science?

taa oh btw are physio's well paid? i still wanna be one whether they are or not im just asking how much do they get?

Reply 10

SamJL

1

saturn

hey it sounds like you all have the same plans as each other (which isnt ironic since youve posted on the same thread .but still oh neva mind :redface:

)

erm im currently doing a sports science and coaching degree and want to apply to physiotherapy after but i dunno whether to change to sports and excersise science. It will be an hassle changing since ive nearly done the first year but will i have more chance of getting on physio if i change to sports and exersise science?

taa oh btw are physio's well paid? i still wanna be one whether they are or not im just asking how much do they get?

I personally don't think it matters which you do, the coaching or the exercise science. Yes it would be better to have more of a scientific background than a coaching one, but I don't think it will matter too much. If you can try and do as many science based modules as you can specifically anatomy, physiology, biomechanics etc that should put you in a good position. I did a sports science degree, other people who were at my physio interviews did degrees ranging from engineering to physiology to medical science (whatever that is?!) so it doesn't really matter too much.

Are you going to apply for an accelerated 2yr masters course or a 3yr undergraduate course? If you want to do the accelerated masters (like I'll be doing in september), then a good degree, 2:1 or better, is vital! You should also be aware that these accelerated courses are harder to get onto as there are fewer places than the 3yr course so don't expect them to be a sure thing with a decent degree. If you want to do the 3yr undergraduate course then your current degree won't matter as much as you'll be up against a lot of people with only A-levels (although lots of people over 21 do them too!) Even still you'll find a lot of people on the undergraduate courses do have first degrees allready so you'll still need a good degree which ever course you do.

Regardless of which course you apply for you MUST have lots of work experience, but after reading this message board I'm sure you're aware of that!! Ideally working as a physio assistant etc

As for pay, yes physio is well paid. Starting salarys are around £18k, working up the grades in the NHS you can quickly be on the high 20's/30k+ as you get more experienced. Working in the private sector pays more, I know sports is particularly well paid, the professional club physio's earn in excess of £50k+, I've read some can earn over £80k!!

One thing we all stress is when you do apply/go for interviews DO NOT talk about wanting to do sports physio too much- this area is a tiny aspect of physio and most uni's would rather you went into the NHS side. :smile:

Reply 11

!LJ!

1

saturn

hey it sounds like you all have the same plans as each other (which isnt ironic since youve posted on the same thread .but still oh neva mind :redface:

)

erm im currently doing a sports science and coaching degree and want to apply to physiotherapy after but i dunno whether to change to sports and excersise science. It will be an hassle changing since ive nearly done the first year but will i have more chance of getting on physio if i change to sports and exersise science?

taa oh btw are physio's well paid? i still wanna be one whether they are or not im just asking how much do they get?

I did sport and exercise science with leisure management,and chose carefully which modules i did in the sport part of my degree, if you have the chance to change your course and ditch the coaching, i think it may be a good idea coz you will then do more health and exercise related modules, which will be useful for physio later. Unis differ though, see if you are able to choose your modules specifically. I could at the university of gloucestershire, but everywhere is different what with pre-requisites needed for 2nd year modules etc. Seeing as you havent started your 2nd year, I see no reason why you cant alter your course, I had many friends who did it and as long as its not mid-term when your making the change, it should be easy to do.

how competitive is physio?

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