MSc Physiotherapy student talks about her time on the course so far

During her time on the course so far, she has been able to experience a wide variety of placements and guest speakers, which has furthered her interest in the subject.

Carys, originally from Cardiff, has benefitted from small class sizes, the close relationship with her lecturers and the vast number of placements she’s been able to experience already.

Speaking about her most memorable placement, which was in Trauma Orthopaedics at Royal Preston Hospital, she said: “It was such an interesting experience, the team were so inspiring. The team leader was active in research, particularly hip fractures, so I learned a lot from him. I was also able to gain a wider understanding of working in major trauma. I saw not only different types of injuries but also the mental aspect of patient recovery.”

Carys also had a placement opportunity in Accident and Emergency (A&E), where she worked with an Advanced Clinical Practitioner and gained an insight into the variety of work that they do, from wound care to physio management. On her most recent placement, she worked with Muscoskeletal Outpatients, where she led the lower limb rehabilitation class.

She reflected on the experience and said: “Leading the lower limb rehabilitation class was a fantastic experience. I was able to go into the hydrotherapy pool with patients and really witness the patient pathway from injury to recovery. I gained a deeper understanding of the longer-term management of patients who’ve suffered fractures.”

During her time on the course, her class has been able to hear first-hand accounts from working physiotherapists and even patients themselves. This included a physiotherapist who specialised in Parkinson’s Disease, where they shared their working practices and the ways in which they help patients with the condition. She also heard from a patient of one of her lecturers, who is suffering from the devasting effects of long COVID.

On this experience she said: “One of my lecturers works part-time as a physiotherapist and has been treating a patient suffering from long COVID. He came in to speak to us about the effect this has had on him. It was fascinating to hear a patient perspective on something so topical at the moment and how they are managing it.”

Following on from the end of her course and her qualification as a physiotherapist, Carys hopes to go into a rotation to continue to experience different aspects of physiotherapy. However, she has a long-standing interest in the field of chronic pain.

She said: “My options are open, as I’ve managed to experience so many aspects of physiotherapy in a short amount of time already. I am considering the pain management route; I have always been interested in how chronic pain links the mind and the body – there’s a lot that isn’t widely known about certain conditions. For me, physiotherapists empower people and that’s what I hope to take into my future practice.”