University lecturer Alec Rickard, alongside second-year students John Passmore and Theo Orchard, spoke about the journey into the profession and the wide range of roles available. Physiotherapy focusses on improving movement and physical health for people affected by injury, illness or disability through exercise, manual therapy and patient education.

Students also learnt about the many specialist areas within the field, including musculoskeletal, neurological, paediatric, orthopaedic and sports physiotherapy, as well as new developments such as prescribing physiotherapists and the use of AI technology to support diagnosis and rehabilitation.

The speakers explained what studying the course involves, including lectures, practical skills sessions and five six-week placement blocks during the three-year degree. Theo shared that the course offers “a great mix of challenge, hard work and time for other hobbies and interests.”

Year 10 student Mo said,

“It was interesting to find out you can get on the university course with an access course.”

Grace in Year 11 added,  

“I didn’t realise there was such a huge range of physiotherapy jobs and areas of study.”

For some students, the talk opened up a new career path. Mia in Year 9 commented,

“It is not a career I had thought about until now. I like the idea of having placements and studying at university as well.”

Mrs Chalmers added,

“It is really important to have different healthcare professionals visit and share their knowledge and experiences with our students.”