any physiotherapists?
 

any physiotherapists here that wouldn't mind telling me a little bit about their education and career path?

I have a friend who went to SFU for kinesiology. After graduation we was working with a lot of older people doing rehab with them, mostly people with heart conditions or recovering from heart attacks. She did that for a few years but didn't find it very satisfying and said she'd pretty much capped out as far as money goes.

She tried to get back into University in Canada to finish her masters but had a hell of a time getting in. I don't know much about it but I think there are (or at least was at the time) only a few schools here that offer a masters in that so she decided she'd head to Australia and get it there. She did that, finished it about a year and a half ago and now she's a therapist over there. I doubt she's ever coming back here to live.

in what ways did she find the job unsatisfying? the pay? this is actually pretty interesting to hear cus from what i've been hearing, this is a growing industry with the aging population...and its more or less related to the medical field..

She said she had basically capped out at her education level. She had no upward movement in either wages or different opportunities. She felt that getting her Masters was the only way to move up. I don't think she planned on staying in Australia but just ended up liking it over there.

so after she graduated from the kines program at sfu, she did opened a private rehab business with her own clients? if so, was it at her home, her client's home? if not, which clinic did she work at? and i would think that its valuable to have some hands on experience... it would def put her at an advantage compared to other ppl applying to the physiotherapy schools..

by the way, how long ago was this?

Hey Quasi, my girlfriend is exactly in the same boat. She is finishing her Kin degree @ sfu pretty soon, and looking into Physio or Counselling.

Do you know what school or if your contact has some information for her? It would help her out alot, as she has a lot of questions like how is pay, schooling, etc.

Getting into Physio in Canada is near impossible the way UBC does things. Other than her first couple years at UBC where she got C+/C, etc., everything from 3rd/4th and her Kin degree @ sfu has been A's... and she still can't get in.

this is somewhat frightening to me, because i've always wanted to go into physio, and the last thing i want is a big boulder thats going to stand in my way. Is getting into physio school that hard? is it on the same grounds as med school? how is it that even though she has A's in sfu she cannot get in? perhaps it requires community involvement? so basically ur gf took ubc for the first few year (let me know which faculty) and transfered over to sfu kin? lemme know the details bro, im very interested

Instantneedles -

Her first couple of years, she couldn't figure out exactly what she wanted to do. She was just getting by, but she was primarily in Sciences. She then got her degree in Bachelor of Science (Integrated degree of animal mechanism and something else i forget, with her last 2 years having A, and a few B's)... after that she got a job as a physio assisant. After a year of working, she decided to get her Kin degree @ sfu where she pretty much getting A's in about 4 terms now.

From her understanding after talking to someone that finally got into UBC Physio, they pretty much won't let you in even if you have great marks. They said they want someone who's matured a little bit and been through it. So chances are, you'll need to apply a couple of times.

But you should have read the reference letter than her former employer gave her - who is a physio and who also is a member in the board of physio or whatever it is - ... it was VERY WELL written. that letter alone should have gotten her in.

UBC is bullshit and highly overrated with professors just there to do their research and don't care about the students - make sure you get straight A's in everything otherwise you're screwed. You're better off going to SFU where's it's a little more easier with less students in a class.

wow thats fucked up. Has she tried any other physiotherapy schools in the mainland? btw I wish her luck in getting in and in pursuing her studies!

My physiotherapist did his undergrad at UBC then went to Australia for post-grad. He says Australia has the best physiotherapists/physiotherapy education.