14. You think it’s all over …
Nick Southorn and Nick Clode
• What to do with your textbooks159
• Opportunities for the graduate159
• Looking for jobs in the UK160
• Interviews162
• Conclusion170
Results
Awaiting the results in your final year is probably the most nerve-racking thing you have done in a while; yes; more nerve racking than waiting to hear if you have been accepted in to physio school or not! Some universities are very good and you have your results (or at least an indication as to whether or not you have passed) within a day or two. Some universities, however, take their sweet time over it! It’s just one of those things and there is nothing you can do except sit back and party with your friends who you are going miss dearly in a few weeks’ time.
However, I think you should consider this question: would the tutors really let a poorly performing student get this far unnoticed? The answer is No! If your tutor has not had to haul you in and give you a reality check in the last 3 or 4 years, the chances are you are going to pass. This is of course easy for me to say now I’ve passed … I was a nightmare waiting for my results (my university was in the latter category in taking its time over presenting results). It’s never as bad as you convince yourself it’s going to be. A close friend of mine was so convinced that he had failed, he rang his parents to stop them flying from Canada to see him graduate … he got a first class honors degree!
If you genuinely think that you may have messed up in an exam then don’t panic – just go straight to your tutor who will help you in any way they can.
The majority of UK pre-registration courses are Bachelor of Science honors degrees, BSc (Hons), or a variant of that (such as Bachelor of Health Sciences). Honors graduates are awarded classes of degree – first, second (two divisions: upper and lower), and third. You can also graduate from your degree without honors if you fall below the third class banding or fail the research component of your degree (specific to physiotherapy).
Those who have completed a Master of Science level pre-registration degree, i.e. those who have a previous biologic science degree, will gain a pass, merit or distinction although not all universities offer a merit. However, you guys will already have been through all of this and will be taking it easy right now!
For those universities which offer doctoral level pre-registration courses, the student will earn either a pass or a fail (sometimes a distinction is offered). Doctor of Physiotherapy degrees in the UK are postgraduate qualifications only.
Does any of this matter? Well, that depends on what you wish to do with your qualification. If you intend to become a university academic and research is your future then your previous academic performance may be considered to continue further postgraduate study such as Masters or PhD, DPhysio, etc. But if you just want to be a physio then largely, the answer is “no.” Being good at exams does not make you a good clinician and employers appreciate this. Do not be fooled into thinking that as a graduate and qualified physiotherapist, you are expected to know much about treating patients! Now is where all the learning really starts.
So, basic advice about your result and banding … worry not, it’s not as big a deal as you might think. NB: do not think that this is an excuse to bunk off and scrape a pass because this attitude becomes immediately apparent to interviewers and the one thing that they do want is a hard worker who gives it all.
What to do with your textbooks
You will have accumulated quite a library of books over the last few years unless you have lived in the library or borrowed endlessly! It may be tempting to sell your books to more junior students or on a popular net-based auction – people do so because recent graduates of any subject are usually in massive debt, don’t have the room to store books and think that as they are undergraduate books, they are surplus to requirements.
Well, I can tell you that graduating from physio school does not mean you know everything there is to know about physiotherapy. During your first 2 years of practice you will be referring to those books more often than you did as a student. Believe me, selling or binning your books and notes is a sure set-up for disaster.
Some of your tutors may still have their undergraduate textbooks; this is because even they do not presume to know it all to the extent that they can discard their textbooks. Plus there is a certain nostalgic value to your university textbooks. They hold a very powerful link to times past and every page has more than just information – it is a page of history and of memories. So in 20 years’ time, with fond thoughts of your time at university, you may turn to these tattered old pages and cast your mind back to the fun you are having now.
Opportunities for the graduate
You are a qualified physiotherapist and therefore have many skills. I have already discussed the opportunities in Chapter 1 but I feel that now you have finished, it is time to consider your options in more detail.
It is true that not all graduates see the traditional “first post” as being their goal. Many newly qualified physiotherapists consider their degree more in terms of a coming of academia rather than a vocation, just like any other degree. The point I am making is that you are in no way tied to being a physiotherapist just because you are trained as such. A look in your local or national high-quality newspaper will soon reveal many opportunities for “a graduate.” Being “a graduate” opens doors into a world of business and professional status that relies more on your ability to learn, research, adapt, solve problems and work in a team. The difference is, as a physiotherapy graduate you have these traits drilled into you!
Problem solving is what you do; by researching, adapting to best practice and team work, you make your patient better. If your university has adopted the so-called “problem-based learning” model then you are there already! You may not have appreciated it at the time but by saying “go and find out,” your lecturer has been teaching you one of the most important lessons of all: how to independently get the answer. Don’t be afraid to approach nontraditional settings because you are a physiotherapy graduate: it is not a prison sentence.
Options for the physiotherapist include the following.
• Further study– other taught postgraduate courses will supplement your physiotherapy degree and enhance your specialist knowledge. However, they may be costly and require you to complete junior rotations beforehand. In addition, while you are not practicing as a physiotherapist you will “deskill” which is why part-time courses are popular amongst clinicians.
• Research– this may be clinical as part of your job or 100% university based as part of a higher qualification such as a PhD. There is massive demand for this in physiotherapy and once you get into it, research is fun!
• Junior posts (internship)– junior physiotherapy posts allow you to consolidate and further expand on knowledge attained whilst at university and develop your clinical skills. This is the preferred route and rightly so –it gives you a chance to rotate around the specialist areas and develop a real-life interest based on experience. In addition, you can fill in the gaps of your knowledge.
• Independent practitioner– this is probably the least advisable route to take straight from university. Most individuals after graduating do not have the skills to provide an adequate service or compete in the business world against more experienced practitioners. However, there are some private organisations that offer trainee posts including on the job training and develop that might be suitable for some graduates. These are generally few and far between.
• Industry– e.g. medical rep. Completely nonclinical really unless you become a “clinical advisor” which would be a surprising appointment for someone with no experience. However, your expert knowledge of the human body and your ability to retain and use complex information will ensure that if you do opt for this type of work, you will do well.
• Veterinary physiotherapy – not many people realize that animals need rehab too! Postgraduate study is recommended and very much available.
There are many more routes to take – someone is always willing to employ an eager physiotherapist! If you see yourself heading in a “nontraditional” direction the best thing to do is contact a physio who did the same thing. I am certain they will be glad to advise you.
Looking for jobs in the UK
N. Clode
This chapter is mainly aimed at UK job seekers. It includes the main websites and strategies for job hunting. Although this is aimed at UK job seekers it is worth reading wherever you wish to work as your representative organization may offer similar services.
Websites
WWW.JOBS.NHS.UK
This should be your first stop when looking for a band 5 NHS job. You can get emails delivered directly to your email account detailing job descriptions and personal specifications for band 5 posts across England. Ensure you register with NHS Jobs before you qualify so you can get an idea of how regularly posts are advertised and determine whether you meet most of the criteria within the person specifications. This could help highlight any shortcomings in your skill-set or identify areas in which to improve your curriculum vitae to increase your chances of being short-listed for jobs. NB: It is worth noting that due to the volume of applicants looking on NHS Jobs, adverts have usually closed by the time the email notification has been sent to your individual email account. Therefore it is a good idea to check the NHS website by performing manual searches as frequently as possible (i.e. every day or two) to ensure you don’t miss out.
WWW.JOBESCALATOR.COM/
This is the CSP’s vacancy website and contains a broad range of work opportunities. Many of the opportunities advertised via this site tend to be international or work within private practice. It is definitely worth checking for newly qualified vacancies or opportunities. To take advantage of this you must be a member of the CSP and have registered with the CSP website: www.csp.org.uk.
WWW.HEALTHJOBSUK.COM/JOBS
This website advertises UK-based jobs at various bands. A large number of jobs on this website are advertised for NHS organizations and many include working for recruitment agencies. Basic grades jobs are limited on this website, though it is worth the occasional check because they do come up.
WWW.PHYSIOBOB.COM/
This website offers hundreds of jobs from around the UK and internationally. Jobs are mainly for private practice, recruitment agencies and independent healthcare providers. Given the nature of the jobs, most are band 6 and above but opportunities for newly qualified physiotherapists do appear on this website so it is definitely worth a regular review.
WWW.JOBS.SCOT.NHS.UK/JOBS/INDEX.CFM
This is the website to check if you intend on working in Scotland. Scottish NHS jobs are advertised exclusively on this website and will not be found on the main NHS Jobs website.
WWW.N-I.NHS.UK
This website provides a link to a number of different websites that can be used to discover physiotherapy vacancies in Northern Ireland. Whilst there is not an abundance of physiotherapy jobs, if you are interested in working in Northern Ireland this should be bookmarked as a “favorite” on your web-server.
Related posts:
Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Full access? Get Clinical Tree
