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Overview of Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists help patients regain their movement after being inhibited by illness, injury, disability or age. They diagnose the problem, form a treatment plan and use techniques like massage and hydrotherapy to strengthen muscles.
Physiotherapy jobs can be found in hospitals, private practices, sports medicine and many other areas. People who want to work in this field need to study physiotherapy at university, so that they meet formal registration requirements. |
Studying Physiotherapy
Prospective physiotherapists have the option of doing a four-year undergraduate or two-year postgraduate degree, before registering with the Physiotherapists Registration Board of their state.
Most students choose the undergraduate route. The degrees are usually called Physiotherapy or Applied Science (Physiotherapy).
Physiotherapy courses teach both theoretical and practical sides of the job, and most should include a placement.
Undergraduate course entry requirements vary. For some courses, you will need to sit the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT), get a high university entrance ranking and do an interview.
Science, Maths and English may also be prerequisite subjects.
Careers in physiotherapy
The aging population means increased demand for physiotherapists, because as people get older, they are more likely to develop conditions that require physiotherapy.
Specialisations in sports, neurology (nervous system) and cardiopulmonary (heart and lungs) physiotherapy are growing areas in this industry.
Other physiotherapy specialisations include musculoskeletal, women’s health, aged care, babies and children, education and research.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations expects employment in the industry to grow very strongly in the next few years.
DEEWR statistics also show that physiotherapists earn an average of $1100 a week.
Skills needed in Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists need to have good people skills, patience and empathy. They need to be physically fit and enjoy solving problems.
They should also have strong knowledge of human anatomy, medicine and therapy.
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