Studying

[alophysio]

Hi!

Some of the people who write the posts seem pretty knowledgeable!

Where do you all come up with the info?

I myself would like to get more knowledge/study/do a Masters at University of Queensland (Brisbane) or Curtin University (Western Australia) but I live in Sydney and have too many commitments - I don't want to study at Sydney because I feel that UQ and Curtin are actually trying to improve our profesison with great research on relevant topics - that is not to say Sydney is no good, I just look at the studies and research produced by the unis and UQ and Curtin seem more interesting...

I am currently trying to study on my own by reading texts. I am currently trying to get through the following 5 texts. 1. The Pelvic Girdle (Diane Lee), 2. The Thorax (Diane Lee), 3. Grieve's Modern Manual Therapy 3rd Ed (Boyling and Jull Eds), 4. Clinical Reasoning for Manual Therapists (Jones and Rivett Eds) and 5. Therapeutic Exercise for Lumbopelvic Stabilization: A Motor Control Approach for the Treatment and Prevention of Low Back Pain (Richardson, Hodges and Hides).

What are other people trying to do to further their education?

I am a pessimist when it comes to considering other physios and study - i have to put in a huge effort just to read some of these books and it would be so much easier not to so i figure most people wouldn't bother.

I would appreciate some feedback or discussion on how you all learn and further your knowledge because your way would probably be beneficial to helping me learn more.

By the way, keep adding posts because i enjoy learning from you all!

Thanks

Similar Threads:

• studying in australia

[PhysioFish]

In writing to you from Canada one might expect my perspective to be a little different. My view of our profession is that it is a professional highly motivation toward development /education. From my experience in Canada & Britain, nearly everyone seems to be studying for their Orthopaedic Division Exams, MSc, PhD, DSc. etc. I have every reason to suspect it's the same in Aus. Of course there are people who don't study (much), may-be they do short courses here and there but don't seem to have the courage or interest to incorporte their new knowledge into their practice.
I live in an isolated small community. The nearest city (and also community of physios) is 3-4 hours drive away. I've never had the privalidge of working in a practice where I could receive knowledgable mentoring, and so I can empathise with some of your comments. I have been fortunate to be able to riggle my way onto some pretty high-power courses where I wasn't really qualified to be (everyone else had their Fellowship in manual therapy) and I've been motivated by the very high level of manual skills I have witnessed in these therapist, but I have also surprised at the lack of skill /practice /conficence some of them have displayed in some techniques, although the academic knowledge was clearly there. Being critical in your own practice and courageous (but not at the expense of your patients), have to go along with expansion of academic knowledge. Ours is a practicle profession, it is an art, studying books (or whatever media) will not suffice on its own. For example, you have to academically know what you are doing to be a 'safe' manipulator of the cervical spine, say O-C1, but you also have to practice, practice, and practice many hundreds, if not thousands, of manips to be smooth, efficient and effective in your technique, and (the all important) impart the sense of confidence in yourself and what you are doing to your patient. In some ways, some of Bogduk's more negative comments on our profession's abilities are not too far off the mark..... Excuse me for rambling.
Your short reading list is excellent. Glad to see you have Diane at 1 & 2 (just a little regional bias there). Other essentials (amongst so many) you might take in are: David Butler's Sensitive Nervous System, James Meadows Orthopedic Diffenential Diagnosis in Physical Therapy, Philip Greenman's Principles of Manual Medicine, Shirley Sahrmann's Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes. These are all incredibly relavent clinical texts. Every reading you will pick up many things you will be able to introduce to your practice. You might also find the 10 CD volume Manual Therapy by Jim Meadows very helpful for home-directed study (available from swodeam.com). I find visual material like this very useful.
Some thing I tell my patients: don't try too hard... just do it! Advice I should follow myself, considering how long I have been dithering about doing an DSc.... all the excuses I can find: my practice, my business, my family, my personal recreational time..... then I speak to a collegue who has just finished hers.... whilst running her practice/business/family and getting her recreational time in. She said: "I've always been getting up early to do a couple of hours reading before each day of clinic. Nothing really changed for the DSc. I just had to be more directed!" Of course, I don't suppose she wrote messages like this.
Good luck with your studies and practice.

[alophysio]

Dear physiofish

Thank you for your reply and for your comments.

It seems to me that the physios I speak to are mainly doing short weekend courses. I don't know what a DSc is but there aren't too many (proportionally) doing their Masters in Physio.

I do want to get to do my Masters...maybe in 2 years time...

Thanks for the extra books. I will get around to them...

So far, from PhysioFish's comments, reading a couple of hours a day before work and doing post-grad studies are suggestions as is being practical and self-appraising what i am doing.

If anyone else has any further suggestions, please reply.

Thanks again!

[chunkypuffin]

Dear alophysio,

interesting questions you pose and what I hope will be the start of a good thread. From a personal viewpoint I would echo Physiofish in that a mix of theory allied to excellent clinical practical skills is what differentiates the good practitioner from the average.

I am struggling with the same problems as you at the moment. I am 3 years qualified over here in the UK and have recently specialised in musculoskeletal Physio in the last year. I personally have difficulty with wanting to know the reasons behind every treatment I see or perform and find this can lead to a chaotic, unorganised approach. I am currently trying to become more disciplined and focus on one area or topic at a time. It's just frustrating knowing that there is no quick way of advancing ability or knowledge without getting in that all-important patient 'mileage'.

In terms of my own CPD I hope to start a MSc in the next 1-2 years combined with progressing through the Maitland courses to improve my clinical practical skills. Up to now I have done several short courses. Several musculoskeletal MSc courses won't accept you until you have a set amount of hours experience, which I feel is a good thing.

It is interesting to note your comment "...there aren't too many (proportionally) doing their Masters in Physio." The perception we here in the UK tend to have of Australasian physios is that the majority of you go on to do Masters. I feel we tend to look toward Australia and NZ as the centre of excellence for musculoskeletal physio, possibly largely due to the large amount of excellent research that comes from your side of the world.

Out of interest, how long have you been qualified and where do you see yourself going? This should guide your selection of courses.

Finally 'Clinical eurodynamics' by M Shacklock is an excellent practically oriented text to that area. Don't forget some of the older text books, as I am already finding that as a profession we often do an excellent job of 're-inventing the wheel'. Things such as PNF texts and Grieves 'Mobilisation of the Spine' are still as relevant today as when they were published, provided they are tempered by subsequent research findings.

Hope this view from a fellow 'newbie' helps,

Craig

[friendlypain]

Hey guys,

I totally agree with physiofish, this is an art form. All healthcare professions is an artform. Knowledge is critical to a successful practice but if you cant apply that knowlege then you are not much worth to your patient.

Everyone has a specialty or a subject that really inspires them and mine is kinesiology. I do a lot of studying in this field and that includes keeping up with the latest research. I do read lots of books and research papers but I do it objectively. I question the research and the books I read and try to poke holes into their theories and treatment protocols in order to understand what they are trying to prove better. Dont ever swallow anything that people tell you. Challenge everything you learn.

There are a lot of hokey pokey courses out there. Seems like people are trying to tweak proven treatments and call them their own and try to charge an arm and a leg to learn the same things you learn in school with a different tweak or name. <whoa.. almost went on a rant >D > So I dont take these "specialty" courses unless they are researched objectively.

I try to surround myself with specialist from all fields. I even have a friendly banter with a highly trained cranio-sacral therapist (she has yet to convince me why it works). I am also thinking about returning to university for kinesiology research but I need to fit it into my schedule.

The big thing to keep in mind is to be very picky on the course you wish to upgrade with. There are some excellent courses and some courses that are obvious grabs for money. Dont be afraid to challenge everything you read or hear. It makes you a better therapist in my opinion.

Adamo

[gr8hands]

I am also a Canadian PT with my Manual Therapy Fellowship. I have been around for 28 years and I am still practicing and learning. I am presently deciding whether to do my DscPT or retire. It never ends and it shouldn't when it comes to our profession.

[stuch666]

I know what you mean re Queensland and WA leading research, but don't give up on local sources or even that mine of information/misinformation, the web.

For a fantastic summary of the Queensland research, in simple language with lots of excellent links, have a look at Howard Knudsen's web-site:

back-exercises.com

It might help at least one area of interest sink in a bit more easily.

[alophysio]

Dear all,

Thank you all for your replies - keep them coming!

Australia and NZ do great research but i reckon in my surrounding suburbs of about 20 physio practices, there would only be a couple of physios doing stuff that i would do. If you can trust the patients that come to you from those practices, they seem to get moved down the electrotherapy line (heat then ice then I/F then U/S then TENS) and then down the exercise line (do these exercises 10 times for 3 sets and i will come back in 10mins after i have changed all these other people's electro and exercises to change yours:\ ). I may just be cynical though.

With respect to how long have i been qualified and where am i going...

I graduated at the end of 1996 and started working in a hospital at the start of 1997. I worked there for 3 years, 2 of which i could not honestly tell you why a mobilisation worked. I was an excellent orthopaedic physio though and could plaster anything that moved or get someone hopeless to walk again.

I then did Manual Concepts (www.manualconcepts.com) Certificate of spinal manual therapy which opened my eyes and shot me off down the path of furthering my education.

I have since done NAGs, SNAGs and MWMs (excellent), Muscle Energy Techniques for the C/S, T/S, L/S and SIJ with Dr Barbara Hungerford (again excellent - www.amta.com.au), Diane Lee's Pelvis course and LJ Lee's Thoracic Spine course (both on www.dianelee.ca), Peter O'Sullivan's Clinical Instability course - basically the stuff he presents in Grieve's Modern Manual Therapy Chapter of a similar title (excellent again). I have also done dry needling (works great) in a mix between Chan Gunn/Travell and Simons and TCM. I have done the APA's Level 1 Sports course (www.physiotherapy.asn.au) but the old 4 day course. I have also done Craig Allingham's shoulder courses, Dean Watson's Migraine Headache course (excellent) and Dr Bill Vincenzo's Lateral Epicondylagia course (excellent MWM techinques and protocols). (i have also done a CST course but don't use it that much!). Apart from the books listed above, there are stacks of others that i read to try stay current. I am just about to be endorsed by the PGA of Australia and start treating pro golfers.

I wish to do my Masters in Manip and Sports at either UQ or Curtin. I have 3 clinics and my brother is also a physio (with less ambition that i have!) I have a very young family so study is difficult.

My passion is for the spine - migraine headaches

I feel isolated in that there aren't that many opportunities to talk to other physios out there as i am so busy.

How about you guys out there?

Also, how do you guys get a hold of articles in journals like Manual Therapy and Spine (without subscribing to each and every one of them or paying through the nose for one article???)

Thanks! Keep posting!

[physioo]

Hi there,

At the moment I am doing a Masters at a University in Canada. Unfortunately, I am not happy with what I am learning as it is very research-based, and does not offer anything related to clinical practice. I have heard that in Canada, one cannot do a hands-on masters, which truly sucks.

What one can do is just attend the short or long manip courses being offered after one graduates.

[physioo]

How worthed is it to do a Masters or a Phd, if you want to work in clinical practice thereafter in Canada, say in a private clinic?

ANother question for you guys?
What is a Dsc that you were speaking about, I just moved to Canada and am willing to become the best I can in my profession, and willing to do anything to improve my practice

Later