16 years old and need advice how to start

[it02s28]

Hello
ive been interested in physiotherapy for quite a long time now, and after completing my year 11 exams my next big step is to decide what subjects to take in lower 6th form.
i have decided to take:
Biology
PE
Food Technology
Economics.
Which after 1 year i shall "drop" Economics to develop the other subjects into a full A level.
I now have about 12 weeks in which my primary focus is gaining experience and knowledge in physiotherapy.
As i am only 16, i have nothing on my CV so far which may appeal to phsyiotherapists which may look twice at my letter, which i am still puzzling over what to include.

I am in need of advice what to include in my letter to possible business's concerning shadowing.

One place i would enjoy shadowing is my local football club, which isnt too far, and its at conference level with great facilities.

If there is any advice, no matter how small, you could give to me i would be extremely greatful and it would settle my mind and hopefully increase the risk of doing some much needed experience.

Is there much more i can do, apart from work experience which may appeal to Universitys so that i can get onto the course i need?

Chris - thanks in advance

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[sunnyphysio]

Hi Chris

Its good you are taking advice on how best to deal with the situation

Can you please tell 'in which country are you planning to start your physical therapy program' ?

Every country has its own set of requirements and some are easy and some are difficult.

Thanx

[it02s28]

Thanks for replying :]
I am in the UK - England specifically.

[oscar]

Hi,

My advice would be to get hospital-based work experience/health centre experience rather than sports. Most uni's really don't like too much emphasis on sports physio because that is such a tiny area of physio and something you won't even touch on at uni...it really puts admissions off if you say you're really interested in sports physio!!

Even a week or so in a hospital would be good, getting some experience in the different departments so you can show you've experience of different aspects of physio.

[it02s28]

Thanks for that Oscar, that seems like a good plan.
Can i ask if ur a physiotherapist yourself and how you got to where u were and if u had any regrets on the choices you made?

[it02s28]

Has anyone else got anything they could help me out with ?
even if its minor things, after all i want to learn from people who have done what i am wanting to do.

Much Obliged

[oscar]

Thanks for that Oscar, that seems like a good plan.
Can i ask if ur a physiotherapist yourself and how you got to where u were and if u had any regrets on the choices you made?

LOL! I'm not there yet, I graduate this year! It's taken me ages to get here though, my A-levels were not good enough to get into physio first time around so I did a sport science degree, worked for 3 years in other areas, then applied for physio again when I was 25! I think if I could have done it differently I would have re-sat my A-levels and tried again to get into physio a few years earlier- I would have had only 1 student loan instead of the 2 I now have!!
But in honesty I don't really regret it, I love the subject, just hope I can get a job when I finish!

[it02s28]

okay, well i have looked over the course you have done (sports science) and think it looks quite good kinda as a back up plan if my grades dont quite make the mark. on the other hand, there is a cadet scheme availiable in my area.

What are your ideas and thoguht on a cadet scheme (working basically as an assistant phsyiotherapist and then going into university) ?

[oscar]

That's a good idea, the physio assistant job would be a good plan but you'll still need A-levels to get into uni to do physio....lots of people also work as health care assistants before applying for physio, so that's also an option.
I think most uni's will take any health related degree, sport science was just one of the ones they accept.

okay, well i have looked over the course you have done (sports science) and think it looks quite good kinda as a back up plan if my grades dont quite make the mark. on the other hand, there is a cadet scheme availiable in my area.

What are your ideas and thoguht on a cadet scheme (working basically as an assistant phsyiotherapist and then going into university) ?

[it02s28]

fair doos oscar.

im going to school on monday and tuesday, to get a reference from them and then going to speak to my old english teacher to get advice on how to work a letter that i would send off to my local hospital applying for work experience.
my next step after that is to start to look over revision notes on websites about biology so im not thrown in at the deepend when i go to 6th form in september.

anymore i could be doing ?

[oscar]

that sounds fine! But don't work too hard- you'll be busy enough in september!

[it02s28]

LOL!

Yea il get the academic stuff sorted out then il play hard dont you worry :]

[karen.hankey]

If your interest is more in sports - I am a graduate Sports Rehabilitator. I work in private clinics and have worked for a premiership teams academy and also with a Conference level club.

I would ask about the football club, as you may be able to help out on matchdays while you train.

[it02s28]

ok. thanks for that, my first idea is to get into with my local hospital though, if im not suitable or the place wont allow anyone then il take you up on your idea :]
did you have to go back to university to study as a post-grad in a "sports rehabilitator course"?

Thanks Karen

[karen.hankey]

The Sports Rehab course is a BSC(hons) degree. If your interested look in the BASRaT website and that will give you a list of where the courses are.

[it02s28]

okay. thanks for that, whats your official title "sprots rehabilitator" ?

[karen.hankey]

yes thats correct, a Sports Rehabilitator

[it02s28]

cool.
i went into school today and yesterday to help with the year 6's moving up to "big school" and while i was there i asked a careers advisor, just so happens to be a DT teacher and his daughter is now a physio and did a 3 day block work experience thing at the same hospital i am wanting to go to.

good news :
just got the letter noww.

[oscar]

Yep a lot of hospitals do the 'block' thing, you get to see lots of different departments that way, it's really good if you can manage to get the experience

cool.
i went into school today and yesterday to help with the year 6's moving up to "big school" and while i was there i asked a careers advisor, just so happens to be a DT teacher and his daughter is now a physio and did a 3 day block work experience thing at the same hospital i am wanting to go to.

good news :
just got the letter noww.