Not sure studying physiotherapy is a right thing for me

Hello all,

I'm currently studying 1st year of physiotherapy in SA.

For me, choosing physiotherapy was really a decision made in few hours (with a bit of my parents' insist), but at the moment I thoroughly enjoy what I'm learning and doing at uni. Well, actually I find learning these things quite pleasurable even.

However, from the moment I enrolled in physiotherapy, I had that tingling voice in my mind that's been questioning whether it was a right decision.

Moreover, my doubt gets bigger and bigger as I read things on the internet about how physiotherapists are oversupplied because young people think of it as a 'glamour job', how it’s not a profession where you can last long, and actually the prospect is not as good as people think.

Also, studying physiotherapy does feel quite alienating because everyone in my course is super athletic and all that. I never have been that good at sports and never got involved in it that much (I did try with lots of failures. I instead got involved with more docile hobbies such as reading or playing musical instruments). It really makes me feel like I don't share many attributes that general physiotherapists have.

But then again, when I think of the alternative pathways I could have chosen, I don’t see any pathways I’d have liked more than physiotherapy. For example, I aspired to be a doctor, but I found that I am utterly scared of needles, almost to the stage of phobia. I considered other health professions like podiatrist too, but it lacks that satisfaction I get from seeing patients with various injuries thinking ‘ah, one day I’ll be able to treat them!’ For engineering or law which I did apply as a ‘backup choice’ in high school, well… I don’t even like the sound of them from the beginning.

So here am I, wondering about whether choosing to study physiotherapy was a right choice. My main questions are;
1. Prospect - Is physiotherapy really oversupplied in Australia at the moment and is not a long-lasting and well-earning profession as I want?
2. Desirable attribute - Do I really need to be an ultimate footy-driven buff man like all my friends are? I am aware of many different fields that doesn’t involve being sporty, but I’m thinking that it’d be pretty hard to establish a professional relationship with other physios when I don’t share much in common with them.
3. Alternative pathways - If physio is not my kind of career, then what shall I choose to be instead?

It would be greatly appreciated if someone can shed a light on my clouded mind.

Thank you.

And I'm doomed for writing this at 4am when I got my practical vivas tomorrow at 1pm!

Hi,
I love your thread - it's simply brilliant. Rest assured that everyone goes through that stage and there is nothing wrong with a little self-doubt...

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1. Prospect - Is physiotherapy really oversupplied in Australia at the moment and is not a long-lasting and well-earning profession as I want?

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From seeing all those Physios who currently move over to Aussie because of work - I don't think it is oversupplied. But then again - as to choosing a career - go with what your heart tells you. There is many Physios out there who do lack any kind of passion for the job. The others often go miles to find the right job and will find it at the end. You said that you like the learning and you seem to have the passion, that's the best start.
As to the well earning bit - hm ... you can live from it, but there is only very few Physios who are 'rich'.

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2. Desirable attribute - Do I really need to be an ultimate footy-driven buff man like all my friends are? I am aware of many different fields that doesn’t involve being sporty, but I’m thinking that it’d be pretty hard to establish a professional relationship with other physios when I don’t share much in common with them.

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Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish. What kind of class are you in? Actually, you don't have to be sporty AT ALL, not even if you work as a Sports Physio. :cool: You should start worrying about your friends though, if all they do is being interested in sports. Open your eyes, mate. There will be people out there who can see beyond the world of footy.

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3. Alternative pathways - If physio is not my kind of career, then what shall I choose to be instead?

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Difficult to say. Sometimes you have to try things before you know whether they are right or wrong for you. However, with a Physio degree you have sooooo many options as to where you will take it. You do not even have to work as a clinician....

Now, this was grandma speaking, hope it helps... :D
Cheers,
Fyzzio

hi,

Thanks for the PM...

I agree with Fyzzio.

Who said you need to be sporty. I happen to be sporty but I love going to the theatre, ballet, musicals etc with my wife and kids. We also go to footy games. I play sax. i love reading and studying.

I think you have a population bias perhaps? SA AFL fans? Rest assured, they will start working, drink too much, get married, have kids etc.

You sound like me at uni with better prospects! I loved learning about the body etc, hated studying, nearly failed, found out that I have narcolepsy which explained why i couldn't stay awake in lectures and studying. Went from a pass average to a high Credit average etc etc.

Most of you learning is done after you leave uni. Go volunteer at a private practice or hospital to get some real world experience to go with your academic knowledge.

Physio is more than sports and MSK. There is rehab/neuro, orthopaedics, paediatrics, gerontology, cardiopulm, etc etc. You can do academic work, management/public health etc etc.

To earn good money, you will need to go into some form of private practice IMHO. Best to aim to be a Specialist at something.

Remember, being a good practitioner is more than technically good, it is the interpersonal skills that are vital to success :)

As for another career, physios are awesome so you can go on and do anything you want :) my brother is doing medicine now after 8-10 years of physio...not that you want to do med...

Good luck - you will go well...passion is the key!

Thank you very much for your posts, Fyzzio and alophysio. I really appreciate them.

I still think that there are so many things I would need to experience first-handedly to see whether physio is a right career for me, but what you wrote makes me feel like it's not as terrible a decision as it seemed ilke this morning. It even seems like there's a good chance that it was actuallly a good choice!

So yes, with what you told in mind (especially the 'not everyone's AFL Fan' bit :p), I'll go on with what I'm studying, and try to explore more and more aspects of it. Who knows? I might turn out to be a great physio someday (hopefully I do)!

Heck, being a physio for a while can give you the opportunity to explore the world and work in so many varied physio areas, such as pediatrics, cardiac rehab, MSK, sport physio, home physio, Family Health Teams...the list goes on. You'll make a good wage. And then if you happen across something else that interests you, it gives you a great educational base to launch off into other programs. I would definitely stick it out and see where it takes you. Physios have very good quality of life.

Have you thought about Dietetics?
Medicine-related but food instead of needles!!