UK schools for Canadian and other oversea candidates

Recently I found there are quite a number of Canadian candidiates trying to get into Australian/NZ physio schools (and some of them have already got in) because the admission to Canadian schools is too competitive and they are all graduate - entry programmes.

To be honest why don't you consider physio programmes in UK? UK Physio programmes explosed in 1990s' due to the shortage of physios in that era, and consequently UK physios quickly oversupplied and now NHS has already on the way to close reluctant programmes because the inadequte number of intake in some regions. Because of this UK programmes have a much lower bar for admission. On the other hand the number of physio programmes in NZ remain unchanged since 1960's and though there is a considerable increase of Australian programmes, the competition of admission is still quite in heat because many students take physio degree as the preparation qualification for medicine.

Moreover, studying physio in UK will be cheaper than in Australisian: most physio programmes in UK attached to polytech origined, low-ranking universities; while in AU/NZ many programme attached to world-class universities e.g. Syndey, Melboure and Otago, and the later universities of course demand much higher fees just because of their repuation and popularity. Besides, undergraduate entry-leve physiotherapy programmes in UK usually are 3-years BSc(Hon), while in AU/NZ if the programme still haven't switched to graduate-entry then it will take 4-5 years to achieve just a non-Honour, ordinary bachelor.

Furthermore, UK is close to Canada/North America and Europe as well, it means that it is cheaper to go home (if you are a canadian/American) or travel around the fasinating Europe than studying in Australisian. And also it is much more easier to gain other EU counties registrations if you have UK registration, due to the EU concorda.

So if you don't worried about skilled immigration/feel ok to return to home country to practice, don't you think UK will be a much better, practical and reasonable option and AU/NZ? Keen to know your comments.

Thank you for posting. I actively encourage aspiring Physiotherapy students here in Canada to take their program in Scotland. Their program at Caledonia has passed credentialing with the National Physiotherapy regulator, and is not too expensive ($5,000 per year). Here in Canada is near impossible to get in to a program and yet we need physios so badly. I know three young adults graduating this year who are applying and looking forward to the adventure!
Crystal R. Westergard PT
Alberta Society for Qualified International Physiotherapists

OK it is great to hear that Canadian and other oversea students are turning to UK. To be honest international fees of physio programmes in AU and NZ are very,very expensive (and also the living cost as well) and the admission is also competitive as well (AU has started to shift entry-level training to postgraduate as Canada did several years ago, while NZ is considering similar plan), so I think it is better to encourage Canadian and other oversea students to apply UK other than wasting time and money to try to get into AU and NZ schools.

May I ask why it is so competitive to get into Canada programmes? At the end of the day it is just physio not Medicine and what is the point to make candidates' life so hard? Does it only happen after the entry-level training shifted to master degree?

In Canada the University standards for Physiotherapy are extremely high. For example, all students must dissect dead cadavers in first year anatomy class. It is something only few universities can offer. It means taking care of the dead people's bodies with care and good ethics. Keeping all body parts, and eventually returning them to the families for burial or cremation. It is a privilege but a huge responsibility to care for dead Canadians who volunteer to be cut open in this way. So very few Universities can do it. Also, only so many bodies can be accommodated in the University morgue. So the number of Physiotherapy students is kept small.
However, with only 118 student places for all of our province, there are thousands of young adults who'd like to attend. So what does a University do, when it has heaps of applicants and only 118 spots? It takes only the 118 best students of course!!! Others are turned away. No this is not new since it became a master's level. It has always been a high standard here.
The problem with all this, is that Alberta needs hundreds of new physios each year, not 118. So some must come from other places in Canada and Internationally. My organization assists qualified physios to move to Alberta from all over the world, especially the British Isles.
Hope that explains well,
Crystal
Alberta Society for Qualified International Physiotherapists

Great to hear the circumstances in Cananda!! I hope to hear more.

I can't talk on be half of Oz programmes because they are exploding since the last decade so I can't gareentee that every Oz can offer their students high standard training as Canadian programmes do (e.g. dissect corpus). On the other hand there are only 2 NZ programmes since 1960's and both of them currently require students to participate dissection in junior years (at least it is the case in my cohort). Thinking about migrating to Canada upon graduation now...;)

But to be honest as a student who has completed Year one with B+ and had dissection lab works I don't feel dissection is an essential part for comtemporary physiotherapy practice out of UK - UK currently is the only realm allows physios to conduct invasive procedures among all english speaking countries. In this senario surface anatomy is much more useful than dissection, so I indeed don't think that graduates from UK and Oz programmes which have lower standards than Canadian counterparts are not competent to practice in Canada.

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And another question since I am seriousely considering to work in Canada upon graduation:

Do u mind to tell me the scope of practice for cardiovascular and respiratory physiotherapy in Canada? And what daily work a Canadian cardiovascular and respiratory physiotherapist do? The demands of cardiovascular and respiratory physiotherapist in Canada? You see there are some professions (e.g. respiratory therapy) which are unique in North America and may de facto have taken over most daily tasks that cardiovascular and respiratory physiotherapists in UK, Oz and NZ do.

And also I wonder since US has agreement with Canada and US PTs can directly gain CA registration, why there is still such as huge shortage of workforce and US graduates don't fill CA vacancies?

Happy holidays guys! Wish u have a happy 2014!