Physio/Sports Science degrees

[Hannsey]

Hey everyone,

I'd like to apologise if there is a thread that is already on here relating to my question, but I was wondering if a few people could help out on some advice.

I'm a first year physio student who is more and more determined everyday to work in sports. I've recently seen a few cases, such as Jenson Button's physio Mike Collier (In Decembers issue of Frontline), whereby in order to practice in sports, the therapist has completed both a physio degree and also a sports science degree to produce 'a new breed of physiotherapist who focuses on rehabilitation and performance when working with elite sportspeople' to quote the Frontline article.

I know it is very early days in my course and I have by no means cancelled any other field out. But I'd love to do something like this one day, so can anyone give me any advice over the benefits of such a route? Or can suggest any other route of how someone might be able to specialise in sports medicine?

Thanks.

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[gcoe]

Hi Hannsey

Are you doing a three year physio degree? If so as you are already enrolled in this degree you might as well finish that then get a sports./exercise science degree at a post graduate level. Such as a Masters in physiotherapy endorced in sports physio or a masters in sports/ex sci. Better doing it that way then getting to undergraduate degrees/

[physiobob]

I totally agree with gcoe. Get your under grad degree first. To understand the possible underlying causes of any problem one needs a well rounded understanding of the body and disease process. I some countries such as Australia and Canada, the applied physiology and biomechanics part of the course is so robust that you will already come out with enough understanding to work with elite level athletes. In the UK they have a long way to go but they are getting there in some schools. Study is sometimes not enough. To be truly great I think to need to have a passion for the sport you work with from the ground up. i.e. to be a Ballet physio you need to know the forces on the body so you need to have at least taken part (even if for fun) in a few classes and tried a few turns etc. In football you need to have played a little at least.

A masters in something like applied biomechanics or in applied physiology (or something that combines both) would be great but nothing helps like getting in there and getting your hands dirty. Perhaps so come coaching courses during your PT degree. I did triathlon and swimming even before the physio degree and used them as a means to part-time work and $$ whilst studying. Swimming coaching is always a great one that will help you understand working with athletes and you can begin to do some experimentation with forces, biomechanics and heartrate type training.

Most of all keep up the enthusiasm.

[bobo]

Hi,

I did an undergraduate in sports science, and now i'm studying physiotherapy so I guess that means I qualify as one of the 'new breed'.

Id say the main benefit of the additional qualification (i dont believe it has to be a degree to be honest - but maybe employers would, im not sure) is that it gives you a better understanding of the whole process from injury back to elite performance. Its not relevant to the vast majority of the population but generally the higher the level of sport the more that is physically required. A physio degree gives you what you need in the injury/rehab of injury phase and the sports science degree gives you an in depth understanding of whats required for higher performance - such as at elite sports teams which is possibly where that 'new breed' term came from.

To me, i certainly see it as an advantage having a wider knowledge but most of the top sports teams employ sports scientists and other fitness coaches seperately. The physios job is to rehab so I dont see a sports science degree taking presedence over relevant physio experience for a physio job at a sports team. Someone like Jensen Button is slightly different as hes one person, if one person can help him with both his injuries and peak performance then it'd be a big benefit there. Why employ two people when the job could be done by one. I read the article you're talking about and I think to get to where he is, hes got more than the two degrees on his CV, probably vast experience.

In my opinion its like anything, the degree will give you good groundwork but the real learning is to be done on the job. Theres nothing to say a physio with no degree in sports performance but loads of experience in sport can't be just as knowledgable about elite performance as someone who has one.

That said, if you give yourself a bigger groundwork it can only be a good thing. I rekon a smaller qualification, maybe a diploma in something sports performance related, and then tons and tons of related experience would be just as beneficial as getting a second degree. Thats the route i'm taking. I'm doing the 2 year accelerated MSc post grad and i've heard people on here saying they wouldnt employ anyone who's done that degree as it's not enough time to learn. The only way you can counter such opinions is by having additional experience.

[shay5950]

Hi, i say stick to the physiotherapy degree. I studied the 4 year Bachelor of Physio degree in Australia and feel it gives you good grounding & understanding. However experience is still everything!!!!. I also know my university offered the grad entry physio to exercise sports science students which is only 2 years so really skips alot of stuff. I know when we had prac's during university, we would sometimes be on prac with those students, and they really struggled because they had to somehow learn what we learn in 4 years & do the 36wks of full-time prac experience all in only 2yrs.
Although on the flip side im sure employers who don't know about physio would look at it & be more impressed, however i know in Australia alot of the physio's have the other opinion & perfer to hire the 4yr undergrad physios. However different countries have different opinions.
Since its 3yrs of undergrad sports science & 2 yrs of grad entry masters. Or 4yrs of undergrad physio & 1-2yrs of postgrad Masters Sport Physio, aka same time. i strongly suggest the 2nd that way u have a undergrad & masters in physio & become a specialist sport physio, much better approach. Just so you know, in Australia you are not allowed to go to the Olympics as a physio without a Masters of Sports Physio ontop of your undergrad physio degree. So the sports science & grad entry physio still will not help in that instance.

I think at the moment the best approach is work in the sports feild while at uni, be a sports trainer, a coach, strength & conditioning ect.. these courses are all usually only 1-2wkend . These will allow you to get a good understanding of sports & also possibly make connections for when you finish . I did this approach myself while at university for the full 4 years working as a coach, then strength & conditioning & sports trainer. I then went straight into sports physio when i graduated without working in a hospital or private practice first, because i had made the connections prior to finishing uni.
I wish you the best of luck.

[aidanr]

Do you recomment any universitys in newcatsle that offer a sports science or phisiotherapy dergree ?