Initial Entry

I’ve waited two years and the time has finally arrived for my first clinical placement. I am definitely excited and anxious to see what it is truly like to be a physio, see real patients with real conditions, and hopefully witness treatment success and client satisfaction.

I’m going to a private practice musculoskeletal clinic in Mandurah. My first thoughts when I found out it was a private practice were primarily disappointing as I’ll probably be limited in my hands on application of skills and treatment as there are insurance issues associated with students. However, I do like the fact that it’s a musculoskeletal private practice, as I feel most knowledgeable and comfortable in this area of physio.

Nonetheless, after taking the time to think about my true expectations for clinical placement, I realised that although I may be limited in hands on treatment, I’m still going to be able to gain exposure to different musculoskeletal disorders in a real clinical setting. I think the exposure to the clinical environment, liasing with colleagues and experiencing what its like to be a real physio will hopefully be a beneficial and rewarding experience. I’m confident in my communication and musculoskeletal clinical skills, so I’m hoping my first placement will be a positive and successful one.

I’m not sure how the day will be structured. I am working Monday to Friday, 8a.m to 5p.m with an hour for lunch, which I'm sure I will be using to research different conditions and treatment techniques. I know there is a hydrotherapy pool and exercise gym and I will be able to participate in hydrotherapy at some stage during my placement. I’m assuming my day will consist of some physio, some hydro sessions, and some non-contact time, which I’ll either be researching, or doing marketing and promotion for the clinic.

As the student in the facility, I’m not sure what my role will be exactly as it is a private practice and there may be some concerns with how much handling and treatment I'm able to do. I’m hoping that at minimum I will be able to sit in on physiotherapy sessions and participate in hydrotherapy sessions to have a first hand account on professionalism, subjective history taking in a clinical setting and treatment.

My only concern at this stage would be what is expected of me as a second year physio student in a private practice. I’m hoping I’ll be able to get as much exposure and hands on experience as I can, in order to gain the most benefit from the experience. I’m definitely anxious and nervous about starting, but I’m sure once the first week is over, I will feel like a real physio.