do the master's degree and doctorate in Physiotherapy make sense?
Physiotherapist high school
The beginning of education for physiotherapists for most colleagues begins already in high school.
I must admit that I personally did not finish high school for physiotherapists, but considering that I have been working in the profession for 10 years and the last few years I have been intensively teaching physiotherapists of all levels of education, I believe that I am sufficiently familiar with education and quality in it.
High school has us initially meet the concept of physiotherapy and learn the basic procedures. such as current therapy, ultrasound, magnets, standardized therapeutic exercises and other common procedures used in the public health system, i.e. hospitals, health centers, polyclinics and similar institutions.
But is the knowledge from high school really enough for quality progression in the career of a physiotherapist?
Faculty of physiotherapy
Under the Faculty of physical therapy we will talk here about the first 3 years of college of physiotherapy where we would acquire title of baccalaureus of physiotherapy.
I started my own education with the Faculty of physical therapy and I have to admit that I did not feel the slightest lack of knowledge compared to my colleagues who had already finished high school.
My colleagues, who have previously graduated from high school for physical therapy, have confirmed to me that the knowledge they got in high school was not the best and that they were only learning to do standardized physical therapy procedures.
In the faculty we will begin learning Anatomy, Kinesiology, Physiology, Physics and other important subjects at a level where they are not even close to being taught in high school.
The faculty actually taught us to think as clinicians and ultimately as therapists.
College course
The first year of college is key because if we do not master the subjects of anatomy and kinesiology well, we will have no basis for further education.
After we have successfully mastered the first year, we dare say that 50% of the faculty has already been successfully completed.
In the second two years of the faculty, we will be based on more professional and precise subjects in the general field of medicine, as well as in the field of physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Finally, after completing 3 years of the Faculty of physiotherapy and the acquired title of baccalaureus of physiotherapy, we will have a very strong basis and knowledge for further education and continuing the career of physiotherapists.
What to do after 3rd year?
Most of our colleagues after 3 years of college are not sure do they need to continue with college education, do they need internship or to get right away into the private waters.
This is actually a perfectly logical question that unfortunately no one will be able to give you 100% correct answer, but we will do our best to give you targeted guidance both from our own experience and from the experience of directing a large number of colleagues who have passed our education at the Physioverse Academy.
The answer to this question will depend on a number of factors, that is, on your desired career path as a physiotherapist.
When to get a master's degree?
This is where we'll be brutally open and honest to you.
As useful as the first 3 years of physiotherapy are, in most cases a master's degree will not be useful for further career advancement.
Most of the master's programs are actually recycling materials from the first 3 years of the faculty and the writing of a large number of scientific papers, which unfortunately in most cases are recycled from previously written scientific papers. So the real possibility of career advancement in such a program is really minimal.
A master's degree only makes sense if you plan to stay teaching or work in the education system, more precisely at the faculties where you will need a master's degree and a doctorate in order to meet the requirements for Main lecturer and to ultimately increase your salary ratio.
But if, like most of us, you don't plan to primarily work in the education system, but you want to practice with patients, read this blog further.
What should I do instead of a master?
If you want to become the best possible rehabilitation professional in real practice, start working as soon as possible!
This beginning can occur in a different forms of work that do not necessarily exclude each other.
Personally, during college, I started “practicing” therapeutic techniques on family members, friends and after a while on patients.
Immediately after university, I started an internship through which I learned some basic techniques and procedures in physical therapy and which was a good basis for further advancement in my career.
I also began to intensively educate myself on specific courses in targeted techniques that I believed would bring faster, better and longer-term results to my patients.
The point of this whole story is that if you want to become a top rehabilitation professional and physiotherapist, start working and get further education as soon as possible!
Learn from the best experts!
As we have already stated through this article, the knowledge transferred from high school and university will unfortunately not be enough for a targeted, high-quality and long-term solution to the problems of our patients.
In the Physioverse Academy we exclusively organize educations from precise, proven and long-term effective techniques taught by top experts who run the best-rated practices in Croatia and the rest of the region.
Download our guide for rehabilitation professionals which will help you to start a targeted and accurate education free of charge in order to become a top rehabilitation expert!
Bsc. PT. Toni Marić
Toni is a bacc. of physiotherapy, owner of Ad Sacrum practice and director of Physioverse Academy, who has been following top athletes for years and teaches classes for physiotherapists and other rehabilitation professionals.
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How to become a rehabilitation expert? (Croatian language)
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