Learning is a journey for us physiotherapists

Continuous professional development is a huge part of a physiotherapists training and career. We receive a folder during our under-graduate degree, and we insert all our certificates of courses completed, conferences attended, examination reports, and so forth into it. The culture and emphasis on consistent, diligent learning and development is there from the early days – and serves us well as we develop our career in physiotherapy and healthcare.
To stay up-to-date and informed with new cutting-edge science, best physiotherapy practice and codes of professional contact we are constantly signing up for new courses (e.g., soft skills, writing, myofascial dry needling, injection therapy, manipulative therapy, muscle energy techniques, taping, exercise prescription, strength and conditioning)– to deliver high quality, evidence-based services to our patients and clients. Curiosity about how the best clinicians manage and treat injuries, their approach, skillset, and what they do is always on an ambitious physiotherapists’ horizon. The sharing of knowledge, reflection points, experience
and expertise is a strength of our physio profession. We tend to be giving ‘team players’ - and supportive of other physios.
Physiotherapy training and courses often miss out on an opportunity - that those moments in time present to the physio students attending. I have often found that the conversations about physiotherapy, sports physiotherapy, sports medicine, and other physiotherapy courses in between the actual teaching is hugely valuable, around the edges of the actual course outline. The networking opportunities, the open learning dialogue and the shared, informal, and collaborative mentoring that can take place is priceless. Teachers and educators of physiotherapy courses and training should aim to give more ‘downtime’ in their workshops, seminars, or conferences for these magical and energising conversations to happen.
We can all learn more from one another in our physiotherapy profession (be that sports physiotherapy, musculoskeletal, paediatric, neurological, respiratory, etc.) – it is a process that evolves. Being open to how others consider and assess physiotherapy challenges and learning points comes from those downtime ‘coffee-break occasions’ – those moments of community…when the forum for that insatiable learning and development is open. Seek out more of these golden opportunities to learn from other physiotherapists on their journeys. “Stay hungry, stay foolish”, as Steve Jobs said.

#learnandgiveback