In this blog, we’ll dive into education and the career opportunities of a physiotherapists that open up after graduation.
A physiotherapist is a professional who promotes people’s functional capacity, health, well-being, and mobility. Physiotherapist expertise is particularly needed when aging, disability, pain, illness, functional impairment, or when factors in an individual’s daily life limit their functional capacity (Opintopolku.fi). Physical therapist is a legally protected professional title, which means that only individuals who have completed the required education have the right to work as licensed physical therapists and practice the profession. The activities are supervised by the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI) and the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (VALVIRA).
A physical therapist holds a bachelor’s degree from a university of applied sciences, and the studies last for 3.5 years, totaling 210 ECTS credits. In Finland, physical therapy can be studied at 17 different schools, one of them offers studies in Swedish, and the only English-language program in the Nordic countries is offered at SAMK. In addition to international degree, SAMK is the only university of applied sciences in Finland offering education in animal physiotherapy.
Typically, during the first year of studies, students familiarize themselves with basic knowledge such as fundamentals of anatomy, community engagement, client-centered communication, principles of guidance, functional capacity and its assessment, accessibility, biomechanics, motor learning, and therapeutic training. At Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, there is no internships during the first year, allowing time to dive into these basics. When students’ progress in their studies, their theoretical knowledge of physical therapy deepens. In the final year, the focus is on research, development, and innovation skills. In summary, the entire physical therapist degree consists of basic studies, professional studies, internships, and a thesis.
A physiotherapist can work in various places such as hospitals, health centers, private physiotherapy clinics, sports clubs, etc. The career opportunities for physiotherapists are diverse and vary depending on individual interests, specialization, and work experience. Here are a few examples of demanding career opportunities for specialization:
- Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy: This career focuses specifically on working in sports and exercise. Physical therapists can work with sports clubs, fitness centers, or coaching programs, helping athletes improve their performance and prevent injuries.
- Occupational Physiotherapy: Occupational physiotherapists help employees maintain their health and well-being in the workplace. They can design ergonomic workstations, provide advice on proper work practices, and treat work-related injuries and conditions. To work as an occupational physiotherapist, additional training and qualifications are required.
- Pediatric Physiotherapy: Pediatric physiotherapist works with children who need help with developing motor skills, such as children with developmental delays or neurological challenges.
- Orthopedic Manual Therapy: OMT physiotherapy focuses on examining, assessing, and treating musculoskeletal problems. This treatment method is based on manual therapy techniques such as joint mobilization, manipulation, and soft tissue manipulation. OMT physiotherapy emphasizes holistic care and clinical reasoning. Only physical therapists and doctors can apply for this specialization, and the duration of this education is 2.5 years.
- Education and Research: Some physios may pursue careers in teaching or research, development, and innovation activities (RDI). They can work at universities, universities of applied sciences, healthcare training institutions, or research institutes teaching future physiotherapists or participating in clinical research.
- Management Positions and Consultancy: Experienced physical therapists can advance to management positions in healthcare organizations or work as consultants in the healthcare industry, providing advice and expertise in physiotherapy. If one is interested in management positions and consultancy, it is advisable to strengthen one’s expertise by completing a higher education degree in university of applied sciences or a master’s program in physical therapy at a university.
Working as a physio does not necessarily require specialized training, so after graduation, one can work in “basic-level positions” such as in nursing homes, with assistive devices, and in hospital/health center wards, where physiotherapists are responsible for health and functional capacity promotion and maintenance guidance, various therapeutic exercises, and manual therapy.
Currently, I am a second-year physiotherapy student in the international program. I have enjoyed my studies a lot, and this career feels right for me. Before starting my internship in Soteekki, I completed one internship in geriatrics, which I enjoyed a lot. During the internship, my feeling that I had chosen the right career strengthened. After graduation, my dream would be to specialize in OMT physiotherapy and/or maternity physiotherapy. There is such a big variety of specialization possibilities in physical therapy, and each one seems truly interesting. Therefore, it’s possible that my current dream about the future career path may change as my studies progress.
So, if rehabilitation and health promotion, as well as a people-centered field, interest you, physical therapy is a good career choice for that.
– Alexandra