I’ve been a physiotherapist for six years in Australia. In Australia, physiotherapy is really difficult to get into via a university. For instance, the TER score (score soon after you finish your high college certificate) was 93 in 2000. That was the third highest score to apply for via university. Now, you may possibly assume that the higher the difficulty to apply, the larger the prestige, earnings and satisfaction the job will be. You believe so correct? Wrong!
Let me tell you, physiotherapy or physical therapist as a career option is not what you believe. I came to think when undertaking the course I count on a higher revenue and higher levels of satisfaction, but from my encounter and other folks this is completely wrong. Physiotherapy Penang have good friends who have been undertaking physiotherapy for a lot more than 5 years who have changed careers mainly because they believed physiotherapy will get them nowhere. I’ve been told by 1 of the board members of the physiotherapy association that there is no physiotherapist working full time in a private practice above 45. So it seems many physiotherapists are not satisfied with their career.
So why is it that many physiotherapists are not happy with their careers? I can give you 3 fantastic reasons.
Initial is the revenue. Our earnings is about $60-70k year on typical, but the ceiling for physiotherapist to get is around $one hundred-110k a year (which is rare) if functioning for somebody or in the public sector. Now in the private sector (functioning in your own practice) you can make considerably extra, about $100k or higher. But setting up and operating in the private sector price funds and it is really expensive. You have to pay rent, equipment, labor and quite a few other expenses. So in the finish, you may not make a lot mainly because of all the costs.
Second is the level of satisfaction. You may perhaps consider assisting men and women get improved makes you happier, it does. But there are lots of far more folks who never get far better. Also, the job that you do in physiotherapy is extremely monotonous it’s either performing assessment, electrotherapy, workouts or hands on operate (which I fundamentally contact massage). Individuals who function as a physiotherapist will most likely have hand, wrist or back discomfort mainly because the job demands you to do repetitive movements or awkward postures most of the time. For instance bending down to treat a patient on a bed,
Third is security. If you do additional courses or have masters degree to specialize in physiotherapy, most most likely that will not guarantee you added income or status. There is a lack of differentiation in between an knowledgeable physiotherapist or an inexperienced physiotherapist in terms of pay. Also, the future of physiotherapy as a profession is overtaken by other overall health professionals such as chiropractors and even nurses.
This is due to incompetence of the physiotherapy board and association of pushing our status in government and common public opinion into insignificance. It seems that the physiotherapy association has no lobbyist in the government or insurance business thereby cutting our status as a health specialist. For instance, insurances are cutting physiotherapist prices and solutions (for example HBA in the UK) as they see physiotherapy as not critical. In the lengthy term, physiotherapy as a profession will die out and overtaken by other overall health experts.
So is physiotherapy a very good or undesirable profession choice? I say most definitely not a superior profession choice. But this is my opinion. If you want to get a different person’s opinion, see your physiotherapist or a individual who is working in your career.