Physiotherapy student testimonials

Abdulla

Bachelor of Physiotherapy student at Peninsula campus

Joanne Cheah

Bachelor of Physiotherapy student at Peninsula campus

Madelaine Rose Haggett

Madelaine was awarded a Faculty Student Award for exemplifying qualities of outstanding leadership and citizenship throughout the Physiotherapy course.

Zoré Kiyaninejad

Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)

For Zoré, Physiotherapy wasn’t the end goal. “First I chose Physio because I was aiming to do Medicine and I thought I could do Physiotherapy and then apply for the GAMSAT,” she explains. But after spending a few semesters in the course, she started to really enjoy it and decided to continue pursuing it. “I found out that as a physio I get to work with the patient for longer periods and get to know them as a person,” she highlights.

Zoré has enjoyed the opportunity to complete practical work from the very start of her degree. “In anatomy classes you work with cadavers to understand the human body and in physio labs you learn in a mock-clinic environment, assessing patients and responding to scenarios. This is incredibly useful, as the practical teaching elements make the theoretical components easier to learn”, Zoré explains.

Monash University structures their Physiotherapy degree differently to most other places which Zoré has benefited from. Each semester focusses on a different part of the human body and all of the separate units relate to one another by teaching content pertaining to that specific area.

Zoré explains that the Physiotherapy faculty at Monash also offers additional weekly classes to help students refine their practical skills. “The uni provides extra practical classes every week, for an hour or two. You can go in on your own time and practice, under the supervision of a teacher who is there to help if you need it,” says Zoré.

On top of this, Monash also hosts an additional, non-compulsory clinical communication support program for Physiotherapy students wanting to better their communication skills before going on placement.

Monash’s focus on practical application has meant that Zoré has already learnt so much. As a result, she has been able to find herself work in the industry as a hydrotherapy assistant, physiotherapy assistant and receptionist, as well as a sports trainer at different football clubs. “Even now that I’m still studying, I can do multiple different jobs with the knowledge I have so far, which is cool,” she says.

Josiah

Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)

Physiotherapy combines my love for science, working with people, and physical activity.

I’ve always been fascinated by the human body.

Monash was an easy choice because I’d heard such good things about the course.

The small cohort of students I’ve studied with have become like a big family and I have really enjoyed being taught by passionate people who are leaders in their respective fields.

The course has opened my eyes to the large scope of practice and the various streams of physiotherapy work. I’m really looking forward to starting placements and putting into practice what I have learned and getting some more real world experience.

Charlotte

Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)

It has been inspiring to learn from the lecturers and tutors at Monash -- physiotherapists who are passionate about what they do and experts in their fields. The staff are supportive, friendly and studying feels like a collaboration between staff and students, rather than a traditional lecturing style.

I've had the opportunity to complete placements at nearly every major hospital network in Melbourne. One of my highlights was working in an emergency department, gaining insight into how physiotherapists independently manage acute presentations of fractures. The skills I gained throughout this placement have helped me manage, triage and diagnose injuries in my job as a sports trainer for a local football team.

I'm looking forward to beginning my career in a hospital. My placements have given me the skills, exposure and confidence in my abilities to know that a hospital environment will be the perfect place for my personal and professional development as a new graduate.

Alana

Ariana

James

Jerome

Natasha

Shao

Claire

Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)

I grew up in Gippsland and decided I wanted to be a physiotherapist in Year 9, as I loved learning about anatomy and the body in physical education, giving and receiving shoulder massages while watching TV as a family, and had an active childhood skiing, snowboarding, running and dancing. I was met with "you know it's hard to get into," by my careers counsellor. I was determined to make the grades, and I did.

I began my Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree in 2005 at Monash University. We were the first students going through this fresh course and everyone was excited, students and teachers alike. I liked the Monash Peninsula campus as it was smaller than some of the bigger universities in the city, and coming from a rural area, it felt welcoming and homely, as it was set amongst beautiful grounds and everyone knew you by name. We spent lots of time working in teams and doing hands-on practicals, practising all the skills on each other,  so it was an easy environment to make lots of friends. The best part was going down to the beach for a swim in our lunch break.

After university, I moved back to Gippsland for a few years to work a mix of private hospital and private practice to further solidify my skill set, mainly working in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. I then moved to Northern British Columbia in Canada, sat my written and practical exams to qualify as a Canadian physiotherapist, and worked in the ski fields. Gippsland called me once again, and I have called it home since, working in private practice, and opening my own business nearly two years ago.

I have now been practising for over 15 years, working as a musculoskeletal and women’s health physiotherapist. I have recently been awarded the title of  Continence and Women’s Health Physiotherapist by the Australian Physiotherapy Association, one of only two in Gippsland, after completing extensive studies and examinations. I work in two different GP clinics, treating musculoskeletal and women’s health conditions: anything from back and neck pain, sports injuries, pregnancy and post-partum checks, including return to exercise, incontinence and endometriosis.

Physiotherapy has been a rewarding career, and I love being able to offer high-quality services to the regional area. I love that I was able to choose my own path and that it has easily fit around my family, having been able to bring up three sons on our farm. Scholarships through Monash and Rural Workforce Agency Victoria have helped me to study and progress in my career to become the experienced clinician I am today, so regional patients can have specialised care without the need to travel.