12. Physiotherapy

Courses of study

There is a wide range of courses offered in the discipline of physiotherapy.

• Two physiotherapy professional undergraduate degrees, the Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) pass and honours degrees. Both degrees are offered on a full-time basis over four years.

• A two-year Master of Physiotherapy course provides an alternative professional pathway for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in a related discipline such as human movement to acquire the knowledge and skills to be registered as a beginning practitioner physiotherapist in NSW. See Chapter 22 for further information on the graduate entry program.

• The Master of Health Science (Physiotherapy) has specialist majors in cardiopulmonary physiotherapy, manipulative physiotherapy, neurological physiotherapy, paediatric physiotherapy and sports physiotherapy. This course is for students who hold a physiotherapy qualification and have at least two years clinical experience in one of the specialty areas. It is designed for physiotherapists who want to: advance their academic and clinical skills in a specialised physiotherapy area, promote a scientific approach to evaluation and practice, and foster and develop the role of physiotherapy in health care in a specialty area. See Chapter 22 for further information on this course.

• The research programs at masters and doctoral levels provide an opportunity of research and scholarship in specific areas of physiotherapy. Current research projects include the investigation of musculoskeletal, neurological and cardiopulmonary physiotherapy and physiotherapy management after breast cancer surgery. Chapter 25 has information on the research degrees offered by the faculty.

Professional information

Physiotherapy is a health profession which deals with the prevention, assessment and treatment of human movement disorders. Physiotherapy services are used in a wide variety of areas such as health care organisations, private practices, schools and community, sports and workplace settings. The physiotherapy profession is committed to continued research into its fundamental concepts and activities and the evaluation of physiotherapy services to ensure the optimum quality of care for the community it serves. The profession is also committed to effective communication with members of the health team, the community at large and the continuing education of its graduates.

The Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) course and the Master of Physiotherapy are regularly reviewed to ensure that each of the physiotherapy competencies formulated by the physiotherapy profession in Australia are addressed in the curriculum. Reference to specific competencies is made in statements of unit aims and objectives in student manuals and other materials.

The Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) course and the graduate entry program of Master of Physiotherapy are accredited with the Australian Physiotherapy Council.

In common with other disciplines at the University of Sydney, all the professional programs in physiotherapy are developed to promote students' development of generic as well as discipline-specific knowledge and skills. Generic skills, such as communication and teamwork skills, are necessary attributes of all graduates of higher education in this age of change. Graduates from the physiotherapy courses possess high capability of working in many different settings to promote health and facilitate rehabilitation. Work venues include generalist and specialist settings in city and rural regions, and in institutional, school, industrial and community contexts.

Further information

Phone: +61 2 9351 9161
Website: www.fhs.usyd.edu.au

Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy)

The current undergraduate programs require four years of full-time study. The Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) pass and honours degrees aim to equip students with the appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to work effectively as members of the physiotherapy profession.

Graduates of these full-time programs are eligible for registration as physiotherapists with the NSW Physiotherapists Registration Board.

Admission requirements

There are no formal prerequisites for HSC candidates to the Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) programs. As most students will be interacting with computers during their program, experience in the use of computers would be an advantage. Assumed knowledge includes mathematics, physics and chemistry at HSC level. Students who have not completed these studies recently are advised to consider attending one or more of the pre-semester bridging programs offered by the University of Sydney. Please refer to the general admission requirements and the section on bridging courses both in Chapter 3. Information on bridging courses offered at the Faculty of Health Sciences campus at Lidcombe is available online at:
www.fhs.usyd.edu.au/future_students/undergrad/bridging/bridging.html
while bridging courses offered at the Camperdown campus are found at: www.usyd.edu.au/fstudent/undergrad/study/ssm/bridging.

The profession of physiotherapy is physically demanding and requires for its practice the development of a range of precise physical skills. Prospective students should be aware that they will be expected to carry out and have carried out upon themselves as simulated patients, all the examination and treatment procedures used by physiotherapists. Such practical classes may involve partial disrobing. Participation in these classes is a requirement of the program.

Any prospective student who thinks that he/she may have a consideration, condition or disability, which may interfere with the development or practice of physical skills, or with participation in clinical education should consult the course coordinator before commencing the program.

Honours

The following information is specific to the physiotherapy honours program. Entry to the honours program is competitive and requires completion of the first two and a half years of the undergraduate physiotherapy course with a credit or higher average without any failed grades.

An honours degree is awarded after satisfactory completion of all coursework and a dissertation during the fourth year of the course. There is no re-examination for the honours units of study.

Students who fail to meet this criterion in the honours program will be required to discontinue that program. They may be re-absorbed into the pass program provided they meet the criteria for retention and progression in this course. See Table 12.1.1 for the honours program course outlines.

For further information specific to the physiotherapy honours program, students are advised to contact the Honours Program Coordinator, Associate Professor Jack Crosbie, telephone +61 2 9351 9180.

In order for honours students to have adequate time to pursue their research studies, modifications have been made to the pass program for these students. Modifications include: unit exemptions and additions (as outlined below).

Honours students will be required to select four from the following five units of study offered in Semester 2 of Year 4:

• PHTY4096 Physiotherapy in Childhood
• PHTY4097 Physiotherapy in the Workplace
• PHTY4098 Physiotherapy in Recreation
• PHTY4099 Physiotherapy in the Community
• PHTY4100 Physiotherapy for Older People

Exemption: PHTY4109 Elective Studies

In addittion, honours students will enrol in PHTY4101 Honours Research Dissertation.

Course outline

The course outlines for the Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) pass and honours are presented in Tables 12.1, 12.1.1, 12.2 and 12.2.1. Units of study are described in Chapter 14.

Note: Students will normally complete all units listed in the sequence in which they appear in the faculty handbook. Permission to alter this sequence must be obtained from the course coordinator. Non-standard students who are completing units from more than one year of the program are required to seek permission to enrol in particular units from the designated academic program adviser. This will ensure that students’ programs are not severely hampered by an inappropriate or unmanageable combination of units. Attendance at all lectures and tutorials is expected for all units. Students entering the program are required to complete all first year units within two years and all first and second year units within four years.

Table 12.1: Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) Pass

Table 12.1.1: Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) Honours

Table 12.2: Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) Pass

Table 12.2.1: Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) Honours

Clinical education

Clinical education provides students with the opportunity to complement the knowledge and skills acquired in the academic segments of the program. This is achieved through the assessment and treatment of patients in clinical settings under the supervision and guidance of clinical educators. Clinical education offers undergraduates the chance to integrate academic units and practical skills in a clinical setting thereby gaining experience in physiotherapy practice. Clinical education also provides opportunities for interprofessional learning.

During the undergraduate programs, students are allocated to one of five clinical schools. The five schools aligned with geographical areas are Northern Sydney, Central Sydney, Southeastern Sydney, Southwest Sydney and Western Sydney. For each school, rural areas and/or outer Sydney placements are incorporated as well as private practices and community facilities, which reside in the geographical regions designated to the particular school. Students complete clinical placements at sites mainly within their clinical school. All students are required to do at least one rural and/or regional placement. There may be opportunities for international placements.

In order to undertake Clinical Education students must:

1. obtain criminal record clearances
2. comply with the NSW Child Protection Act
3. comply with NSW Department of Health Policy Directives regarding immunisation and vaccination
4. comply with NSW Health Records and Information Privacy Act (2004) and complete declaration.

Information about these requirements is contained in Chapter 6, Clinical Education.

It is also a requirement that all physiotherapy students obtain a certificate of competency in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). This must be completed and evidence of competency shown before commencing the first clinical placement in second year. For example, St John Ambulance programs on CPR are available through the metropolitan and country areas. Life-saving certificates of CPR competency will also be accepted. CPR skills must be updated every 12 months.

Physiotherapy practicum dates

Year 2

In Semester 1 of Year 2, students will be assigned to clinical sites in order to undertake structured learning tasks related to their academic units in PHTY2052 Clinical Observation and Measurement and PHTY2053 Physiotherapy Evidence and Practice. This will be called a Mentored Clinical Placement. It will be for five days and attendance is compulsory.

Year 3

26 July to 27 August
6 September to 8 October
18 October to 19 November

Year 4 Pass/Honours

12 April to 14 May
24 May to 25 June

Uniform requirements for clinical practice

• Navy tailored trousers (straight legs)
• White short sleeved open neck shirt or Physiotherapy polo shirt with University insignia (as supplied by the Campus Bookstore)
• Black, or dark brown work shoes
• Navy cardigan/jumper
• Monotone coloured socks, either navy, black or white
• Approval for males and females to wear navy tailored long shorts is the clinical site’s decision. It is the student’s responsibility to get approval from the clinical site prior to wearing shorts. The clinical site’s decision is final.
• Students with special consideration due to religious and or cultural circumstances can discuss changes to the uniform requirements with their practicum coordinator.