Variety in everyday work with little repetitiveness
Having a degree that is recognised worldwide
Ability to practice independently in private practice
The degree is recognised worldwide
Disadvantages1:
Little career progression compared to other jobs
Emotional challenge of dealing people with illnesses
Low pay in Victoria compared to other states
Lots of paperwork
Unrealistic expectations of some patients, leading to feeling limited by how much the patient is willing to invest in their own health
Personal experiences
Sarah Burleigh - physiotherapist2
Sarah confirms the advantages of physiotherapy mentioned online as she loves working with a variety of people every day and having a good work-life balance.
She believes that there is a misconception surrounding physiotherapists that they only work with old people as they are at a higher risk of health complications. Although she meets a lot of elderly people who are “lovely to work with”, she treats almost the same number of patients from younger age groups.
Regarding limitations, Sarah does believe that physiotherapists are generally underpaid; however, she thinks that this is subjective and depends on the person and their lifestyle. Some of the factors that can contribute to how a person thinks of his/her salary include their living conditions, family number, country or city that they live in, social status, and personality.
Ben Kim - physiotherapy student on placement3
Ben’s experience on placement also supports the advantages mentioned as he really enjoys working with others in a social and collaborative environment.
Ben's colleagues feel disappointed by their salaries despite having 20-30 years of experience in the field. After graduation, their salaries averaged around 50-60 thousand dollars which has now increased to 80-90 thousand dollars. They believe that their high workload and years of experience should result in a higher raise in salary which at least reaches 100 thousand dollars or above. Therefore, some of these experienced physiotherapists advise students to seek other ways of income through developing other skills such as coding to build programs and websites.
Burleigh S. Interviewed at biomedical science industry night and contacted through email regarding experience working as a physiotherapist in Melbourne. 2019.
Kim B. Interviewed and contacted through email regarding experience studying Bachelor of Physiotherapy at La Trobe University. 2019.