Retrain as a physiotherapist

[mrsrednose]

I’m 41, sahm, want to retrain but can only do NHS-funded courses. Thinking physiotherapy.

Background: BA in English Language & Literature, fluent but non-native English speaker , GCSE English 7 but need to sort maths equivalency. IT skills basic.

AIBU to go for this at my age? How hard is the training and work–life balance with kids? Do you actually enjoy the jobs? Any advice appreciated!

You might find you need qualifications in Biology at A level in addition to your current qualifications. Physiotherapist is heavily science based.

If really want to go for it, do. One life and all that. I guess you may have to do night classes for other qualifications? If you have a supportive partner to help with the kids then make life a little easier while training then working, but a lot of NHS staff work 12hr shifts as a general rule. That too is something perhaps to consider once qualified.

Are you considering another degree or two year postgraduate courses? When you sat funding do you mean tuition fees or the NHS bursary?

Are you wedded to physiotherapy? Have you considered Occupational Therapy or Speech and Language therapy? Those could be easier to get into with your first degree not being science based.

But yes, go for it. We are a long time working and it's never too late to do something new. 41 is young ( from where I'm looking 😄)

I’m a receptionist in a physiotherapy clinic, the two physios we have are in their 30s. It’s a hard, physical, manual job if you end up working in a clinic, they both regularly have back and arm pain. If you get into the NHS, it will probably be less hands on, but those jobs aren’t easy to get into.

I retrained as a SALT at the same sort of age - qualified 3 years ago now and I regret none of it. Like you I was limited to the allied health professions courses due to having had a previously funded degree (despite it being so long ago I've actually paid back the full flipping loan!).

Just because geographically we were in a bit of a dead spot in terms of course provision so the only commutable options were undergrad 3 year degrees and not masters - I did the full 3 year undergrad route again, which in hindsight I'm glad I did because the pandemic hit in the middle of it and trying to do the content in that compressed Masters timeframe combined with the schools being closed would have broken me completely.

I'll admit I joined the NHS at a good time, before the current batch of recruitment squeezes hit, and got into my preferred area of work as a B5, progressed rapidly to a B6 and I'm interviewing casually for B7 jobs as they come up in the area I want to say in (pretty niche - I work in adult learning disabilities so opportunities can be limited as we're quite a small tight knit MDT).

I generally (Monday mornings can go to hell) love my job, love my colleagues (apart from the one annoying one), love my client group and I'm blessed to work in a semi-rural community patch of the most beautiful county in the UK - so I get paid to drive around the countryside listening to music between visits! Only regret - the 20 years I wasted chasing a career that wasn't for me - but I wouldn't have been as good a clinician as I am now if I'd gone straight into SALT because it's my life experience that's made me the person I am.

Look at the jobs market, nhs jobs are being frozen all over the place so it might be worth looking at adverts for newly qualified or band fives to see how buoyant it is close to you.

NHS physio jobs hard to come by and most private physio self employed which creates it’s own challenges

B7 ICU physio here with over 20 years of experience. Do I love my job? Yes, always have done, it’s what I’m passionate about and can’t imagine doing anything else. Would I recommend training as a physio nowadays? Probably not. I am actively trying to discourage my own DD from applying.

There is currently a severe lack of band 5 physio jobs due to NHS recruitment freezes meaning that there is a high chance you could end up unemployed when you graduate. Competition is fierce with 100s applying for each post that comes up. Yes, you could immediately go into private practice (and many new graduates are being forced to take this route) but to be frank you would not be a good or well rounded physio. Personally, I actively avoid using any physio who went straight into private practice - it is always very evident in their work & knowledge (or lack of!). You really need a few years of NHS rotational experience behind your back in order to see & treat a variety of conditions + patients in every available setting. There is so much more to physio than outpatient MSK work (ICU, paeds, respiratory, neuro rehab.. I could go on!!)

Studying physio at university is intense and can be likened to having a full time job - lectures/placement are typically from 9-5 each day. You’d also have to factor in time for revision & assignments.

In my opinion it’s a good career work life balance wise. In a full time NHS post you’re probably looking at 8am-4pm each day, there’s usually plenty of scope to reduce this down to part time to suit your family. In some specialities you will be expected to take part in the on call rota and/or work at weekends.

I would look into occupational therapy or radiography

Really appreciate all the advice. It is a bit worrying there aren’t enough NHS jobs after putting in all the hard work I’d want to actually work at the end of it.OT definitely sounds more up my street than speech therapy. I don’t feel confident as I am not a native speaker.I know the services a bit through my two SEN kids, and it feels like something that would suit my strengths. Now the children are settled at school I’m keen to put my energy into a career I’d enjoy. I like a challenge, so the thought of retraining is exciting.

Thank you all!

I have a friend who is a physio in the NHS. She went back three days a week after maternity leave and has wanted to go back full time for a few years now since her kids are older but there's no funding for more hours so she's stuck with her three days and does a few more paid hours for a charity.

The NHS drives her mad, her caseload is constantly being increased but with no extra hours she is just being spread more thinly. She says she doesn't really get enough time with each patient to make a real difference.

I advised DD to do radiography over physio. To be brutally honest it’s a much easier job (less strain on your body being a big factor!) for the same pay. Far more jobs available too.

A very good friend of mine retrained as a podiatrist in her mid 30s. Her previous degree was English. No science A levels i don’t think. This was 20 years ago though.

There’s a recruitment freeze in the nhs I’d be concerned I wouldn’t be able to get a job
in physio or radiotherapy