Physiotherapy & Sports Psychology: End of Placement Reflections

As their placement came to an end, Louis, Duro and Sydney reflected on their experiences and future endeavors.  

Louis

"I must say I was apprehensive before starting this placement, but I have learnt so much around sport psychology and its applicability to physiotherapy in practice and research. Being able to work on projects surrounding how athletes use mental imagery to help their recovery was eye-opening and transferable to me (a currently injured athlete!). I can’t thank Jenn enough for her help on this placement, although it was only short, she has taught me a plethora of skills to take with me throughout university life and my career as a physiotherapist."

Duro

"Before starting this placement, I was feeling very unsure about what it would entail, as I did not have much experience doing research. But I am happy to say that through this placement I have been able to learn a great deal of skills that I can apply in both research and in a clinical setting. I really enjoyed learning about goal setting and how this technique can be used effectively in physiotherapy practice. This is something I look forward to applying to my patients in the future." 

Sydney

"This placement has been incredibly quick and an amazing learning experience. I had the opportunity to work on two projects: safeguarding policies in the dance sector and imagery use in a rehab setting. I developed skills in reviewing literature, collecting data, participating in dissemination discussions as a notetaker, and presenting new knowledge in the form of blog posts. Getting to see the behind the scenes of research has been eye-opening and not only developed by critical reasoning but also highlighted the importance of participating in research as a physiotherapist. These opportunities brought amazing insights that I will take forward into my career to better support patients."

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We’d like to thank everyone at The SPRINT Project and our educator Prof Jennifer Cumming for their warm welcome and incredible support throughout this placement. We know that their help throughout this has made us better future physiotherapists. 

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The SPRINT Project also extend our gratitude to Sydney, Duro, & Louis for their hard work during their placement. We too have learnt lots from them - highlighting the power of interdisciplinary work. We wish them luck in their future careers as psychologically informed physiotherapists!