Two projects, one placement: Learning from lived experiences across the community and a performance environment
Hi! We are a 3rd year student and a 4th year student on the MSci. Physiotherapy at the University of Birmingham doing our research placement with the SPRINT programme. Over the 6 weeks of the placement, we will be working with our educator and supervisor, Prof. Jennifer Cummings, on two different projects. One project will explore the community side of research exploring the contribution of an employability scheme for young people experiencing homelessness. The other project will be exploring a nutrition app for professional ballet dancers.
A little bit about us:
My name is Emma Cowell and I am a 4th year physiotherapy student. I was first drawn to physiotherapy after seeing the positive impact that it had on my parents’ post-injury and I wanted to be able to be able to help people and improve their quality of life, like physiotherapy had done with my parents in the past. Loving and being involved with sport enticed me towards a degree in physiotherapy.
Sport has always been a big involvement in my life and whilst I am not currently competing in competitive sport, I have competed in county level hockey and performing ballet since I was 3 years-old, and I currently enjoy more of the social aspect of playing hockey and doing dance.
I believe the placement will give me the opportunity to learn about young peoples lived experiences and how the employability programme can adapt for a wide range of individuals to achieve the best outcome for them through the employability programme. I cannot wait to be involved in the BRB research programme. With my dance background, I am excited to conduct interviews with the dancers and to evaluate how the app will be effective for them and get the ‘hands-on’ field work experience and then how this work can then be translated and adapted into other fields of research. Being a part of these research projects will improve my research skills and experience an area of physiotherapy that I have not experienced on placement before and I believe the research we will conduct will be able to make a difference in people’s lives.
And my name is Jacob Hall, a 3rd year Physiotherapy student at the University of Birmingham. Being a part of a very sporty family, I was exposed to the benefits of physiotherapy from an early age, and I have had some amazing physio role models growing up who really inspired me and fueled my interest and passion for the profession.
Life in Birmingham is definitely very different to where I grew up in somerset, but this is a great opportunity to give back to this community that has treated me so well. I look forward to gaining a new perspective on the issues surrounding and attempts to reduce homelessness. I am also excited to learn about what it takes to be an elite dancer and helping mitigate the impacts it can have on a dancer's health and wellbeing. This unique placement will teach me valuable, transferable skills that I hope to take with me throughout my career.
Our Placement
When initially looking into these projects, the employability programme and a nutrition app for dancers seem to have limited crossover. However, both projects will delve into how we can best support each individual within their environment and set them up for success. The research placement is quite different from traditional clinical physiotherapy placements and will allow us to communicate with a wide range of individuals within society and use our findings to try and influence change.
Whilst the placement differs from traditional clinical placements, it offers valuable opportunities to develop as future physiotherapists. The placement will provide insight into how research is generated, evaluated and translated into evidence-based practice which is essential to physiotherapy and patient care. Working alongside different professionals and engaging with community projects develops our communication, teamwork and critical analysis skills. The placement encourages us to consider the wider social and environmental factors that influence health and wellbeing, helping us become more adaptable and reflective physiotherapists.
Through this placement we hope to learn about the importance of listening to the voices and experiences of the people to help develop the best possible quality support programmes. We also aim to discover why some people engage with support programmes and resources whilst others choose not to, and how research can be used to evaluate real-world programmes and improve future practice.
Written by Emma Cowell and Jacob Hall
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