Career profile: Katherine Cook, Physiotherapist & Physiotherapy Lecturer 

What is your job?

I currently have two jobs, my main one is as a physiotherapy lecturer at a university where I teach and support students on a physiotherapy degree course. I also work flexible hours in a private physiotherapy clinic where people can refer themselves, they either pay or use their health insurance to see me. GPs, Consultants and other health and exercise professionals (for example personal trainers or coaches) also refer people to the clinic. I have been working for over 20 years in Physiotherapy so sometimes other physios refer their patients to me for a second opinion. Physiotherapists help people of all ages to improve their health and wellbeing, there aren’t many areas of healthcare where you don’t find a physio working as part of the team. I specialise in musculoskeletal physiotherapy and have special interests in lower limb problems and in how hormones affect our health.

How did you become a Physiotherapist?

I did A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, Maths and General Studies, managed to get some work experience with a physiotherapist and in other healthcare settings (a dental surgery). I read everything I could about being a physio and was fortunate to be offered a place to study at the University of Cardiff in Wales. I found the course very demanding; it challenged me, and I had to work hard but it was very rewarding. I graduated and started my working life in Portsmouth and loved working in the NHS in multi-disciplinary teams. I decided to go back to university to do research and undertake further study and got my PhD (doctorate) about nine years after qualifying. I have also worked for the ministry of defence, providing physio to armed personnel.

What do you do day-to-day? 

Working at university means every day is different. Some days I prepare learning and teaching sessions, making sure that everything I teach is up to date and evidence based. On teaching days, I can teach for up to six hours and there are lots of other tasks which keep me busy such as having one-to-one meetings with students to support and guide them, visiting students on placements, undertaking my own research activities, interviewing and recruiting new students, and contributing to other University developments.

On my clinical days I make sure I am in work ahead of seeing patients, read up on their previous notes or referrals to make sure I am up to speed with their journey. When I assess new patients, I usually have one-hour appointments, when I am seeing people for follow-ups it is usually half an hour. Time always flies and I make a big effort to get to know the people who are coming to me, to help me give them the best assessments and treatments and to help them meet their goals. After seeing everyone I write notes to document what I found, said and did. I usually prescribe exercises using an online app and may write referral or discharge letters and liaise with colleagues if needed.

Being a physio can involve a lot of detective work to understand what is happening, and problem-solving to suggest the best course of action. Sometimes I work evenings and have to do more of the business side of things, taking payments, answering phone calls etc. It’s a lovely team and we all work together to provide a top-class service.

What qualifications and skills do you need for your job? 

To work as a Physiotherapist in the UK you need to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). To be registered with them (and call yourself a physio) you need to have a degree from an approved University course. There are various routes into Physiotherapy, through full or part time degree courses, apprenticeships or through accelerated Masters level degree courses for anyone with other relevant qualifications (a previous and relevant degree for example). Each course outlines the entry requirements for their course and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has good information about how to become a physio. In terms of skills, a strong desire to become a physio is probably the most important thing. It’s a tough degree course (wherever you go). To be a great physio you need to be an inclusive and caring person, able to connect with the people you see and work with. You will need to be a good communicator, listener and be able to take and act on feedback. Being a physio involves lifelong learning, you can never know everything, and science is always moving forward; keeping up to date is essential and maintaining professional registration takes ongoing effort.

Why did you want to become a Physiotherapist?

Like many people who become interested in a career in healthcare, I had childhood experiences of needing healthcare, which inspired me to investigate different career options and I felt I was best suited to Physiotherapy. I felt that being a physio would enable me to get to know people and to make a difference to them in a personalised way. I considered other healthcare professions and their courses and weighed up my strengths and weaknesses.

What do you love about your job? 

I feel very privileged to be a Physio and I love supporting students along their journey to becoming physiotherapists. It’s not always an easy job but it is extremely rewarding. I love the variety of my job at University, the career and professional opportunities it provides and constantly being challenged to learn more and share that learning. Seeing patients as a clinical physiotherapist is also extremely rewarding, empowering people to take charge of their situations, helping educate and guide them to better health and wellbeing is a real privilege.

What do you find difficult about your job?

There are difficult times, when no matter how hard you work or try, sometimes things don’t turn out the way you want them to, students don’t always pass exams, patients don’t always come back feeling better. Sometimes I have to impart difficult news and see people at their lowest, when things are really tough, and this can take its toll. But having a supportive team and network helps and you have to be open to asking for help whenever you need it.

What advice would you give someone interested in becoming a Physiotherapist? 

Like medicine, Physiotherapy is a competitive course to get in to. Do whatever you can to understand the profession and make sure it is the right thing for you. Look into all possible experiences that will help you build a strong application, these might be through volunteering or paid work (especially in healthcare environments), doing work experience (ideally with physios or other healthcare providers), attending NHS open days or careers opportunities and go to all the University open days you can. Physiotherapy courses may use values-based recruitment so spend some time reflecting on what is important to you and why you think you will be a good physio. Prepare for an intense course, make sure you take up all the support offered to you and see if you can help others along the way.

How might your job change in the future?

It’s exciting to see how much has changed in Physiotherapy and in Higher Education in the last five years. The Covid pandemic accelerated change and now we are working to maintain that momentum and continue improving the experiences of those needing healthcare. The future must include better prevention of disease and poor health, and I think Physios can be at the forefront of this, being specialists in motivating people to improve their health and wellbeing.

Where can I find out more? 

The professional bodies, the Health and Care Professions Council and Charted Society of Physiotherapy have information pages about careers. For example What a physio career offers you The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (csp.org.uk) and Health, disability and becoming a health and care professional | (hcpc-uk.org).

The NHS has a website which explores Allied Health Professional roles Information on being a physiotherapist - Degrees and Courses - NHS Careers (healthcareers.nhs.uk) as does the National Careers service Physiotherapist | Explore careers | National Careers Service.