NHS physiotherapists are leading the way in education – after the success of a new ‘Student Academy’ work placement programme.
The initiative was launched by the trust’s integrated musculoskeletal (iMSK) physio team in August 2024. It has not only improved the quality of university students’ experiences on work placement, but has also increased the number of placements the trust can accommodate by 300%.
Previously, students completed placements under the supervision of one clinician. But Student Academy sees groups of six students undertake training from two supervising clinicians before running their own new patient clinics – firstly with student buddies and then building their own solo caseload.
It means that students get more face-time with patients, giving them hands-on experience in their early careers to understand patients’ needs, build emotional skills and increase confidence.
Adam Butler, clinical team lead in iMSK physiotherapy, said: “It’s been great to get Student Academy off the ground. We’re in early days but feedback so far has been really positive, with students telling us it simulates what it will feel like to be a qualified physio. They get much more patient contact compared to our old system, building confidence and giving them that much-needed mileage in their early career.
“We’ve had such success with this new model that we’re having to ask universities for more students which I suspect is something that doesn’t happen often.
“It also means we can ensure students get the same experiences as one another – to make sure we’re offering the same well-rounded placements for each and every aspiring physio.”
This combined practical and theoretical training covers exercise therapy, manual therapy, clinical reasoning, public health and more. This ensures a comprehensive knowledge base, ready for their future as a qualified physiotherapist.
Leading the way in education
The team recently presented the new model to more than 50 trusts and higher education institutions across the country.
Adam continued: “It was great to be able to showcase Student Academy to other NHS organisations and universities.
“The model really has become the new norm for us and we hope we’ve inspired other organisations to adopt a similar approach.”
Feedback from students
I have seen at least four times the amount of patients as I have seen on any other placement with a lot of support from the iMSK team which allowed me to develop.
This model allowed me to build rapport which helped me understand patients’ needs, struggles and what they wanted to achieve through physio.
This model allows me as a student to experience the whole iMSK team. In doing so, it’s shown me a great culture and somewhere I would like to work in the future.