I studied Physiotherapy at the University of Bradford and graduated in December 2021 due to previous postponements because of Covid.
I started to fall in love with physiotherapy at a very young age. My grandmother was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in both of her knees and she would always call on me to help her. Even though at the time I had no knowledge of what I was doing, I found great pleasure in supporting her. This has stuck with me as a passion, and I wanted a career that would accommodate my passion, hence why I ended up doing physiotherapy.
After finishing university I began job hunting and I wasn't just looking for a job that paid me good money. I wanted to work for someone and a company that cared about not only me working for them but my own professional development also. I knew as a recently graduated physiotherapist I would need to grow and adapt to new environments so I was looking for jobs that offered support and variety.
The Ascenti Graduate Scheme quickly caught my attention because it doesn't just allow you to develop, but to learn whilst on the job, which was everything I wanted as a Junior Physiotherapist. Ascenti has a clear and great progression route in which I can develop and progress my own career whilst working for them, and this really drew me to the role.
The best thing about being part of the Graduate Scheme is that it allows me to relearn basic and complex anatomical features and caseloads. When I first started working for Ascenti, I had lost touch with some of the things I had learnt in my first two years of university, therefore I was happy that the Graduate Scheme gave me the opportunity to touch on these areas again.
The scheme sets me up nicely to progress and enhance my clinical and reasoning skills, and I felt more comfortable starting my new role as I could quickly apply these new skills with real patients.
Now that I have exited the scheme I am most looking forward to carrying out the skills and knowledge I have attained from the scheme and progressing at Ascenti into more senior roles such as becoming a mentor. I am also looking forward to helping and supporting other physiotherapists who are just starting out and may be feeling nervous or out of place when carrying out skills and assessments on patients.
Finally, if I was to give graduates advice when they are looking for their first physiotherapist job, I would tell them these five tips:
1. Look for a company that will set you up to win and not lose.
2. Always look into what companies are willing to give you for your progression and development.
3. First impressions count. Sell yourself and be proud of your achievements and who you are as a physiotherapist.
4. Team support matters. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn’t for my team.
5. Get excited: It's a great opportunity to learn, develop and progress.
