Hey guys, my name is Abby and I’m a third-year physiotherapy student based on the Albury Wodonga campus!
If your about to embark on your first workplace learning (WPL) experience, let me tell you everything I wish I knew beforehand. Including the highs, the lows and the reality.
At the end of last year, I completed my first two-week placement, and despite the stresses prior I absolutely loved it. So, if you’re currently preparing for placement or freaking out about it, follow along to see how I made it all worth it.
Freaking Out and Getting Ready
The preparation is really the scary part, all the questions and unknowns.
Where will I be placed?
What online requirements do I need to do?
Have I missed organising anything?
And the worst one… What if I fail my OSCE and don’t even make it to placement?!, spoiler, I didn’t fail! I just needed to figure out how to do a digital signature properly… It can all seem so overwhelming, but my biggest tip is to get it done early. The last thing you want is to be waiting on details because you missed submitting a form, I learnt that the hard way.
What it’s Really Like Once You’re There
After the initial stress is over WPL is amazing. I got to spend two weeks immersing myself in the clinical setting, working with professionals, learning hands-on skills and interacting with real patients with real needs, not just classmates or friends.
The top three things I loved;
Getting to see and engage with a variety of patients and colleagues.
Learning new assessments, management techniques, diagnosis and exercises every day.
And the feeling of excitement and motivation for my future career.
With each new day, something new was seen, learnt or experienced and I was able to keep adding to my skills and applying what I had learnt over my years of study.
The Not So Smooth Sailing
Although the experience is great, there are many hurdles to adjust or conquer.
Communication, understanding workplace expectation, speaking with confidence and making sure you are asking the right questions at the right time.
Personality differences, mixing of personalities and learning how to work with different people and adjust your own behaviour accordingly.
Not knowing what to do, its normal to feel a little out of place or your depth at the start but asking questions is key!
Overall is it Worth it?
100%, absolutely, yes!
Yes it can feel intimidating, inconvenient and stressful at times but the real-world experience prepares you so well for our future careers. The opportunity to grow, learn and gain confidence is unmatched
So my final top tip is to, embrace it all! Ask questions, make mistakes, learn and improve but overall enjoy it!
I wish you all the best with your future placements and hope this makes you feel a little better that we are all in the same boat.
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative.
