Hello, my name is Kate Armstrong and I’m a first-year physiotherapy student at Charles Sturt’s Orange campus! I’m 18 years old and moved at the start of this year from Wagga Wagga where I grew up, to Goolma in the Central West of NSW. Then, a month later I packed up again and moved to Orange for university.
Why I chose physiotherapy
I choose physiotherapy because I really want to have an impact on people’s lives, and their quality of life! As a physio I aim to play a key role in enabling people to maximise their function and movement.
I also love that physiotherapists are a part of an integrated team of healthcare workers that collaborate to provide the best care possible. In a hospital setting this would include working with doctors, nurses, occupational therapists etc to effectively treat the patient’s condition.
First impressions of physiotherapy & the Orange Campus
One thing I discovered straight away is that physios have such variety in their profession, and their evidence-based treatments reach so many different areas! You can choose to go urban, rural, or abroad, or work in clinical practice, aged care, or the sporting industry. You could even impart your knowledge onto the next generation of physios by becoming a university lecturer or researcher! I’m a person that thrives off change so I’m keen to gain knowledge in as many different areas as possible.
The Orange campus is stunning, and the faculties are incredible. We had all the amazing o-week events plus a Cultural Awareness in Health Study and Practice event at Girinyalanha on campus, and After Dark Social night, Market Day and so much more.
What I’ve learnt so far
This semester is lots of introduction, we’ve started with the basics of anatomy and physiology as well as introductory rehabilitation and introductory physiotherapy practice. We’ve had the opportunity to experience real clinical practice and patient case studies. I’ve discovered that new challenges present themselves every day, but the reward is most certainly worth the work!
Career goals
The job prospects for physiotherapy are very promising, it’s a career that can’t be done by robots! I’m super passionate about the more acute side of physiotherapy, most specifically cardiorespiratory and neurological physio. The public doesn’t often hear about these sectors of physiotherapy, especially in the more rural areas! After graduation I’d love to get a job in ICU as a physiotherapist!
