Physiotherapist Qualifications - any info?

[MandyMoo]

I am currently studying a Biology degree at university, in my 2nd year, but am starting to think about what i want to do at the end of it, and i would like to work with animals (originally applied to do veterinary medicine but got AAC results and not AAA at A level so did Biology instead).
However, i was looking into doing a diploma in animal physiotherapy.. and was just wondering what people knew about them, and whether they're taken as a 'real' qualification in the equine/canine world?

The course is 1 to 2 year course, with coursework, practical sessions and theory - and i would end with a Canine and Equine Physiotherapy Training (CEPT) certificate and qualification and could call myself an animal physiotherapist officially and start working on horses and dogs.

However, i would be working for myself - does anyone know roughly what physiotherapists charge per hour for horse therapy?

Just trying to sort out a life plan for myself, and finding it rather difficult!!!

 

[Batgirl]

Mine charges £35 a session, more for an assessment as they are longer (I think £45). You may want to find out if those with the animal physio qual charge any differently as I would only have one who had done a full physio degree and then done Equine physio though I know plenty who don't mind (it is my own bent because I have a physio degree ).

Also location may make a big difference as I know it can be more expensive darn sarth

Don't forget to look into the insurance too so you can take that into account as it can be quite high, and registration to the professional body if applicable.

I don't know much about the qual you are talking about but I hope my ramblings have been of vague interest

 

[MandyMoo]

thankyou your ramblings are helpful yes!! and as much as i'd love to do a full physiotherapy degree after my Biology one, it is a matter of not being able to afford it now the tuition fees are going up very unfortunate!!

this is the course diploma thing i was looking at http://www.ceptraining.co.uk/index.html

i am also looking for other ideas of working with animals.. but not sure yet :s its a tough gig!!!

 

[Batgirl]

Lol definately a tough gig. I would also say that a reputation does wonders with these things, there is a therapist near me who is booked months in advance who is not a physiotherapist. Looks like a kosher qual with good legal section etc


I suppose finances come into it too. I fancied being a saddler/leather worker after seeing one on At Home with Carl Hester but wouldn't be able to afford the apprenticeship

What about being an equine nutritionist? Farrier?

good luck on your search

 

[MandyMoo]

Lol definately a tough gig. I would also say that a reputation does wonders with these things, there is a therapist near me who is booked months in advance who is not a physiotherapist. Looks like a kosher qual with good legal section etc


I suppose finances come into it too. I fancied being a saddler/leather worker after seeing one on At Home with Carl Hester but wouldn't be able to afford the apprenticeship

What about being an equine nutritionist? Farrier?

good luck on your search

yes funding the education is the main issue really!!! shame you couldn't do the apprenticeship

hmm equine nutritionist could be a possibility... i will look into it! thankyou!!

 

[only_me]

Just to let you know there are no course fees for human physiotherapy as it is an NHS funded course!

 

[MandyMoo]

Just to let you know there are no course fees for human physiotherapy as it is an NHS funded course!

oh really? that'd be nice..!! haha

although.. i'd have to crack on and find some universities that do it as a post graduate course - not all of them do! they either do undergraduate 3 year course, or a post graduate 1 year course which you have to have already done the degree in physiotherapy to start with... hmmm

 

[only_me]

Mine is an undergrad course but we have lots of mature students/post grad students in it, my friend is doing physio after doing a degree in biology

3 years goes pretty quickly - I wish mine was 4 you have do to a certain amount of hours of placement before allowed to qualify (so can be chartered with CSP) for instance - in year three of a three year course the structure here is 6 weeks placement (starting in August), 6 weeks uni, 6 weeks placement, then Christmas hols (with lots of coursework) then 6 weeks uni then 6 weeks placement over easter and then exams. Plus your dissertation and other coursework!

 

[MandyMoo]

Mine is an undergrad course but we have lots of mature students/post grad students in it, my friend is doing physio after doing a degree in biology

3 years goes pretty quickly - I wish mine was 4 you have do to a certain amount of hours of placement before allowed to qualify (so can be chartered with CSP) for instance - in year three of a three year course the structure here is 6 weeks placement (starting in August), 6 weeks uni, 6 weeks placement, then Christmas hols (with lots of coursework) then 6 weeks uni then 6 weeks placement over easter and then exams. Plus your dissertation and other coursework!

oo thankyou!! i will look into it!! I'm also looking at chiropracts but prefer physio..!!

 

[only_me]

Don't ask a physio for a view on chiro

 

[MandyMoo]

Don't ask a physio for a view on chiro

haha i know they can be a bit... can't find a suitable word ... towards each other

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

Im doing a physio degree at the moment, just having a rest bite from an essy on spondylosis...yawn.. anyways Im looking at doing Veterinary physiotherapy at the end of the course, finding it all very frustrating doing human stuff, but it will all be worth while.

You will need to do a human physio course so you become chartered before starting the veterinary physiotherapy.

There's absolutely no point in not becoming chartered, there are courses where you can apply these days just to do animal physiotherapy however you wont be able to charge as much and you wont be recommended by vets.

As someone else has said... the NHS does pay for your degree course, although this was the last year of funding and now you have to cough up about half towards the course.

I find the course extremely hard going, there is a huge amount to learn and you have to do over a 1000 hours placement work before you qualify. Im doing 4 horses and commuting 2+ hrs there and back and my level of marks are far below what I expected I would get seeing as I was a pretty much straight A student.. so feeling a little rubbish about the whole thing.. anyways any thing you would like to know PM me happy to answer them if I dont answer, can be a little slow with emailings esp after the end of this week as going on placement give me a subtle *kick in the shins under the table* to remind me of my manners and I will reply! lol

Funnily enough I was thinking of going and doing biology and becoming a biology teacher, if things dont bide well this year and I have to retake I think that will be my next goal!
xxx

 

[noodle_]

is that CEPT one accredited??

I would be looking into vet physio tbh at harper.....(3 year masters par ttime)! but a lot of work.

theres a few " animal physio" courses knocking about and i wouldnt let them on my dog or horse.... id trust someone whos spent the time doing cases/degrees and has experience...

just my opinion ofc.

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

is that CEPT one accredited??

I would be looking into vet physio tbh at harper.....(3 year masters par ttime)! but a lot of work.

theres a few " animal physio" courses knocking about and i wouldnt let them on my dog or horse.... id trust someone whos spent the time doing cases/degrees and has experience...

just my opinion ofc.

Harper Adams isnt the best one to go to, I've spoken to my lecturer and she said she wouldnt recommend them for their veterinary physio course, UWE is the one to opt for or theres a uni in liverpool doing veterinary physio degrees.

RVC are stopping their course after this year unfortunately and so there are extremely limited courses available for us on the East, however talks of a course starting in nottingham and possibly even the chance of hertfordshire doing one which would be super duper for me

 

[FestiveBoomBoom]

Harper Adams isnt the best one to go to, I've spoken to my lecturer and she said she wouldnt recommend them for their veterinary physio course, UWE is the one to opt for or theres a uni in liverpool doing veterinary physio degrees.

I graduated from Harper in June of this year. Sadly it doesn't surprise me that your lecturer said that she wouldn't recommend it. This seems to be the opinion of a LOT of human trained physios and I do find it frustrating. The course was a 3 yr MSc, it was extremely challenging, involved copious amounts of lectures,coursework, exams, clinical placements and practical assessments. We had vets in our intake that found it tough going. I guess all I'm trying to say is that there is now another legitimate route into the industry that does not require you to have trained with humans first. I also need to point out from personal experience that a chartered physiotherapist will not necessarily make a competent veterinary physiotherapist!

 

[FestiveBoomBoom]

There's absolutely no point in not becoming chartered, there are courses where you can apply these days just to do animal physiotherapy however you wont be able to charge as much and you wont be recommended by vets.

Sorry but I have to disagree with this comment also. I have not encountered any issues with gaining referrals from vets, all have been more than happy to refer to me and I have had repeated recommendations from certain practices. Regarding charges, I don't charge as much as many chartered physios or indeed many of my non chartered colleagues but that is purely because I'm trying to be as competitive as I can when it comes to price

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

I graduated from Harper in June of this year. Sadly it doesn't surprise me that your lecturer said that she wouldn't recommend it. This seems to be the opinion of a LOT of human trained physios and I do find it frustrating. The course was a 3 yr MSc, it was extremely challenging, involved copious amounts of lectures,coursework, exams, clinical placements and practical assessments. We had vets in our intake that found it tough going. I guess all I'm trying to say is that there is now another legitimate route into the industry that does not require you to have trained with humans first. I also need to point out from personal experience that a chartered physiotherapist will not necessarily make a competent veterinary physiotherapist!

To be honest in reply to your posts I was thinking more of the unrecognised courses than the NAVP. Yep sure it is a great course, I will admit I get frustrated from learning about humans the whole time and cant wait to get started on animals. Either ACPAT or NAVP will get you insured to practice veterinary physio. But by doing a degree in human physiotherapy it gives a massive head start into biomechanics of human and eventually animal.. Not only can I look at a horses movement etc.. but I can also draw conclusions from the owner/rider too, maybe its the rider causing the horse to become unbalanced and fall resulting in uneven muscle tone, therefore I can work on the horse, but once the horse is fixed you then have a viscous circle of the rider still in there poor posture upsetting the horse and undoing any work. By knowing both elements I can work with both. Plus I can always bring along a mobile plinth and give the rider physio too... 2 birds one stone.

It can also keep options open, I might find I want a rest from working with horse owners..a lot do seem they know absolutely everything.. and work with patients. In an ideal worl Id like to work in a Special School a few days a week and the rest working with animals.. keeps life interesting.


TBH... It seems like in any occupation there are those that think opposite to what you do.. Physios and Occy Health, farmers and grain merchants, YO and liveries.. perhaps its ACPATs and NAVPs regarding veterinary physiotherapy!!

However I do feel it will be more physios and vets... esp when it comes to box rest.. I wont say anymore and get myself in trouble.

 

[FestiveBoomBoom]

But by doing a degree in human physiotherapy it gives a massive head start into biomechanics of human and eventually animal.. Not only can I look at a horses movement etc.. but I can also draw conclusions from the owner/rider too

I do agree with you, there is no doubt that having a human physio degree is beneficial. When I was in the final yr of my undergrad degree in 2007 I had applied and got a place to do a MSc in human physio with a view to converting. At that time it was the only way into vet physio. Then the following year I found out about the Harper course and decided to go that route instead. If I had my time again, I would have done an undergrad in human physio but as it's turned out I'm happy with the Harper course and thrilled to be finally working as a vet physio, something I've wanted for many years!

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

At the end of the day we are both setting out for one main aim, to get animals better, which ever course you do is down to what suits you best.

I can't wait to get qualified with ACPAT humans get boring, however I keep my levels of interest with my animals, reading up to get a head start for the course and making a fool of myself on forums late at night after sitting writing an essay all day and my brain is thoughly frazzled lol

 

[Elbie]

I thought you had to do human physio to qualify to do animal.

Def get ACPAT or NAVP registered - normally insurance companies will pay for physio but only if it's performed by someone accredited with these organisations. In this day and age when money is tight may have an influence!