Allied Health Careers Talk

On Wednesday 6 February, our students gathered in the PAC for a talk on Allied Health Careers.

They were joined by Sarah Broughton, an occupational therapist, and her colleagues Vicky, a speech and language therapist, and Molly, a physiotherapist.

The three health professionals spoke to our students about each of their different careers, and their journey to reach them.

Although a university degree is the most common entrance route into careers such as occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and physiotherapy, apprenticeships into these careers are becoming an option in some hospitals.

Sarah, Vicky and Molly emphasised that work experience is essential in these types of careers, so that you can gain experience in every aspect of the role, and find out the things that you like to do, and those that you don’t! With this in mind, apprenticeships are definitely useful options to consider.

When asked what makes their job so enjoyable, our guests had some interesting answers:

I love my job because it’s never dull, and it’s certainly never quiet! Every patient is different and has a different journey, occupational therapy is a really stimulating job.

Sarah

As a speech and language therapist, I’m actually often involved in the original diagnosis of a patient. I am able to spot things that doctors may not look for first, and this is really rewarding.

Vicky

Physiotherapy is a really caring role, which is something that is important to me. People really want to be independent and have control over their bodies and lives, and I get to be a key part of regaining that independence and confidence. I still get to work with a lot of the medical staff and my days are busy, yet fulfilling – I’m never looking at the clock!

Molly

We’d like to extend a big thank you to our allied health guests for sharing their experiences and advice with our students.