I decided to create opportunities to learn from more senior medical staff and attended the monthly Orthopedic clinic. I attended extra courses and worked weekends in the Hospital 60 kilometers away. I often contacted my lecturers from university when I got stuck with a patient presentation. I used my textbooks and consulted articles for further guidance.

I had all the theory and all the tools but no idea how to use this in a clinical setting. I made sure to often ask piers when I had the opportunity. But I still wished I had an experienced Physio sitting in on my sessions with a patient to get input.

I ended up doing my Master’s degree the next year out of desperation for gaining more experience and improve my ability to help my patients.  This degree provided had a lot of clinical setting and working with patients under senior supervision. I remember hanging on the lips of the clinical facilitators wishing that I had their knowledge of techniques and clinical reasoning. After two years of my Master’s degree I wasn’t too far off with all the input and guidance provided by the experienced, senior Physio’s during my course. And this is where my journey as a REAL Physiotherapist begun.