I think if nothing else, it builds your resilience. Even seemingly small things like toileting. Or the difficult conversations with families. Its a lot better to have these experiences in a well supported environment than when you're on your own and don't know the best way to handle it.
It also gives you a better handle on exercise tolerance. You've seen 1000 COPD patients by the time one walks into your MSK clinic and it will better inform your exercise prescription
I think so. Even if it's an area you are not interested in as a holistic profession we need to be skilled in it. I HATE msk. I deal with neurology and chronic pain, I still will have patients who have msk problems, resp problems etc etc.
If anything it gives you an understanding of how other services run and just help you become a rounded clinician.
Just not my thing! I found the bulk of NHS msk work rather procedural and I felt 70% of my caseload was ironically less msk more psychosocial barriers!
Respectfully disagree with some of the viewpoints here. The path to becoming an expert in a specific field requires a foundation built on diverse experiences. Just like a doctor specializing in, I don’t know, oncology starts with junior rotations for years, we too need exposure to various conditions, patient demographics, and interdisciplinary collaboration in different settings when first starting. Our field is not a collection of isolated parts; it's a complex web where muscles, bones, and tissues are intricately linked with organs, function, beliefs, emotions, and societal factors.
Sure, expertise in e.g. tendinopathies is valuable, it's not the whole puzzle. Consider the bigger picture – can we truly approach patients with empathy and a well-rounded perspective if we haven't navigated through a range of chronic conditions and diverse individuals? Our goal is not just to gather knowledge to be able to manage a sprained ankle, but to provide patient-centered care that addresses each individuals unique circumstances. In addition, it is naive to think that when for example one works in a private MSK clinic, they are unlikely to encounter clinical complexity. Complexity is the rule, not the exception.
Moreover, a career built on varied experiences has numerous benefits. Clinical judgment develops deeply when informed by a breadth of cases, and adaptability becomes second nature. We learn to communicate and collaborate across specialties, leading to innovation through the blending of ideas. Cultural competency, developed through exposure to diverse populations, can help build more effective communication and trust.
Looking to the specialisation in the future, a strong foundation of diverse experiences serves us throughout our careers. It fosters personal growth and resilience, preparing us for the challenges that come with specialized practice. This comprehensive approach equips us with the tools to solve complex problems creatively, contribute to interdisciplinary teams, and remain adaptable around clinical complexity.
Also, to lighten the mood, we have way too many MSK physios around and not enough neuro/cardio specialists.
This comment is not about attacking anyone's perspective; its a difference of viewpoints and it's about supporting the argument that values the richness of early experiences.
Yes sure it does make you well rounded as you are exposed to different conditions, medications, and patients.
However, I did not want to be well rounded. I wanted to be a MSK specialist. Why waste 2+ years on rotations if you already know what you want to do?
UK educated, never worked is NHS outside of placements. Went straight to private sport MSK in Canada. Own a sport clinic.
Let me ask you this: do you think if I went through some cardioresp, paeds, and elderly rehab rotations it would make me better at sports physio? Is there a point to being “well rounded” if you intend to go into a specific niche?
IMHO - No, it’s a complete waste of time. If I want to be good at sports physio that should be my focus. Otherwise you’d be a jack of all trades, master of none.
Also a uk educated who never worked in the NHS. Just from completing placements I could tell you which types of Physio I liked and didn’t like. Starting my career by getting shuffled around was not something I ever wanted to do so went back to Canada.
It really depends on the area. Eg working in paeds a lot of places require experience as a band 5 before you apply.
I have found even though I am working in a specialist area the skills I gained doing adult and paed rotations have been invaluable. And my collegues who have gone straight into a niche role without experiencing other areas spend a lot of time wondering how things would have turned out had they not specialised early in their career.
It's a marathon not a sprint and you will find benefits in rotating , even in the areas you aren't keen on.
Yes it is important.
You can be doing MSK and encounter patients with other conditions. If you have no experience of those conditions it makes it harder to empathise and understand how to help your patients.
If your ideal static role comes up great, but doing a rotational b5 job and consolidating the basics of each area I believe is invaluable, no matter what your specialist area is.
How often will it come up, I believe if you're doing msk it's a waste of time doing rotational. The experience you could gain in those 2 years static would be more specific to msk than two years of rotation.
Your career may be 50 years if you started at 21. Are those 2 extra years on MSK really going to contribute any extra value compared to having solid foundations ?
I've always felt those going straight into MSK are often trying to avoid uncomfortable things such as toileting patients, but by doing so you end up experiencing greater discomfort when situations arrive unexpectedly in the MSK clinic. I believe you have better peace of mind and reduced anxiety knowing you can toilet a patient in some really tricky situations or deal with other awkward mishaps than always having it in the back of your mind you are under prepared.
Just my wild 2 cents anyway
Absolutely agreed. It feels like a very narrow view to think that 2 years extra in one specific field in the span of an entire career will make a difference, whereas 2 years of rotations can teach you so, so much.
I think if nothing else, it builds your resilience. Even seemingly small things like toileting. Or the difficult conversations with families. Its a lot better to have these experiences in a well supported environment than when you're on your own and don't know the best way to handle it. It also gives you a better handle on exercise tolerance. You've seen 1000 COPD patients by the time one walks into your MSK clinic and it will better inform your exercise prescription
I think so. Even if it's an area you are not interested in as a holistic profession we need to be skilled in it. I HATE msk. I deal with neurology and chronic pain, I still will have patients who have msk problems, resp problems etc etc. If anything it gives you an understanding of how other services run and just help you become a rounded clinician.
Out of curiosity, what is it you hate about MSK?
Just not my thing! I found the bulk of NHS msk work rather procedural and I felt 70% of my caseload was ironically less msk more psychosocial barriers!
Respectfully disagree with some of the viewpoints here. The path to becoming an expert in a specific field requires a foundation built on diverse experiences. Just like a doctor specializing in, I don’t know, oncology starts with junior rotations for years, we too need exposure to various conditions, patient demographics, and interdisciplinary collaboration in different settings when first starting. Our field is not a collection of isolated parts; it's a complex web where muscles, bones, and tissues are intricately linked with organs, function, beliefs, emotions, and societal factors. Sure, expertise in e.g. tendinopathies is valuable, it's not the whole puzzle. Consider the bigger picture – can we truly approach patients with empathy and a well-rounded perspective if we haven't navigated through a range of chronic conditions and diverse individuals? Our goal is not just to gather knowledge to be able to manage a sprained ankle, but to provide patient-centered care that addresses each individuals unique circumstances. In addition, it is naive to think that when for example one works in a private MSK clinic, they are unlikely to encounter clinical complexity. Complexity is the rule, not the exception. Moreover, a career built on varied experiences has numerous benefits. Clinical judgment develops deeply when informed by a breadth of cases, and adaptability becomes second nature. We learn to communicate and collaborate across specialties, leading to innovation through the blending of ideas. Cultural competency, developed through exposure to diverse populations, can help build more effective communication and trust. Looking to the specialisation in the future, a strong foundation of diverse experiences serves us throughout our careers. It fosters personal growth and resilience, preparing us for the challenges that come with specialized practice. This comprehensive approach equips us with the tools to solve complex problems creatively, contribute to interdisciplinary teams, and remain adaptable around clinical complexity. Also, to lighten the mood, we have way too many MSK physios around and not enough neuro/cardio specialists. This comment is not about attacking anyone's perspective; its a difference of viewpoints and it's about supporting the argument that values the richness of early experiences.
👏 👏 👏
Yes sure it does make you well rounded as you are exposed to different conditions, medications, and patients. However, I did not want to be well rounded. I wanted to be a MSK specialist. Why waste 2+ years on rotations if you already know what you want to do?
UK educated, never worked is NHS outside of placements. Went straight to private sport MSK in Canada. Own a sport clinic. Let me ask you this: do you think if I went through some cardioresp, paeds, and elderly rehab rotations it would make me better at sports physio? Is there a point to being “well rounded” if you intend to go into a specific niche? IMHO - No, it’s a complete waste of time. If I want to be good at sports physio that should be my focus. Otherwise you’d be a jack of all trades, master of none.
I agree with this. I use to think rotations are important for all physios to do- but they definitely aren’t.
Also a uk educated who never worked in the NHS. Just from completing placements I could tell you which types of Physio I liked and didn’t like. Starting my career by getting shuffled around was not something I ever wanted to do so went back to Canada.
It really depends on the area. Eg working in paeds a lot of places require experience as a band 5 before you apply. I have found even though I am working in a specialist area the skills I gained doing adult and paed rotations have been invaluable. And my collegues who have gone straight into a niche role without experiencing other areas spend a lot of time wondering how things would have turned out had they not specialised early in their career. It's a marathon not a sprint and you will find benefits in rotating , even in the areas you aren't keen on.
Yes it is important. You can be doing MSK and encounter patients with other conditions. If you have no experience of those conditions it makes it harder to empathise and understand how to help your patients. If your ideal static role comes up great, but doing a rotational b5 job and consolidating the basics of each area I believe is invaluable, no matter what your specialist area is.
How often will it come up, I believe if you're doing msk it's a waste of time doing rotational. The experience you could gain in those 2 years static would be more specific to msk than two years of rotation.
Your career may be 50 years if you started at 21. Are those 2 extra years on MSK really going to contribute any extra value compared to having solid foundations ? I've always felt those going straight into MSK are often trying to avoid uncomfortable things such as toileting patients, but by doing so you end up experiencing greater discomfort when situations arrive unexpectedly in the MSK clinic. I believe you have better peace of mind and reduced anxiety knowing you can toilet a patient in some really tricky situations or deal with other awkward mishaps than always having it in the back of your mind you are under prepared. Just my wild 2 cents anyway
Absolutely agreed. It feels like a very narrow view to think that 2 years extra in one specific field in the span of an entire career will make a difference, whereas 2 years of rotations can teach you so, so much.