Physiotherapy - (Pre-registration) - MSc

Your personal statement

Your personal statement is a highly important part of your application. It gives you a crucial opportunity to say why you’re applying and why the institution should accept you and also provides evidence of a good command of written English. 

Here are the key areas you’ll need to address in order to be considered

 Course choice

Why does this course appeal? What areas are of particular interest? Tell us about your commitment to studying physiotherapy.

 Career as a physiotherapist

Demonstrate an awareness of the breadth of the role of the physiotherapist and the skills required of a registered practitioner. Show us that you have an interest in and the ability to work with people in a caring role.

  Work experience, physiotherapy shadowing and employment history

It is vital that you talk about any paid or voluntary work experience that is relevant to physiotherapy, highlighting and reflecting on the skills and experience gained and how this will be useful in your chosen career as a physiotherapist.

 School/college or university experience

Highlight skills gained at school/college/university, eg summer schools, mentoring activities, society roles.

 Non-accredited skills or achievement

eg Duke of Edinburgh Award, Young Enterprise scheme.

You should also talk about any subjects you’re studying that don’t have a formal assessment and any sponsorships or placements you’ve applied for. And don't be scared to add in details about your social, sports or leisure interests.

Get more information on writing personal statements.

All students studying this physiotherapy course will be expected to demonstrate the core values of the NHS Constitution. This will be assessed as part of the interview process (see below). 

References

Your application will need to be supported by two references.

Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) and Occupational health

All offers made are subject to satisfactory health and enhanced criminal record checks.

After you accept the offer of a place, the link to download the Occupational Health form will be included in an email notifying you how to apply for DBS.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks

We expect all health and social care students to act in an honest and trustworthy manner and that your conduct, behaviour and attitudes are compatible at all times with your professional Code of Conduct. The Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) set criminal record checks as a requirement for entry to educational courses leading to an application for professional registration.

Before you commence on the course we will judge your good character through an enhanced DBS clearance. You are required to pay for the cost of this DBS check. No convictions or cautions are considered as ‘spent’ under the ‘exceptions’ allowed under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, 1974. There is no time limit to some parts of the record.

Once you have fully enrolled on your course you must inform us about any involvement you have had with the Police or Social Services, including motoring offences.

If you have lived outside the UK for six months or more in the past five years, we will need to see a criminal record check from the country you were living in. For applicants living in the Republic of Ireland, we will need to see an Irish Garda clearance. You are required to pay for the cost of obtaining this clearance. The cost varies by country. More information on DBS including EU/overseas applications.

Occupational Health 

The Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) set ‘good health’ requirements for entry to educational courses leading to professional registration. Good health is necessary to undertake practice and means that students must be capable of safe and effective practice with supervision throughout their course of study.

Expert advice to confirm good health will be received from the Occupational Health Department at Birmingham City University. If necessary, you will be invited for a medical examination and specialist advice may be requested. When students are required to attend Occupational Health for immunisations and vaccinations they will be asked to sign an agreement which states they will attend all required appointments. Failure to attend one or more appointment will result in additional costs to the student.

The health requirement is not a bar to registering for people with disabilities.

Once you have enrolled your course you are required to complete an annual declaration confirming that you continue to have at the point of re-enrolment.

The Interview process

Interviews are vital in ensuring your suitability for the programme in terms of your academic ability and understanding, evidence of oral communication skills, and motivation to pursue a career in Physiotherapy. It is also a way of finding out more about BCU and offers an opportunity to meet some of the programme team. Please allow sufficient time to participate in this event. Interview days will include both a group discussion and individual interviews and will involve input from clinical practice partners and service users.

Information about the group discussion

This will take the format of a group discussion based on a current and topical issue relevant to the healthcare sector.

Applicants will be randomly allocated to a group. All groups will contain physiotherapy and dietetic applicants.

Informal observation of the group will take place the interview team.

Information about the individual interviews

The individual interview will consist of a series of multiple mini-interviews. There will be 5 stations each with a different focus which may include:

• Profession specific knowledge, skills, behaviours and values (2 stations) 
• Practical activity
• Understanding and application of NHS core values 
• Reflection on group activity

Each station will be scored by the interview team.