Physiotherapy is the largest allied health profession. Physiotherapists work with patients and their families/carers to address problems experienced as a result of illness, injury and disability. They use physical means to promote health, optimal rehabilitation and, where possible, recovery. Physiotherapy is a broad field, making for an exciting and varied career. Physiotherapists practice as autonomous professionals when acting as the first point of contact for clients/patients, or as part of a health or social care team.
Our course will give you the professional skills and knowledge necessary for contemporary practice. The Department of Physiotherapy carries out significant research, and we emphasise the role of research in physiotherapy and the importance of evidence-based practice throughout the course. Through this you will gain experience of a wide range of research methods.
In your first year, you will focus on client- centred, responsive services, and develop your decision making, communication and scientific skills.
In your second year we will address effective and needs-related service, and you will further develop your knowledge of professional skills and the science behind rehabilitation.
In your third year, you will think about the development of service provision for today’s NHS, social care, public health and the rights and needs of various client groups. You will extend your understanding of psychosocial, ethical and legal issues surrounding practice in student directed activities. You will develop your practical, reflective, evaluative and interpersonal skills at an advanced level and integrate theory with practice even further. You will explore the challenge of working with clients with complex problems in depth, and you will also evaluate your own performance and the outcome of treatment.
In order to gain a licence to practice, you will have to complete at least 1,000 clinical hours. At the end of each of your first two years, and during your third year, you will apply what you have learned on a series of clinical placements in a variety of environments, ranging from large teaching hospitals to small special schools within the community. The majority of placements are in Greater London, but you may be placed throughout south-east England.
We have designed this course to match the needs of the modern ever-changing health sector. We work closely with a network of clinical colleagues, primarily in the NHS, and these partnerships ensure that the course’s delivery and development are practice-led.
Teaching
Teaching on the programme is informed by state-of-the-art research and are provided by staff who are experts in their area of specialism, with at least a PhD qualification. In addition, we have strategic partnership with the clinicians from our local NHS trust partners, to provide some of the in-university clinical and practical teaching. A wide range of modern teaching methods are utilized including didactic lectures, blended learning, seminars, workshops, clinical simulation, inter-disciplinary learning, clinical placements and self-directed study.
The programme utilises a case-based approach and this is aimed at enabling students to progressively develop clinically relevant understanding of the knowledge and skills they acquire on the course. Through a series of case-based learning opportunities, students are exposed to real-world scenarios that need to be solved using reasoning and existing theoretical knowledge.
Practice Education (clinical placements) is an integral part of the course and students will be expected to complete and pass 6 clinical placements with one introductory week in the first year. Specific clinical placement hours are dictated by the placement setting and whilst typically are Monday to Friday they may also require students to undertake shift work, 7-day working etc.
Students can expect that for most taught modules, they will spend between 40 and 45% of their time in taught sessions as either face time to face contact teaching, blended learning, practical teaching, workshops etc, and 55-60% in self-directed teaching.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Assessment
Assessment is by a variety of methods including:
• Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)
• Written examinations (multiple choice questions, short answer questions, clinical problem solving)
• Coursework (oral and poster presentations, critical essays, video/podcast, portfolio development, reflective essays)
• Clinical placement performance
Coursework contributes approximately 60%, OSCEs contribute approximately 15%, clinical placements contribute approximately 18% and examinations approximately 7% to your final mark. The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Course accreditation
This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).
Regulating body
King’s College London is regulated by the Office for Students.
Location
This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Guy’s Campus with clinical placements in London and south east England.
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