What does it take to graduate? A qualitative exploration of the perceptions of successful physiotherapy graduates from one university in the UK

Abstract

Little is known about the complex factors that underpin persistence and success for preregistration physiotherapy students. This article presents findings from a qualitative study which explored the perceptions of eight recent graduates from one UK university about their experiences of their physiotherapy undergraduate degree program, and what they considered important in their success. Data were collected via one-to-one, semi-structured interviews. An in-depth thematic analysis was undertaken from which three overarching themes were inferred. First, successful learning was portrayed as a fundamentally social activity, embedded in tight learning communities of peers and tutors which conferred a firm sense of belonging. Second, participants recalled having a strong sense of commitment to their future identity as physiotherapists which may have helped them to resist some of the difficulties they encountered as students. Finally, a minority of these successful participants reported overcoming hardship on clinical placement by drawing on a range of personal and institutional resources. Crucially, these successful students' sense of belonging, and their alignment with the norms and values of the program, may have been critical to accessing and using these formal and informal resources.

Multiple stakeholder perspectives of factors influencing differential outcomes for ethnic minority students on health and social care placements: a qualitative exploration

“…However being predominantly of White ethnicity their lived experiences were potentially very different to the students that they sought to help. The placement educators, also from White ethnic backgrounds, were drawn mainly from physiotherapy and occupational therapy professions which experience lower ethnic minority representation than some other health and social care professions; indeed physiotherapy in the UK has been previously described as a 'white profession' [7]. In some other professions such as nursing there is a mismatch between the profiles of students and academic staff [17]; this white dominance strengthens the power imbalance between student and educator.…”

“…Students often describe the university as a 'safe haven' and find the transition to a less regulated placement environment as stressful [7]; strong tutor-student relationships in both academic and placement environments are contributors to success [8][9][10]. Indirect or subtle racism from service users, academics, peers and practice placement staff affects many ethnic minority students across all aspects of their lives, not only on placement [8][9][10][11].…”

“…Labelling and stereotyping based on physical appearance, body language and mannerisms, culture, and accents/dialects/idioms are also recurring themes [8,9,11]. Many encounters negatively impact on student experience and confidence by increasing isolation [12] and feelings of 'being judged' [8,9,11] and 'being different' [7][8][9][10][11], in some instances affecting learning experiences and outcomes [13].…”

“…Coping strategies outlined by students include adopting a positive attitude towards studies and their cultural background [10], using self-protective measures and confronting any areas of concern directly [11]. Recommended interventions include tailored education for placement staff [9] regarding concepts such as white privilege and its impact [11], and a requirement for staff to review their programmes to ensure that diversity and culture is explicitly valued [10,12] and that ethnic minority students are not marginalised [7,13]. Formal agreements between universities and placement providers should include anti-racist standards for placement [9] alongside more comprehensive reporting and monitoring mechanisms [8].…”

Understanding the Allied Health Professions Student Experience of Practice Placements during the First Wave of the Coronavirus Pandemic

“…The financial pressures experienced by students is widely acknowledged. Financial worry can impact on mental health and ability to perform (Cassidy et al, 2020). Analysis showed that a small number of students commented that the employment contract and additional income enabled them to focus more on their learning.…”