Want the best job in the world? Choose physio

I spend too much of my time writing about what's wrong in the profession and far too little of my time writing about what's right.

Unfortunately that's the reality of the online game sometimes.

But it shouldn't take away from some of the amazing things that do go on, behind the scenes.

Here are my top 4 reasons to choose physio:

1. The physio community

For starters physiotherapy as a community is one of the most giving and encouraging places to be, especially for a young person starting a career.

I remember a time during my lower points in the cycle, over 10 years ago, when I did feel very lost and was reaching out in whatever direction I could.

There were always people who quite happily made themselves available to help me, people I've still never met.

I remember talking to a man who was physio for the Geelong Cats at the time, a pretty big deal, and he was more than happy to talk me through the landscape of the UK physio scene and also give some pointers on what employers in private practice expected over there.

Likewise a conversation I had over email with another highly respected and very busy physio/researcher who helped guide me into the next stage of my career.

The friends you make within the profession are likely going to be people you have a lot in common with.

They are usually fun, sporty people who are passionate about helping others.

And the majority are truly remarkable individuals who never stop giving.

2. Physio makes a difference

Want a job in which you can go to work every single day and make a difference in someone else's life?

That's pretty incredible as a singular opportunity.

So many people don't get the opportunity to make such a difference, on a daily basis.

So many jobs involve just sitting down at a computer at 9am, with the highlight of the morning being a trip to the water-cooler or the coffee-machine.

It's hard when a lot of us have never really worked in other professions to really understand this.

Even now for me, I do find that I miss the social interaction, the camaraderie within a team and the fun of being in a busy musculoskeletal clinic.

I also miss the sharing of learnings, the personal interactions with clients and the joy of knowing that you have actually delivered on an unspoken promise when someone does come to you in pain.

That you have alleviated someone else's pain, and they are often forever grateful for this.

It's something we gloss over too much.

It's almost like it's too easy sometimes - especially with acute injuries.

We don't spend enough time congratulating ourselves and encouraging others.

We don't realise the sliding doors - if we hadn't been there, what might have been a simple ankle sprain could easily have compounded into a chronic health problem.

We spend a hell of a lot of that time arguing over why these events occur and perhaps why we shouldn't be so quite to congratulate ourselves.

But these conversations take away from the bigger picture.

There is no greater privilege than to be able to go to work and help another person.

3. A skill you take everywhere you go

The other thing that is truly fantastic is that physio is very much a life skill.

When I worked in the UK, for the first time especially, I was actually worried that I wasn't going to fit in.

Or that the skills were not as easily transferred to a different continent, on the other side of the world.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Everyone has a body, and bodies really don't change that much from one side of the globe to the other.

In fact, the Aussie accept almost added it's own little placebo effect at times.

Patients at Basildon University Hospital (my first locum) were over the moon to just be talking to an Australian.

They would literally interrupt me halfway through a subjective assessment and the conversation would veer off in a different direction.

(They probably wouldn't want to hear it this morning funnily enough, but that's a different story).

4. Progressive thinkers

The other thing that is great about the profession is we don't stand still.

If you actually get into the professional development lane proper, there is always a plethora of new information coming through.

One can never stay ahead of the game for long.

There is always something new to learn.

Sometimes it's a patient that comes along just when you think you have it all worked out, and they just knock you right onto your backside.

It can be a great leveller and presents endless opportunities for growth.

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Shane Guna?is the Founder of?Gun Physio Academy.

He writes about leadership, personal development and commercial skills for physiotherapists.

He runs a single person, physio coaching business.

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