I am currently away working with an International rugby team and in doing so I have reunited with another physio I last worked with over 10 years ago.

We last worked together with a team like this when we were both new grads.

Back in 2010 I had literally just graduated and he had only finished University a couple of years, yet we were the medical team at a top rugby team.

We had a game yesterday and shared a beer last night and we were chatting about our early days.

Mainly we spoke about the massive differences to what we used to do back then compared to what we do now.

Some of what we did back then was laughable…

Yet we still got some great results.

But this was probably more luck than anything else. 

What we both realised pretty fast back then was that we needed to learn, and quickly!

Being a new grad is hard…

Trying to get your head around your new role…

Trying to learn all the things that University did not teach you…

Trying to keep on top of all the new research coming thick and fast…

All on top of your actual role as therapist trying to get your patients and athletes better!

Being a new grad working in sport and private practice is even harder.

Sport in particular is a ruthless industry.

Like the players on the pitch, as a member of staff if you are not performing well and getting your players back on the pitch quickly you will find yourself out of the door pretty fast.

Most private practice roles are also equally as challenging because poor results mean patients do not come back for their follow up appointments and they definitely do not tell their friends and family about the clinic you work in.

The majority of private practice clinics are built on word of mouth, so if you are not getting the patient results you could find yourself getting replaced in clinic by another therapist. 

Whichever way you look at it, your worth as a therapist is judged by the results you get.

Your success as a therapist is not judged on…

Whether you are a physio, sports rehabber or sports therapist…

Whether you got a First, 2:1 or another grade in your degree…

And definitely not on how many years ‘experience’ you have.

As a new grad it is hard to realise this.

Because as a new grad you think that you just need to start treating patients, learn from your mistakes, get some experience etc etc.

And why wouldn’t you because this is what you were told at Uni and what your new grad friends are telling you.

You will make mistakes as a new grad…100%.

But a mistake is only a mistake if you do it once.

It is not a mistake if you keep making the same error over and over.

If you are continually making the same errors in your assessments…

Using treatment techniques that only give quick changes in symptoms but never stick…

Or find yourself using the same rehab exercises just because they helped some of your patients in the past, hoping they work, but not really knowing…

Making the same mistakes over and over then you need to work out why.

For most new grads you do what you do, because that is all you know.

If you are making repeated mistakes then this is the first sign your skills are fading.

Because if you are not improving you are getting worse and you are falling behind.

If you would like to learn what other new grads are doing differently to get better patient results, despite having the same level of training and ‘experience’ as you then head here. 

Andy 

The New Grad Physio Mentor

PS. I wish I knew what was coming when I first graduated and all the problems and challenges that I would face so I could have been better prepared. 

If you would like to know how to overcome the main challenges you face right now…

And learn what challenges are waiting for you around the corner, the same challenges that will halt your career progress if you are not careful, then click here.