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Hello everyone,

I thought it would be a great idea to create a discussion here for anyone who has/will be attending a Physiotherapy program outside of Canada- (UK/Europe/AUS).

Any suggestions/experiences regarding programs in the UK? I have heard that Brighton, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow, Robert Gordon have great programs

 

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Hey! I applied to some UK schools as backup, as I really want to go somewhere in September to start an MSc PT program. 

 

Check out this list: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?s=Physiotherapy

 

Leeds is last on that list. I think when it comes down to it, you should really consider where you’d like to live. You’ll get a similar education everywhere (although I don’t think I’d choose schools on the bottom of that list). I think my first choice is Oxford Brookes (16th on the list) based on program/cost/location. The program has a pretty good reputation, not super expensive, is located in Oxford, and is pretty close to London (my preferences). Brighton is a solid option too for the same reasons (on the coast, close to London, not super expensive, heard good things about the program). 

 

Manchester I wasn’t so sure for myself bc of cost. 

Birmingham is supposed to have the best program but is suuuper expensive. 

Glasgow Caledonian is a decent option too, supposed to have a good program at a decent cost, so it depends if you’d like to live in Glasgow. Same with Leeds and Robert Gordon, as they are quite far north. 

Check out some schools on that list and consider program, cost and living! 

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3 hours ago, NorthernOntarioGal said:

What is the ballpark price for international schools? Also has anyone heard how difficult it is to become registered in Canada?

It depends on the school and city. Some UK schools have more expensive tuitions than others in the list I posted above (some being much more expensive). And more popular cities will be more expensive to live in and do things. London, for example, is very expensive to live in of course and high tuitions. Another example, Australia, has great PT programs, but tuition is really high (like $50,000 per year), which kept me from applying. I was given an estimate of approx $80,000-90,000 CAD over 2 years for both tuition and living in Oxford, by an organization that helped me apply and a peer from undergrad who graduated from their PT program. The peer who attended the UK for PT said she had no problem finding a job when she got back. The alliance PT website shows the written/practical success rates for PT programs from different countries. When you get back from an international program, you have to take a [6 month?] bridging course at a university (mostly online I think?) for the Canadian health care system. Then you can study and take the college exams to become registered. 

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@Rehab4Life Thanks for the info! I looked at the link you posted but all the prices looked like they weren't for international students? But those prices aren't bad considering tuition here would be like 40k for 2 years plus cost of living. I hear ya on the waiting though... I think if I don't get in next year (2nd time applying), I'll start looking into going abroad. Here's hoping we both get into Queens this time around :)

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2 hours ago, NorthernOntarioGal said:

@Rehab4Life Thanks for the info! I looked at the link you posted but all the prices looked like they weren't for international students? But those prices aren't bad considering tuition here would be like 40k for 2 years plus cost of living. I hear ya on the waiting though... I think if I don't get in next year (2nd time applying), I'll start looking into going abroad. Here's hoping we both get into Queens this time around :)

Yeah, fingers crossed! All the UK school websites have international tuition somewhere on their PT pages, some you have to look around more than others. Some from the list I remember are

Oxford Brookes about £15,100/year

Brighton about £15,500/year

Manchester Metropolitan about £17,000/year

Glasgow Caledonian about £13,500/year

Queen Margaret around £15,800/year

King’s College London like £24,000/year

Birmingham about £22,000/year

Southampton about £22,000/year

 

Those are ballparks that I can remember off the top of my head. And you’re right, moving to an Ontario school will probably cost about $60,000 over 2 years for school and living, so considering all that it’s not so bad financially. One of the big things is OSAP though; I think you’re pretty guaranteed to get a lot more assistance from OSAP if studying in Ontario compared to abroad. 

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I applied, interviewed and differed for a year for PT at the University of Brighton. It is the only school I applied to in the UK.
I will be starting Sept 2018.

I've budgeted $94,000 for the 2 years. During the interview (over skype), the interviewer really emphasized money. She stressed that it was expensive, that they don't give extra time off for international students to go home, sometimes you will pay rent for 2 places (at the uni and at a placement). I actually had to write an essay after about how I would pay for the degree. 
Brighton offers a 5000 pound international scholarship which I hope to receive to help a little bit. 

I decided to differ to a) apply to Canadian schools and 'b) save money if I didn't get into a Canadian school. Brighton has been so friendly to deal with and had no problem with me differing! It's a breath of fresh air compared to the Canadian schools. They email back ASAP
I'm coming from engineering so my grades are ok (~80% for the whole degree). During the interview, she commented my grades were good. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud as they are not good in Canada!
So I am still waiting to hear if I got into Mcgill but am planning like I am going to the UK as I got rejected from UBC so it's not looking good.  

This website (http://www.alliancept.org/becoming-credentialled/source-country-profiles/) lists equivalent schools. 
I've had help from Across the Pond who acts as my agent and will help with all details (applying, visa's ect). They are also super helpful

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7 hours ago, Monikaz said:

I applied, interviewed and differed for a year for PT at the University of Brighton. It is the only school I applied to in the UK.
I will be starting Sept 2018.

I've budgeted $94,000 for the 2 years. During the interview (over skype), the interviewer really emphasized money. She stressed that it was expensive, that they don't give extra time off for international students to go home, sometimes you will pay rent for 2 places (at the uni and at a placement). I actually had to write an essay after about how I would pay for the degree. 
Brighton offers a 5000 pound international scholarship which I hope to receive to help a little bit. 

I decided to differ to a) apply to Canadian schools and 'b) save money if I didn't get into a Canadian school. Brighton has been so friendly to deal with and had no problem with me differing! It's a breath of fresh air compared to the Canadian schools. They email back ASAP
I'm coming from engineering so my grades are ok (~80% for the whole degree). During the interview, she commented my grades were good. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud as they are not good in Canada!
So I am still waiting to hear if I got into Mcgill but am planning like I am going to the UK as I got rejected from UBC so it's not looking good.  

This website (http://www.alliancept.org/becoming-credentialled/source-country-profiles/) lists equivalent schools. 
I've had help from Across the Pond who acts as my agent and will help with all details (applying, visa's ect). They are also super helpful

Nice, it’s great that you can at least get the education you want elsewhere! You are not alone... I bet a lot of people are in the same situation, including myself! Money shouldn’t be a problem since we can get a student loan from our banks with our acceptance / admission documents. Even at a Canadian school you might have to pay rent for 2 places for a period of time, depending on distance of the clinical of course. I got into Oxford Brookes so far since I applied really early. Don’t remember them stressing about money much during the interview though. Just finished applying to a few other UK schools, including Brighton, so should have those interviews soon. What made you choose Brighton?

 

PS. I agree - all the UK schools I’ve met with have been friendly and have gotten great vibes. I had help from StudyUK. 

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I have also applied to several PT programs in the UK as well. I did not know about the 6 month bridging course you would have to take once returning to Canada. Does this mean we are unable to practice as a PT until after the 6 months?

I have heard good things about Brighton as well. Also Glasgow Caledonian-which has a good program for Canadians. 

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The bridging course is optional but was created to help internationally trained physiotherapists become familiar with the Canadian system, have the opportunity to go into clinics and hospitals with practicing PTs in Canada, and ultimately has been shown to increase the applicants pass rate of both the written and practical exams. You do have to write at least the written component to be eligible to practice regardless of doing a bridging program or not. 

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2 hours ago, PT2B said:

I have also applied to several PT programs in the UK as well. I did not know about the 6 month bridging course you would have to take once returning to Canada. Does this mean we are unable to practice as a PT until after the 6 months?

I have heard good things about Brighton as well. Also Glasgow Caledonian-which has a good program for Canadians. 

 

16 minutes ago, Pt247 said:

The bridging course is optional but was created to help internationally trained physiotherapists become familiar with the Canadian system, have the opportunity to go into clinics and hospitals with practicing PTs in Canada, and ultimately has been shown to increase the applicants pass rate of both the written and practical exams. You do have to write at least the written component to be eligible to practice regardless of doing a bridging program or not. 

I didn't know that the bridging course is optional! But like you said, I would assume you need to know about the Canadian system for the written exam.

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  • 1 month later...

Hey Everyone,

I'm looking to apply for a UK PT school next year and I was just curious about whether I will be able to work in Canada if I were to graduate from certain schools that you guys have mentioned (ex. Brighton, Manchester). The reason I'm curious about this is that on the website I have linked it states "insufficient data" next to some of the schools on the list for the "supervised clinical practice hours" section. I'm not sure if any of you know of previous graduates from these schools who were able to get accreditation in Canada? 
http://www.alliancept.org/becoming-credentialled/source-country-profiles/

Also, does anyone know whether most UK school allows you to do your placement within Canada? I think it might potentially be cheaper If I find a placement here and live with my parents rather than potentially having to pay for rent for 2 locations in the UK. 

 

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9 minutes ago, CanadaPT said:

Hey Everyone,

I'm looking to apply for a UK PT school next year and I was just curious about whether I will be able to work in Canada if I were to graduate from certain schools that you guys have mentioned (ex. Brighton, Manchester). The reason I'm curious about this is that on the website I have linked it states "insufficient data" next to some of the schools on the list for the "supervised clinical practice hours" section. I'm not sure if any of you know of previous graduates from these schools who were able to get accreditation in Canada? 
http://www.alliancept.org/becoming-credentialled/source-country-profiles/

Also, does anyone know whether most UK school allows you to do your placement within Canada? I think it might potentially be cheaper If I find a placement here and live with my parents rather than potentially having to pay for rent for 2 locations in the UK. 

 

This is a great link, thanks for sharing it!

""Insufficient Data" indicates that we do not currently have sufficient data available (fewer than 6 cases) to report a result." You could probably contact the school to ask how many hours of clinical practice there are. Not sure if CAPR just didn't reach out to the schools themselves? Seems weird since most of the UK schools have this under the clinical hours category.

Not sure the answer to your second question, but I will say that for schools in Ontario at least, you go back and forth between class and placement in blocks of a few weeks. So flying home and back might not even be worth it. Also, you could pick which UK school you go to based on their catchment area. Plus, I feel like transit is pretty good in some areas of the UK with trains and whatnot! Additionally, depending where your parents live, there might not be a lot of available places that accept students... Mac's catchment area spans to Northern Ontario, lol. Not trying to discourage you completely but there's a lot you have to take into consideration.

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2 hours ago, CanadaPT said:

Hey Everyone,

I'm looking to apply for a UK PT school next year and I was just curious about whether I will be able to work in Canada if I were to graduate from certain schools that you guys have mentioned (ex. Brighton, Manchester). The reason I'm curious about this is that on the website I have linked it states "insufficient data" next to some of the schools on the list for the "supervised clinical practice hours" section. I'm not sure if any of you know of previous graduates from these schools who were able to get accreditation in Canada? 
http://www.alliancept.org/becoming-credentialled/source-country-profiles/

Also, does anyone know whether most UK school allows you to do your placement within Canada? I think it might potentially be cheaper If I find a placement here and live with my parents rather than potentially having to pay for rent for 2 locations in the UK. 

 

idk about 2 question but 1st question yea you are good. I applied to UK this school and my cousin who studied in UK (brighton?) is giving her licencing exam this june(?) in Canada

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On 2018-03-19 at 5:42 PM, CanadaPT said:

Hey Everyone,

I'm looking to apply for a UK PT school next year and I was just curious about whether I will be able to work in Canada if I were to graduate from certain schools that you guys have mentioned (ex. Brighton, Manchester). The reason I'm curious about this is that on the website I have linked it states "insufficient data" next to some of the schools on the list for the "supervised clinical practice hours" section. I'm not sure if any of you know of previous graduates from these schools who were able to get accreditation in Canada? 
http://www.alliancept.org/becoming-credentialled/source-country-profiles/

Also, does anyone know whether most UK school allows you to do your placement within Canada? I think it might potentially be cheaper If I find a placement here and live with my parents rather than potentially having to pay for rent for 2 locations in the UK. 

 

Yes, you’ll be able to work in Canada after graduating from any of the UK schools offering an MSc Physiotherapy Pre-Registration program. UK schools seem to incorporate 1000 clinical hours into their programs. If you look at this link from the alliance PT website, you’ll see the 5 criteria for becoming credentialized in Canada. The 3rd criterion states a requirement of 1025 supervised clinical hours. The few universities I spoke to about it said that their Canadian students simply ask to do an extra 25 hours when entering the program. 

 

http://www.alliancept.org/becoming-credentialled/credentialling-policies/credentialling-standards/

 

I’m not sure which universities offer placements back home, but from the ones that do, I’ve heard it’s usually only 1 clinical. So you won’t be able to do all your clinicals in Canada. 

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/16/2018 at 5:01 PM, Monikaz said:

I applied, interviewed and differed for a year for PT at the University of Brighton. It is the only school I applied to in the UK.
I will be starting Sept 2018.

I've budgeted $94,000 for the 2 years. During the interview (over skype), the interviewer really emphasized money. She stressed that it was expensive, that they don't give extra time off for international students to go home, sometimes you will pay rent for 2 places (at the uni and at a placement). I actually had to write an essay after about how I would pay for the degree. 
Brighton offers a 5000 pound international scholarship which I hope to receive to help a little bit. 

I decided to differ to a) apply to Canadian schools and 'b) save money if I didn't get into a Canadian school. Brighton has been so friendly to deal with and had no problem with me differing! It's a breath of fresh air compared to the Canadian schools. They email back ASAP
I'm coming from engineering so my grades are ok (~80% for the whole degree). During the interview, she commented my grades were good. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud as they are not good in Canada!
So I am still waiting to hear if I got into Mcgill but am planning like I am going to the UK as I got rejected from UBC so it's not looking good.  

This website (http://www.alliancept.org/becoming-credentialled/source-country-profiles/) lists equivalent schools. 
I've had help from Across the Pond who acts as my agent and will help with all details (applying, visa's ect). They are also super helpful

Do you think most UK schools would be open to Differing an acceptance until the following year? I am most likely going to be applying to a UK school but would like to differ my acceptance (If I get accepted) for a years time to work and save money. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi folks!

Glad I found this forum. I have just recently applied to Glasgow Caledonian for their MSc PT (pre-registration) program. After 3 years of trying to get into either PT or OT at Canadian schools, this is my last attempt to hopefully get into a program, so I can finally work a job I am so passionate about. Does anyone know how competitive entry is to this particular school? Everyone I have spoken to who is currently studying there is saying that its very easy and I will have no problem. This just seems crazy to me though, as I have never even received an interview in the 3 years I've been trying in Canada. My overall GPA from my Kine degree was a 3.6 out of 4.0 and I have been working and volunteering as a PTA/Kinesiologist for the past 2.5 years.I have been waitlisted at Dal for OT, however, so if I get in there I will do that instead

Anyone else getting super frustrated with the Canadian school system yet? lol And if anyone has any more info about studying abroad they'd like to share that would be awesome!

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54 minutes ago, otpt902 said:

Hi folks!

Glad I found this forum. I have just recently applied to Glasgow Caledonian for their MSc PT (pre-registration) program. After 3 years of trying to get into either PT or OT at Canadian schools, this is my last attempt to hopefully get into a program, so I can finally work a job I am so passionate about. Does anyone know how competitive entry is to this particular school? Everyone I have spoken to who is currently studying there is saying that its very easy and I will have no problem. This just seems crazy to me though, as I have never even received an interview in the 3 years I've been trying in Canada. My overall GPA from my Kine degree was a 3.6 out of 4.0 and I have been working and volunteering as a PTA/Kinesiologist for the past 2.5 years.I have been waitlisted at Dal for OT, however, so if I get in there I will do that instead

Anyone else getting super frustrated with the Canadian school system yet? lol And if anyone has any more info about studying abroad they'd like to share that would be awesome!

I know how you feel!! I'm so done with this unfair admission systemn Canadian schools are ridiculously difficult to get into and my only comfort is that I am not alone in this mess. This year I got waitlisted at McMaster OT and I am hopeful but I have zero faith in the system. It's causing me too much anxiety. I do have a full-time job but OT is what I want to do. I understand your frustration. Many people don't even know their career passion and I am glad you know what you want. So please don't give up and hopefully you will get to make an informed decision. Also, all the best for Dal OT. I'm rooting for you. :)

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The Canadian system is definitely flawed. It doesn’t help that there’s only a handful of schools across the country that have PT and OT programs. There are so many universities in the UK, so I figure that’s why it’s not as competitive.

I think you will have no problem getting into GCU with your GPA and experience. I initially applied there but turned down my interview, as I got offers from Oxford Brookes, Brunel and Queen Margaret. Oxford Brookes or Brunel are my first choices as I’ve heard great things and they’re close to London. These are my backup choices though, I have been waitlisted as well. What made you choose Glasgow Caledonian?

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19 hours ago, otpt902 said:

Hi folks!

Glad I found this forum. I have just recently applied to Glasgow Caledonian for their MSc PT (pre-registration) program. After 3 years of trying to get into either PT or OT at Canadian schools, this is my last attempt to hopefully get into a program, so I can finally work a job I am so passionate about. Does anyone know how competitive entry is to this particular school? Everyone I have spoken to who is currently studying there is saying that its very easy and I will have no problem. This just seems crazy to me though, as I have never even received an interview in the 3 years I've been trying in Canada. My overall GPA from my Kine degree was a 3.6 out of 4.0 and I have been working and volunteering as a PTA/Kinesiologist for the past 2.5 years.I have been waitlisted at Dal for OT, however, so if I get in there I will do that instead

Anyone else getting super frustrated with the Canadian school system yet? lol And if anyone has any more info about studying abroad they'd like to share that would be awesome!

apply to more than 1 just in case. 3.6/4, you'll easily get into QMU in Scotland.

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13 hours ago, PTapp2018M99 said:

How many times can we take the PCE? Can we keep taking it until we pass or are there a number of tries given? I can't seem to find this info anywhere 

I'm pretty sure you get 3 attempts! If you fail the 3rd attempt I believe you have to either redo the 2 year program or do some sort of refresher course - not 100% about that.

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  • 8 months later...
On 3/19/2018 at 11:43 PM, Zurv said:

idk about 2 question but 1st question yea you are good. I applied to UK this school and my cousin who studied in UK (brighton?) is giving her licencing exam this june(?) in Canada

Hello, I am currently applying to schools overseas. I was wondering did your cousin have an trouble with the exam last June? (I.E did she pass?)

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