Emma Williams is an Australian Army Officer and uniformed physiotherapist. In this episode, Emma discusses her career pathway from university to the military and her work with military personnel in Australia and overseas.

In this episode:

• 0:00 About this episode and welcome Emma
• 4:00 Pathway into the military through a military scholarship, what is it like working as a physio in the army?
• 13:05 Strategies for building rapport and gaining trust
• 17:00 Common injuries in the army – MTSS, ankle sprains, balancing injury prevention and surveillance with the need to develop toughness
• 22:00 Physical performance standards
• 25:20 What injuries do military personnel get and what are the trends in activities and causative factors?
• 33:00 What are the upsides and benefits of working in the military as a physio? Travel, free healthcare, getting paid to exercise
• 38:50 Making decisions under pressure
• 44:00 Baptism of fire and the valley of despair– developing confidence, humility and other life skills - foundational skills as a health professional

Emma was recently featured in the Australian Physiotherapy Association’s magazine InMotion. Read the article here: https://australian.physio/inmotion/salute-physio-front-line

Connect with Emma via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-williams-b5367262/?originalSubdomain=au

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Thihan is a highly experienced Sports Physiotherapist who has held roles with the Melbourne Renegades, Bangladesh Cricket, Hampshire Cricket, and most recently as the Rehabilitation Manager for the Sri Lankan Cricket Team. Thihan is also one of the hosts of the Physio Social Club Podcast.

In this episode, we took a tangent from cricket, and discussed Thihan’s recent leg injury and his experiences with injury, surgery and rehabilitation. Thihan offered very interesting insights into the experience of having a serious injury and surgery in a developing country, reflections on the real experience of a lengthy rehabilitation, and advise for students and new graduate physios for prioritising their assessment and management. There is a lot in this episode! Thanks Thihan for a great conversation.

In this episode:

• 0:00 About this episode and welcome Thihan
• 3:05 Thihan’s injury – fractured tibia and fibula. There was no pain until after the surgery – reflecting on when pain is not associated with pathology
• 5:30 The experience of having surgery in a developing country
• 9:30 How did you process the experience? Shared decision making with the surgeon
• 12:23 ‘Letting go’, controlling what you can control and allowing people to do their job
• 14:40 Fracture healing, pain management, IV paracetamol, risks of compartment syndrome, experience of having an epidural
• 20:50 Waking up halfway through orthopaedic surgery! (not as bad as it sounds)
• 25:45 Being present and taking things one step at a time. It’s hard to think about the bigger picture as a patient. Meet the person where they are
• 31:40 Being proactive in your own rehabilitation. Lessons for practitioners
• 36:35 How can students keep things simple and be effective? Have a system and a structure to your assessment that you can repeat until you learn the patterns. Know why you are asking questions.
• 42:40 What is your job as a sports physio? How is this similar to hospital-based work?
• 47:30 How do you stay motivated during long-term rehab?
• 50:30 Goals in long-term rehab can often be impairment goals, e.g. ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, because this helps you visualise progress
• 53:40 Maintaining a positive mindset during the rehab journey
• 55:30 Empathy – 'get in the hole' with the patient / person
• 59:00 Summary – the secret to long-term success is to engage with the process of your rehab (or learning), review and repeat throughout your career.

Read more about Thihan here: https://thecricket.physio/about

The Physio Social Club podcast: https://physiosocialclub.com/about

Read Thihan’s Linked In posts related to his injury, surgery and rehab here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thihanchandramohan/?originalSubdomain=au

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at www.Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio LinkedIn page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Dr. Malia Ho is a sports podiatrist and Senior Lecturer within Monash University's Doctor of Podiatric Medicine course. With over two decades of experience in clinical practice, research, and education, Malia has a wealth of knowledge and insights. In this episode, Malia shares her unique journey from engineering to podiatry, revealing the pivotal moments and decisions that shaped her career. Malia offers useful tips for health profession students for achieving success, emphasizing the crucial role of foundational skills such as listening and empathy, alongside the importance of embracing technology in healthcare education. Thanks Malia for a great conversation.

In this episode:

• 0:00 About this episode and welcome Malia
• 2:15 Malia’s professional background and interests – from engineering to podiatry
• 9:00 How did your hospital work influence your sports podiatry practice? Developing good habits early in your career
• 14:40 Malia’s education focus – technology in education, critical thinking skills
• 17:40 Realistic and authentic teaching with case based learning, interprofessional skills, the importance of listening skills
• 22:20 The most important knowledge and skills for a health professional – listening, empathy, being a good human.
• 25:30 The importance of clinical anatomy, using technology in assessment, core podiatry skills
• 30:55 Final thoughts – invest in your education, learn with other people

Read more about Malia here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/malia-ho

Physio Foundations Podcast Summaries: You can find articles based on Physio Foundations podcast episodes at Perraton.Physio or on the Perraton Physio Linked In page.

Visit our YouTube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@PerratonPhysio

Join the conversation on social media @PerratonPhysio

For a list of episodes, transcripts and associated blogs, visit www.perraton.physio/physiofoundations

Follow @PerratonPhysio on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Linked In.

This is a discussion aimed at health professionals and health professional students. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.