PHYSIOTHERAPY OFFICER

The Job

As one of around 90 physiotherapists in the Armed Forces you will be attending to sailors and airmen as well as soldiers, in war and peace. You will also have responsibility for the management of soldiers. You could be working in field medical units anywhere in the world. Wherever you are, it will be down to you as the Physiotherapy Officer to get the best from your soldiers and provide the expertise needed to keep the Armed Forces at the peak of physical fitness.

The Right Job For Me?

Any physiotherapist applying for a job in the RAMC must be qualified as a Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists and be state-registered. All officer jobs will call on your ability to lead and motivate the troops under your command, and you will need the maturity and sense of responsibility necessary for a role in which the well-being of your soldiers’ may depend on the decisions you take. An ability to take orders is essential in any disciplined unit, but you must also be able to act on your own initiative if the situation calls for it.

What Skills Will I Learn?

Officers are expected to master the same basic military skills and tactics as soldiers. This will include drill, basic fieldcraft, map reading, first aid and how and when to fire your personal weapon. (The RAMC is not a fighting arm, and its officers and soldiers may only use their weapons in self-defence).In addition to your soldiering skills you will also learn the skills required to become an officer, and how to exercise command.As well as the skills you would learn as a civilian physiotherapist, you will gain a broader range of physiotherapy experience unrivalled in the NHS.

What Training Will I Do?

Initial Training: The first three months of your service will be spent attending the Entry Officers Course, which includes a programme of training in military skills at the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The course has a large practical element in preparation for your career and you will also learn about the standards of behaviour, self-discipline and integrity required of an officer, which you will be expected to maintain at all times. You’ll learn about the operational role of the RAMC on a course at the Defence Services Training Centre in Ash Vale, Hampshirewhich ends with a special physiotherapy module.

What Qualifications Could I Get?

The Army prides itself on its continuing professional development and you will have opportunities to attend vocational courses throughout your career, many of which translate directly into civilian life.

Future Prospects

Whatever you decide to do, your training and experience as an officer will stand you in good stead. If you choose to make a career in the Army, then the RAMC will support you and offer a variety of work that civilian physiotherapy cannot rival. Equally, should you decide to return to civilian life, the responsibility, leadership and wide-ranging professional experience you’ll have gained during your time in the Army will be highly regarded in any physiotherapy or senior management role.