History of PT Education in Australia: Massage therapist to Doctor of Physiotherapy

Qualification:

Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Hons I),  University of Queensland

Doctor of Philosophy (Physiotherapy), University of Queensland

 

Experience:

Principal Project Officer – Research, Queensland Health, Australia

Lecturer, School of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne

Tutor and examiner, School of Physiotherapy, University of Queensland

Consulting Physiotherapist, Brisbane and Melbourne, Australia.

 

Massage therapist, who emigrated from the UK to Australia, were the pioneers in the development of the Physiotherapy profession in Australia. Mr Teepoo Hall and Dr John Springthorpe are regarded as the instigators of the profession and it was them that formed the Australasian Massage Association (AMA) in February 1906.  The formation of the association lead to the establishment of a 2 year study program where students studied anatomy, physiology as well as theory and practice of medical gymnastics and massage techniques. During the early stages, courses were conducted in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia with the graduates receiving a Diploma of Massage. In 1933, a three year course was introduced in Victoria and subsequently, the curriculum for all diploma education programs in Australia extended from two to three years duration to incorporate more muscle re-education and clinical work. In 1938, a Diploma in Physiotherapy program was approved and established at the University of Queensland and other states soon followed with a similar accreditation process.

 

The demand for health professionals such as physiotherapists, increased dramatically during and after World War II. In response to the demand, the government of the time saw the need to further improve the health profile of Physiotherapist and Physiotherapy education was redirected to the major tertiary education sector and the qualification transitioned from a diploma to a degree, most commonly as a Bachelor of Applied Science. Programs were also increased to four years to accommodate a more solid foundation for biological and pathological sciences as well as behavioral sciences.

For the first 75 years of the Physiotherapy profession, Physiotherapists worked under the direction of medical practitioners. It was not until 1976, as a result of many years of lobbying by the Australian Physiotherapy Association and with the support of both medical and allied health practitioners, the Australian Physiotherapy Association rescinded the Ethic requiring referral for treatment by a medical practitioner. This was a landmark moment for Physiotherapists in Australia in becoming first-contact practitioners and is a recognition of Physiotherapists’ competencies to examine, treat and assess patients autonomously. With the ever evolving health service delivery models, it is anticipated that boundaries between physiotherapists and medical practitioners will be further reduced.   

With the added responsibilities as a first contact practitioner, the need for the development of postgraduate studies became a necessity. A Graduate Diploma in Manipulative Therapy was offered in both Adelaide and Perth largely lead by Geoffrey Maitland in 1974. Sydney soon followed in 1979 and Melbourne in the early 1980s. From then, Postgraduate programs, initially in manipulative physiotherapy but later in other fields of Physiotherapy, were developed around the country. The first Postgraduate Master degree (course-work) was offered in 1990 at The University of Queensland and the first Professional Doctorate in Physiotherapy program was offered by La Trobe University in 1998 and at The University of Melbourne in 2011. In the last three decades, a research culture and PhD programs have grown and established in several Australian universities.

Requiring a very high academic standard for admission, training is currently offered at nine tertiary institutions in Australia, graduating close to 1000 physiotherapists year. The physiotherapy profession has now emerged not only as an important medical and rehabilitation complement in health care delivery but also as a vital therapeutic tool with defined scientifically and evidence based protocols. It is hoped that the road trip taken and experience gained by the Australian Physiotherapy profession can be mirrored and shared in other parts of the world, including Taiwan.