Diversity and Physiotherapy; What I Have Learnt and What Needs to Change
Physiotherapy: on reading the first word of this article it is unlikely that thoughts of systematic bias and inequity sprang to mind, yet a lack of diversity remains an ongoing problem within physiotherapy.
Traditionally physiotherapy is perceived as a profession dominated by white middle class female clinicians. Whilst I am not a complete stereotype, I do represent every aspect of this demographic.
Although I advocate for equality and diversity, I have privilege in this area. Racism doesn't affect me. Recognising privilege means addressing inequity and understanding that my role may be to raise awareness, listen to the diversity of experiences and act as an ally helping to amplify the voice of the BAME community.
In order to eradicate ethnic biases, it is essential to build our own capacity to understand systematic inequity and recognise its presentation.
Resources that I have utilized include:
The Physio Matters Podcast with Dr Melrose Steward on, ‘Race and Physiotherapy’.
The Centre for Healthcare Innovation’s YouTube seminar, ‘What Every Healthcare Researcher Needs to Know About Equity: Privilege, Oppression and Allyship’.
Working hard to belong: a qualitative study exploring students from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds experiences of pre-registration physiotherapy education
However, not everyone will have had the same exposure to these resources. Hence, education on cultural capacity, healthcare inequities, overt and covert biases should be staple to the student curriculum.
Raising awareness to expand student capacity regarding racism is key. The students of the lecture theatre today are the physiotherapists of tomorrow. Student? Write to your course director about adjusting the curriculum. Listen. Lecturer? Teach.
Why did you decide to become a Physiotherapist? A question that we will be asked by patients, interview panels, friends or family for the rest of our lives.
Answers may encompass the pillars of physiotherapy, encouraging independence, improving the quality of patients' lives or experiencing the vast range of specialties.
These are all valid answers and are likely to please an interview panel or satisfy an inquisitive family member. However, they all have one thing in common, exposure.
Multiple factors influenced my decision to pursue a career in physiotherapy. However, what initially sparked my interest was a conversation with an older student applying to the course.
In turn, this stemmed a conversation with my Mother (an ICU nurse) who educated me on the various specialties. Additionally, the course was suggested in a careers interview. In the absence of exposure I would be ignorant towards a career in Physiotherapy.
Unfortunately, the lack of diversity in Physiotherapy translates to a lack of exposure for aspiring BAME students.
Careers advisors need to start breaking away from the stigma that physiotherapy is a career for ‘sporty’ students or ‘white middle class females’. More work experience opportunities and mentorship opportunities for current and aspiring BAME students or Physiotherapists are necessary.
If you don’t believe me, take a moment to Google images of physiotherapy online or at the clinical drawings in your textbook. You will find a plethora of images dominated by white healthcare professionals. Exposure is interlinked with representation and leadership.
At this stage of the article you might be wondering why the focus of this article is on tackling underrepresentation of the BAME community in Physiotherapy and not in all healthcare professions?
Tackling racism is undoubtedly important across the board, according to statistics from the 2017 NHS census, BAME individuals only equated to around 8% Physiotherapy profession. Comparatively this figure was between 15-20% within Medicine. As a professional body, we must ask ourselves one simple question. Why?
