World Confederation for Physical Therapy Congress 2015

Greg Booth and Chloe Fletcher, physiotherapy graduates (University of Brighton) in 2014, attended the World Confederation for Physical Therapy Congress in Singapore which took place in May this year.

This is their report on the event:

Completing our research project and graduating from the University of Brighton in the summer of 2015 was an exciting time and neither of us could have imagined what lay ahead. The most daunting initial thoughts were when our first jobs were going to start. Our research tutor Sarah-Jane Ryan then encouraged us to submit our research abstract as an application to present at the World Confederation for Physical Therapy Congress 2015 in Singapore. This seemed like a pipe dream, and we somewhat doubted the likelihood of getting accepted. Incredibly, the notification of acceptance arrived in January, and four months later, in May, we travelled to Singapore to attend and present our dissertation as a poster at our professions largest international conference.

Whilst initially overwhelming, we soon found our stride making the most of the focused symposia, platform presentations and discussions on current research during the poster ‘walks’. Since this was the first international conference for us both, we entered unsure of what to expect but wanting to make the most of the opportunity. Being surrounded by internationally renowned physiotherapists, with high authority in their specific fields was inspirational.

Interest in our research was initially slow, however our confidence grew and we were soon discussing our experiences and recommendations with those from all over the world. Towards the end of the session Professor Lorimer Moseley; one of the world’s leading research physiotherapists in chronic pain displayed an interest in our work. He also kindly took the time to give advice on our future careers and gave us the motivation to move forward with an attempt to publish our research.

We would like to thank our tutor, Sarah-Jane Ryan for her belief in our research and constant support and encouragement. Without the countless emails and advice we could not have made it to Singapore. We would also like to show appreciation to our former lecturers that were also present at the congress, who provided us with the support and confidence needed for presenting. Needless to say the experience was incredible, and we left full of ambition and enthusiasm for our future as physiotherapists.