Spring 2025 Student News

Springing into our next chapters!

by Alyssa Walsh with contribution from Nikhil Hirani

It was a long, icy winter in Halifax. Still, both PT classes made the most of it between keeping busy with placements and research for the 2nd years, tackling the beast of MSK 2 for the 1st years, and student socials and learning opportunities for both classes!

The second years had wonderful experiences on their third placements in January. These placements tend to be more integrated in nature and have us feeling a little closer to being “real” physios! This feeling was made even more real by having our first PT/OT Career Fair on March 6th, where students got to meet and chat with 12 PT and OT employers from across Atlantic Canada. We are so grateful to everyone who took the time to join and show us what possibilities await after graduation.

Personally, I found the job fair very helpful as it allows students to see various options for the future and have discussions with organizations/businesses. All of the vendors came prepared with information on job opportunities and were able to have one on one discussions with students to help ease the stress of future planning. We had many students come to the fair, both first and second years, and it seemed to give everyone a bit of direction for future employment. ~Abbey Corish

Following this, we dove back into our research projects to finish them up and prepare to present our posters and eight months of hard work at the 2025 NS PT Forum. On April 12th, 13 groups proudly presented their research—a mix of qualitative and quantitative reviews—to faculty and Forum attendees.

The 1st years have also been very busy as they undertook one of the heaviest courses in the program, MSK 2! They are now preparing to head out on their first placements in May, followed by their second placement in mid-June. It’s hard to believe this time has come already!

From 1st-year rep Nikhil Hirani:
Over the last 8 months, the first years have been working hard to learn about various topics in physiotherapy. They started out learning the origins and insertions of muscles in September and are now able to perform treatment techniques like neuromuscular electrical stimulation of muscles! We have been working hard learning about MSK physio, exercise physiology, and everything in between. We even squeezed in a ski trip to Wentworth. Through many late nights in the lab and Anki flashcards, we feel ready and excited to head off to placements!   

While it’s been a very busy semester, there’s always time for some fun. In March, the School of Physiotherapy EDIA Committee put on a Multicultural Night – complete with various cultural foods ranging from Indian food to East Asian desserts, great conversation and learning about different cultures in a friendly Jeopardy battle! Our school director, Derek, even made a special appearance to share his Scottish culture and play the bagpipes!