The Internal placement day allowed us to feel and see what is really Veterinary physiotherapy and what we suppose to be able to do and see after finishing the course. The literature suggests that an early observation of practice has been valued by physiotherapist students (Lindquist et al., 2004)

We were able to observe the canine and equine treatment by different practitioners.  

Doing this reflection is helping me to learn and increase my confidence. “It is not sufficient to have experience in order to learn. Without reflecting on this experience it may be quickly forgotten, or its learning potential lost” (Gibbs, 1988)

 

During the Internal placement day, I felt very excited but at the same time anxious, due to the fact of the problematic situation (COVID 19 pandemic) and completely in-experience. When the practitioner was asking what we appreciate when the canine was walking (bilateral hip replacement), almost everyone was given answers and details about the movement of the dog. I felt that the previous knowledge was not as equally difficult by all member of the course. I was completely lost and speechless. I did not have the knowledge or even the technical words for that.  It makes me feel insecure and disappointed with myself, also very scared about my future in this area and if I made the right choice. After this day I lost my confidence and my anxiety levels raised. Anxiety has been shown to negatively affect student cognitive outcomes (Bostani et al., 2014). 

I have been thinking about that day for a long time because I could not find a reasonable answer to why I felt that way and why it has been getting worse. Before start the course I knew It will be very challenging but I was sure I could make it all the way and become a great VetPhysio. I have never been so excited about something for a long time. So I decided to go back and think about my year, trying to find the reason for all these mixed feeling, so I could work on my learning process and outcomes. After that, I found my answer. I have started this incredible course in my worse phycological shape. I worked as an ICU nurse during the pandemic. This has left me with psychological sequelae such as insomnia, stress, depression and anxiety (Sheraton et al., 2020)  

The good news in all of this is I have been able to find the problem so I can work hard to get the best solution. 

I have noticed that we were just 2 o 3 new students focused more on dogs than on horses. This really makes me think about, shall I change the direction of my future career to horses? The answer was straightforward, I could focus on the two species. Improving the knowledge of equine working as a team in this area. Many studies demonstrate that learning can be improved through cooperation (Maughan & Webb, 2010) 

With this reflection, I will be able to assess my own learning and monitoring my performance ( Bose-Jelinek et al., 2014). This reflection has helped me to find out how I can get my best performance with the course and my future as a Vetphysiotherapist. This new knowledge I have gained by doing this reflection is improving my understanding of the key points where I should work on to be able to complete successfully this course and become a Vetphysio.

 

 

 

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REFERENCES

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Bostani, M., Nadri, A. and Nasab, A. (2014) A Study of the Relation between Mental health and Academic Performance of Students of the Islamic Azad University Ahvaz Branch. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 116, pp.163-165

 

Gibbs, G (1988). Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic

 

Lindquist, I., Engardt, M. and Richardson, B. (2004) Early learning experiences valued by physiotherapy students. Learning in Health and Social Care. 3(1), pp.17-25

 

Boase-Jelinek, D., Parker, J. and Herrington, J. (2014) Student Reflection and Learning through Peer Reviews. Issues in Educational Research. 23(3), pp.119-131

 

Sheraton, M., Deo, N., Dutt, T., Surani, S., Hall-Flavin, D. and Kashyap, R. (2020) Psychological effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on healthcare workers globally: A systematic review. Psychiatry Research. 292, pp.113360

 

Maughan, C., and Webb, J. (2010). Small group learning and teaching. Retrieved from http://78.158.56.101/archive/law/resources/teaching-and-learning-practices/groups/index.html.