Natalie Sharratt

We are delighted to be joined by the brilliant Natalie Sharratt who is about to graduate from the undergraduate physio programme! Nat is a mature student, and she shares her wonderful insights on being a student over the last 3 years! Listen in as as she shares some amazing news about her dissertation, her career prospects, how to maintain a healthy study/life balance as well as key insights on how to navigate through the course.  

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[Seven Dark Lords - Glad Ghosts plays] So hello. Welcome back to It's not Just Physio podcast for me James Coughlan. this podcast is designed for assistance to get to know I wonderful staff, but also our wonderful students here at the University of Nottingham. And and I'm delighted to have Natalie with us today. Hi. Not hi. It's just the first time you've been on a podcast. It's not actually is it not? It's not. No, I have actually done a podcast before a couple of years ago, but I did it over a teams meeting, so this is much nicer to do it in real life. Well, it's great to have a professional in the room at least. but. Well, are you feeling all versus you feeling nervous? It's all like you feel all right. Ready to go? I'm gonna be honest. I'm a bit nervous, but now starting to look it. I feel fine. Well, I think this is why we want you on here. People are going to be really interested in what you got to say. So now why don't you kick us off? Tell us who you are, tell us a little bit about yourself, and then we'll just take things on from there, shall we? Yeah. So, I'm a physiotherapy student in my final year. I'm classes a mature student. I wouldn't say I'm kind of the eldest of the mature students, but it is kind of nice having that bit of experience. not coming to uni at 18. So I did come kind of five years later than the rest of the students. and kind of the reason that I kind of got into it was because, I was a dancer actually for 16 years, and then unfortunately had to very suddenly stop that career, and have had five major hip operations since then. but it kind of took a positive from that negative and found my love for physiotherapy. So I wanted to do something different. I wanted to help people kind of give back what had given me, and found out that I was pretty good at it. So it was kind of a nice second career to find. Well, if I wasn't pretty good at it. you haven't been. Well, you're about to graduate. Yep. sure you will. but you've even secured yourself a job already. Have you graduated so massively. Congratulations. Thank you. Trying tell people a little bit about that process? Yeah, absolutely. So, I did an interview. It was only last week, actually, for a new age band five rotational, physiotherapy. And I was kind of told, oh, you you weren't here for a couple of days. and then I got a call literally the next day that said, we loved you so much. We want to offer you a position. So it's absolutely amazing. It still doesn't feel real even a week later, but it's amazing to have that ready for September once I graduate. Fantastic. I mean, massive, massive congratulations. But I have no doubt you were a standout candidate in that process. I mean, with your experiences, certainly over the last three years, it's been anything that you could maybe point to or look on. So you think that might have stood you in particularly good stead for, for for the job interview? Do you wanna tell us a little bit about any of that? Yeah, I'd kind of say from like a CPD point of view, I think people don't realize in their first year actually how important it is. I think maybe even you just you can attend CPD lectures and people kind of either don't attend or think, oh, I don't really need to call me. It's not that important. But kind of looking for those opportunities and just emailing around, making calls, making connections and contacts with people is so important. And I think the fact that I did that throughout my three years then put me in a really good position once I actually got to my final year. Now you yeah, I'm sure you you've you have evidently done that. but I think for maybe those who were listening, we might have some people who were going to start this course and listen to this when we talk about CPD, what, what do you what's your understanding of that and how broad is CPD? Because I think some people have this particular view that you just got to go in. And of course, yeah, that's not the way you should. You know, people like get a bit of a realistic idea of what KPD is. Yeah. So I think with so stands for continued professional development. And I think people sometimes think that it has to be physio related. And yes, you do need some that's physio related but like look outside the box, do things that aren't specifically healthcare related. and I would say the big thing for me is so I do music outside of my physiotherapy degree. and as well as kind of being part of the university orchestra, I'm also a member of the committee as well. So it just means that I can enjoy outside of university with other friends, make other connections, which is so important because you need to be kind of an all round person, and you don't just want to be a really good physio, because it's experience and life experience and other things that you do in life that kind of make you into that person. You also, I would just say to kind of people who are listening in, look for other opportunities that aren't necessarily healthcare related and just get stuck in really and, and, and through those kind of opportunities like, let's take your music for example. Yeah. Looking at that, what do you think you've gained from from pursuing your music alongside just study that's maybe helped in your professional life and maybe also your personal life as well. So yeah, I would say in terms of kind of creative ity, it means that I'm a much more creative physiotherapist. So I actually use I've actually used in previous kind of placements, I've used my music for my patients therapy. I've actually played my flute in placements in hospitals, and actually brought it in to kind of I had a patient that, used to be a musician, and I kind of started talking to them about it, and then I brought my flute in. I actually helped them to walk again by playing my flute, because they were Parkinson's patients. So we used music therapy. So in terms of creativity, it's helped massively. And I don't think people realize how creative you can actually get with physio. And I think that's why I've kind of taken to it as a passion because of my creative kind of upbringing. so kind of alongside that, I think it's also helped me just in terms of like leadership and teamwork and just working with other people. And obviously we're not going to we're not going to get on with everybody in life. But I think it's I think it's important to kind of have that experience of working with other people and it's just really helped me. Yeah. Bring into the physiotherapy profession really interesting because we had Steph Anderson on, previous pod. And what came up was, we seem to feel that there is generally, from a lot of students, as it seems to be this real big focus on they need to really know anatomy to be a good physiotherapist. Not. And whilst we're not downplaying the importance of anatomy, your example of taking a flute into a treatment and doing that with a patient, you tell me that creativity and level of it. How important was it that you knew where the hamstrings attached or whatever? And it was such a, I don't know, maybe a little bit facetious, but what was your kind of opinion on all that, that, you know. Yeah, I was around a physiotherapist yourself. It is interesting because I will admit, in my first year especially, I was really stressed about the anatomy and I did spend hours and hours going through it. And yes, like you said, it is important. But honestly, the amount of times I've used anatomy in placements pretty much next to nothing, which probably isn't necessarily a good thing. But, it's not the most important thing. I think with with patients especially, they don't want to go through the names of the muscles and what, what their attachments are and anything like that. They just want to know how to get back to living again. So I think having that knowledge is important for yourself. but not necessarily for the understanding of the patient. you know, again, I think it's, it's that patient centered approach is something that you certainly have taken on and are certainly, certainly doing. And what was your what was your understanding of that? If you could take yourself to the beginning of your first year to where you are now, like. Like what? How was that journey evolved? And now we now see things maybe to focus when you start. That's where you started. Yeah, I think when I started especially, I kind of thought, oh, it's all very scientific. It's all very just concentrate on anatomy, just concentrate on the body as a body. and kind of thought of everything very specifically and separately. Whereas as I've gone through the course, I found out the importance of getting to know the person and kind of looking at it as an all round thing rather than just a body. and I just think that's, that's so important to get kind of the full, just kind of getting to know that person from all aspects, obviously, in terms of the bio psychosocial model and everything. And I don't think you realize in first year how important that is. so I think that's why it's really important to kind of get get to terms with that maybe earlier on. So you're not stressing as much about the scientific elements in your face. Yeah. And and it's great to hear that. and that's been your experience. And obviously this is, this is where the course has changed, like I did the course like you. so but you might have seen that in the first year. These there has been changes where these cases that's more capacity based, which is very much that patient centered approach. So do you think that would you say that's a positive thing. Maybe from your experience you think it's a good thing to get early on in the in the degree. Yeah, definitely. No, definitely. I obviously I don't know what the kind of the course is like having been in it as a student, but I think having it as case studies is really important because you're looking at the patient as an all round approach. And obviously having kind of that anatomy in there as well is a good baseline, I think, in your first year. But I think that will make a really big difference to kind of future physios coming through. Yeah. Well I think obviously there's going to be a lot of people listening to this and the things I know about, you know, have been really inspiring, but I want to hear a bit more. I think this is what I hear a bit more about those extra things you've done which which makes you really stand out. So talk to us a little bit about those extra things, those extra curricular things you've done and how you got involved in some of those things. Yeah. So, I would say in terms of I found a passion for hydrotherapy, which actually it seems very fitting today it's actually World Aquatic Physiotherapy day to day, which I didn't realize so was meant to be. and I think I found that passion kind of as a patient. And then I kind of brought it through and then was able to kind of do it as a, as a physio student as well. and I managed to do the foundation course, last year through the ACP. I just absolutely loved it. I think it's just finding other passions as obviously within the physiotherapy community as well as outside, and it just really broadened my kind of experiences and knowledge of what you can include as a physiotherapist. so I think taking that forward, I, I'm kind of one of those people that likes to tell people about what I think is important or what I'm passionate about, and it's in that way, if that makes good connections as well. So I think having spoken about how much I enjoyed hydrotherapy, I was able to do an e-learning module with Swim England. and I'm also going to the hydrotherapy conference in June later this year. So that's why I think those connections are very important. So for anyone listening, I would say make contacts, kind of talk to people, make those connections because it's so important. and I'd also say that in terms of my, I feel like I've got to say, because it's one of those things a bit like my job, where it still doesn't quite feel real, but, with my. So I've just about finishing my dissertation at the moment, during next week. so I applied to present my, dissertation at a research conference with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. and they were only given out ten best replaces and I got one of those last week, same week during my job interview. so it's only actually next month, so I'll be able to present my dissertation there. And I've also got somebody interested in Wales who actually wants to publish it. So it's really exciting. And it just shows how important it is to talk about what you're interested in. I mean, absolutely fantastic. And you should be very proud of yourself and also incredibly proud of you for what you are continuing to do, a real shining light going forward to that. But you can hear that passion come through in what you're you know what you say and what you do. And is it too early to say what your topic is on your dissertation? Are you keeping that a bit closed now? And so it's been handed in I mean no pressure to to mention it. No, no, not at all. so it actually came from my personal experiences. So, I ended up actually having, it's one of those long winded names that nobody ever seems to know how to say, but I've had two acetabular osteotomy hip operations. and there's so little knowledge on it. Awareness on it. and I just wanted to kind of show how important it is to raise that awareness about something because it's a major operation. And I think one of the things that people have said to me is, as soon as you say, I've had a I've had a hip operation, they say, oh, have you had a hip replacement? You know, it's actually much more major than that. so my dissertation is on people's experiences and expectations of rehabilitation. Following that surgery. So it's honestly been amazing to do. And I what I would say is with my interviews, the very first to last about 30 minutes, but they lasted about an hour and a half each. Wow. Because people just wanted to talk to me. And I think it just shows how passionate other people are about it and how important it is this topic that we kind of raise more awareness about it. I mean, I think it's I mean, I'm not surprised that it is going down that that potential publication route. And, and I think that's one of the advantages you could take with a dissertation is and say, if you think carefully about your question, you might see there's, there's a gap in the literature. And you saw that and you and you and you went for that, considering where you sort of at the end point of the degree and this is the bit where everything comes together. Yeah. Do you regret taking that on or you quite like, you know what? It's probably been really busy, but I feel all right. It's perfectly all right. If you were like, oh, I wish I'd confess something a bit more simple. Like, what are your thoughts at the moment with all that? no. Honestly, I don't regret it at all. I think I would have regretted not doing it, if I'm honest. it was one of those things I had in my head before I even came to, Nottingham. I've got the place and kind of knew I was coming to uni. I thought, I know what I'm doing for my dissertation. It's time. so yes, it obviously has taken up a lot of time, but I've enjoyed it. And I think that's what's important for a dissertation. Pick something you enjoy. Because yes, it is going to take up a lot of your time. But if you're passionate about it and you enjoy doing it, it won't feel like a chore. Really? Yeah. Why did you choose Nottingham? Was there a particular reason or what? What brought you here? Yeah. Good question. it's interesting actually when you think back. But so I remember doing all my online open days, obviously it was during Covid, so everything was online. I wasn't able to kind of even come and see the campus or anything like that. and I'd kind of I've obviously heard about how good Nottingham is for physiotherapy. I think at the time it was kind of second within the UK. It had like the TEF gold standard learning and I just I knew it was a really good university, but I wanted to it's obviously a second home isn't it. And I wanted to feel kind of comfortable and welcoming. So even though it was Covid, you were allowed to go outside at that point. so after I'd actually done my interview, I just drove here with my mom and we just walked around the campus, walked around Nottingham, and instantly I was like, yeah, I want to come here. and it was just it was just the place I think I kind of ironically, kind of I fell in love with it in a way, just because it just it just felt like the right place to be. so, yeah, I'd say that was kind of the main reason that I wanted to come to Nottingham. Excellent. Well, and, I mean, it doesn't sound like you've regretted that. Not so much. So it's a good thing. It's a good thing. And as you say now, with your new work, you might be here to stay for a little bit longer. Definitely. Which is absolutely great as well. And I think, you know, students listening to this and, staff people in general, I think would be very inspired by so many things that you've been saying, because we're in that midst now, you know, you're coming to the end of dissertation and placements. We've obviously got first year coming up for the exams. We've got second year's about to embark on their exams as well. And naturally, that always brings a little bit of anxiety. Of course. Yeah. Being is being as you are going through these processes and any bit of advice that you think would be good for them to hear from, you know, from yourself at this point in time, I would say the most important thing I found with exams and physiotherapy in general is the practical element of it. And I think, yes, the theory is really important and you need that kind of theoretical kind of baseline. But I would say first and second years do like get stuck in with the practicals, don't kind of feel anxious about it or embarrassed about it if you're kind of working with people you don't know, but it is so important to get that kind of hands on practice. so what I would say is, as well as getting stuck in kind of within sessions, go to your friends house, like do a practice on their bad like, or on the city or anything because there's much kind of practice you can get in that hands on. Practical, I would say, is that's what's really helped me with within my physiotherapy background. And I would say from somewhere, ice where I stand. Well, since at this moment, when I started this role, just delightful. You were not you in my first. Yeah. Or so, but the things I've seen from from the people like yourself really, strong physios moving forward. That is a trait that often is the way it's usually when there's, a session and there's a task, it's people like yourself that will go, right, I'm going to get up and do it. And you do often see those people with that drive and they're doing. And you can see that practicing whenever they can on whoever they can asking questions. that doesn't surprise me in a way that that's your advice. It's just nice to hear that that's something that that you feel passionate about. And I think sort of going forward. Do you have a I mean, you said you had a plan before you came to Nottingham in a way what you just say question. Well, so now if you yourself have you got an idea where you want to end up, where you want to go, if you've got a vision that will you just kind of sort of see where where things take you. I think I'm going to say this is a problem. It's not a problem, but I think I've got too many avenues in a way that I like to go down. I think it's very interesting because it's actually the people in Wales who are interested in publishing my dissertation really want me to do it as a PhD. Wow. which obviously is incredible. And it's not something I thought I'd never do. Page de never ever. but I'm kind of not ruling it out now, so it's not something I want to do yet. But even if I do in ten years time, I think it's something that I can kind of aim towards. but yeah, I think from a kind of a practical point of view, just going into it, getting the experience of physio at the moment, I think I've always had in my head that I want to be a specialized physio for basically what my dissertation is on for people who are going through the same hip surgery, because there's only a few physios that even have heard of it, to be honest, in the UK. So I think that's probably my kind of from within my heart. That's probably what I want to end up doing kind of later down the line. But at the moment I'm not particularly kind of heading towards a certain direction. I'm just want to do whatever physio that really. Yeah. And I think for everything you've been through, you know, it's it's been hard, very hard work. A lot of that I think. Yeah definitely this there seems to be something about now just getting out there enjoying what you're going to do. And that's the avenue. Physiotherapy can take you in so many different directions. Definitely. Maybe it's just enjoying to sort of go for the ride. But you've got, as you say, you've created a lot of avenues there for yourself. And you said about creating connections, yes. If someone was listening to this saying, well, you've said that, but how do I go about making a connection? What would I do? You know, have you got any advice for someone like what's the best or is there a best way of a. It's better to do a number of things. Have you found that I'd say initially just kind of finding emails or just like websites or anything on the internet, just to kind of make that initial kind of getting in touch with people. But it's kind of just, I think when people say, oh, it's who you know, not what you know, I think it's a bit of both, really. especially in the physiotherapy world. so obviously you need that baseline, you need that knowledge. But I think just. Yeah, just just talking to people and I think in terms of kind of being a physio, we are usually very good at talking to people. So I think just even at university or kind of external activities or anything, just talk to people and you never know, they might be like, oh, I know some who I can put you in touch with. And I would say that's kind of the easiest way, because then you're making that connection in real life rather than necessarily through a screen, and they don't actually know who you are or they can't really tell what you're passionate about. So yeah, making those connections in real life are definitely so excellent. Excellent. And I think in terms of, you know, you've certainly gone and you've certainly gone and done that and no doubt you, you will we will make more, but hopefully you won't forget about this. But, you know, I think, you know, it sounds like you've really created this really good opportunity for yourself going forwards. And I think if you were to sort of, again, if you you've given lots of advice through this, this app, which has been brilliant. But if there was maybe one sort of general bit of advice you maybe would give, I don't know, maybe someone who you could be thinking about something, maybe just about to start these three years, or someone going through it. So, you know, is there any bit of like, wisdom you feel like, you know, this is a not me show a bit of wisdom. I want to just give out that. What would you what would you say? I think what I would say is. I think because university in general, it's obviously stressful and you're going to be stressed at points in points within the three years. Like I'm not going to pretend that's not going to happen. But what I would say is your course and kind of doing your degree is really important, but so is everything else in life. And I think what I would say is, is make sure you're doing all the things as well, things that you enjoy kind of going out with your friends doing join a society, like just doing anything. I just would do that as well as your degree. Don't just concentrate on your degree. And obviously I'm not putting down the degree at all. but like, you will actually enjoy your degree more if you've got other things going on because it'll make you realize what's important in life. Really. I think it's really well said. And obviously music a big part of that for yourself as anything else you did outside of outside of the course or anything like that. So was it, you know, music and friends and socializing? Yeah, I would say it was it was mainly to me, mainly music. I feel like I've just got I've got to put in the fact what, what the name of my society is because I'm going to have I'm going to have some of my listeners from our society listening to that. so it's called Blaze Ark, and I feel like I have to explain why it's called Blaze Song. I guess whenever anybody sees us and they say, oh, you're part of that society, do we have to explain ourselves? So it's basically any instrument that you blow. And I don't. I just just want be like sensitivity. I just feel like I have to say. So basically it's, anybody who doesn't know about musicians. So basically there is a mix of like, woodwind instruments, brass instruments. so obviously you blow down those instruments. So we are called the Blow Society for that reason. So I just like, let's say that. So, any of those listeners out there, you can have a good luck. I'm glad you clarified where that might not from, but, I mean, back to it. Uni is one of those things where where there is that opportunity isn't there for so many societies. And even when I started many, many moons ago, there was loads of things. But even now, like, there's like probably triple the amount of thing. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. and it's absolutely phenomenal. And, and something I kind of wish I'd. Yeah, I think I would have looking back, I would have loved to take an A on your advice there and probably because I played a bit of music too. So I did have a band and that was, that was, that was that was brilliant. but yeah, maybe having a bit more of going out and doing some stuff because, because when you're in the world of work, those, those things can become a little bit more restricted because you're in the world of work. But yeah, you're testament to the fact that you've gone out and and done that and seen it and made connections and been part of that. And going forward, a when you graduate, can you still play in this society? Is this still something you can do or do you have to do you have to move on now because you're sort of you've you've graduated. Yeah. yeah. It's interesting because it's it's kind of sad in a way, because I obviously would love to carry on with them. But at the same time, that's been my kind of my three years at university. So I just really hope I can find something else to do. because even though that kind of my university win band was just with the university, I am actually part of, the Northern Musical Theater Orchestra. and I'm also part of a trio, with my old flute teacher and my sister. So we kind of play in regular concert, so I have that already, which is just amazing that obviously music just suddenly isn't going to stop. but if I can find kind of an orchestra or wind band or something in Nottingham to carry on with, I really hope I can because I don't want to kind of stop. But, I'm sure you'll create something, even if it's you're a new band. Or maybe people who are listening to this will have connections, but I'm sure you'll be able to continue and play. But I think we'll we'll probably conclude things there, but not it's been absolute pleasure to have, you know, thank you so much. Thank you. And keep in touch. Definitely. Thank you. Not have gone away.