PhysiotheraPy english stream2014 | 2015 | Eindhoven

Fulltime

2

Lia Smagin, Finland (Helsinki)

‘I chose physiotherapy because I have always been interested

in human body and health. To me it felt natural to start

studying movement and ways to improve or get back to our

natural ways of moving. Currently I’m in my second year.

Studying requires interest in the topic physiotherapy, because

we do have a lot of self-study hours. Teachers, as well as fellow

students are always helping and often we study together in

groups. This makes the difficult tasks more easy.

Fontys is an interesting school offering students plenty of

freedom and space for creativity. We have the opportunity to

hear opinions from students from all corners of the world, which

makes conversations very exciting and opens eyes to new ideas.

Studying here has been amazing, I had very little knowledge

about the city, school, and people in the Netherlands. I came

with curious and open mind and have experienced a lot in the

past two years.

I have been offered support from schools side as well as from

older students who help to integrate into the student life here.

In the summer of 2013 I am going to do my third internship, I

will travel back to Helsinki and work in sports physiotherapy

practice. Here I will be experience working with athletes,

which is new for me. I did the previous internships with elderly

people and enjoyed it a lot.

After graduating from the school, I would like to travel and

experience working in different cultures. I think we can learn a

lot from different approaches that are used in working with

people across the world. One of the

best things I like in physiotherapy is

that where ever you will go, you can

always work as a physiotherapist.’

‘One of the best things I like in

physiotherapy is that where ever you will go, you

can always work as a physiotherapist.’

FrOm my OWN experIeNCe

Lia Smaginstudent

3

education, coaching and support. Together we help you towards a successful

future. We will get you acquainted with all the ins and outs of your future

profession. To be up to date, being able to play the market, getting you ready

for the practical field. It is one of our priorities to make use of as much

knowledge from the practical field as possible. We are able to do this through

various channels such as our graduates and the professionals from the work

field. you as a student are our main focus. We welcome you as our partner for

your future professional career.

Fontys University of Applied Sciences also has a website: fontys.nlHere you will find information about all courses offered by Fontys University of

Applied Sciences. Our international site is fontys.eduIf you have any further questions you can call the Fontys Information line:

+31 8850 80000.

In this brochure you will find general information about the english

physiotherapy programme, known as the english Stream, available from Fontys

University of Applied Sciences in eindhoven, the Netherlands.

The school of physiotherapy offers a four-year training programme to become

a physiotherapist. After successfully completing the educational programme

you will be awarded a Bachelor degree of Health.

In order to enter the programme, candidates are required to have a higher

secondary education and a good command of the english language (see

section: requirements on page 9).

This brochure helps you to get a good impression about what it’s like to study

physiotherapy at Fontys in eindhoven. Still we can imagine that, after reading,

you would like more specific information. Feel free to contact us (contact

details are listed on page 10) and/or visit our website: fontys.nl/physiotherapy

Of course you are welcome - should you have the opportunity - to make an

appointment to visit our school or to come to one of the open days.

Welcome

From my own experience 2

Welcome 3

What is physiotherapy? 4

physiotherapy course structure 6

physiotherapy employment

options 8

physiotherapy admission

requirements, applications

& study costs 9

Application form 11

more information 12

INdex

‘You as a student are our main focus’

4

What is physiotherapy?

Generally speaking, physiotherapists’ main activities focus on helping patients

who encounter functional problems with their posture and/or movements.

In most cases, you will treat patients who have been referred to you by

doctors, either general practitioners or specialists, such as orthopedic

specialists or neurologists. patients may also consult physiotherapists without

having been referred by general practitioners or specialists. patients consult

physiotherapists for the treatment of specific physical complaints. Initially, to

form a clear picture of a given complaint and to what extent the complaint

affects the patient’s life, you will conduct an interview with the patient to

ascertain/screen the patient’s medical history.

On the basis of the interview, you will be able to formulate an appropriate plan

of approach for the further investigation of the complaint and the patient as a

whole. The next step will be to conduct a physical examination of the patient,

i.e. the physiotherapeutic diagnosis. On the basis of the interview and the

outcome of the physical examination, you will be able to formulate a plan for

the most appropriate treatment of the patient. In some cases, you may deem it

necessary to further consult with the doctor who referred the patient. Of

course, situations may also occur whereby you will not pursue a detailed

investigation, as an initial screening may indicate that physiotherapy would not

be an appropriate treatment for a particular case. As a physiotherapist, you will

be able to apply a range of different treatment and therapy programmes and

during recent years, there has been considerable development in the various

types of therapy available.

Martine Olsen

Student story by a

Norwegian in Eindhoven

‘my name is martine Olsen, from

Norway, and at the end of my third

year of studying physical therapy at

Fontys in eindhoven. Studying physical

therapy at Fontys is one of the best

choices that you can make; at least it

was for me, and for my classmates.

Studying at Fontys is -definitely a

different study experience; it is a great

learning environment, with a mixture

between theoretical, and practical

experiences, and you are always

challenged to develop as a person,

and as a student.

On the first day of school in August,

I met 40 new people, from about 15

different nationalities, and a week

later, I had 40 new friends. As a

physical therapy student you have to

be creative, open and willing to have

a lot of fun with your new friends,

and the teachers. Being a part of the

english stream here at Fontys means

that all of the students and teachers

at Fontys are your friends, it doesn’t

really matter if you know them or

not, they will all include you in this

friendly and open atmosphere they

have created. Nowhere in the world

have I ever experienced a learning

environment that can compare to

what Fontys offers. >>

5

The main treatment and/or therapy categories are as follows:

Exercise Therapy

The physiotherapist will determine an appropriate programme of physical

exercise(s) for the patient and may assist the patient in the execution thereof.

Prevention

The physiotherapist will provide the patient with insight into the background

of his/her complaint(s), whereby he/she will be better equipped to cope with

the situation.

Massage Therapy

The physiotherapist will apply one or more of a range of massage techniques

to the patient.

Technical application

In this type of therapy, natural (physical) stimuli will be administered to the

patient. Such stimuli may include ultrasound, heat/cold and/or electrical stimuli

and these are often administered by utilising specialised equipment.

The application of physiotherapeutic treatments is not always sufficient to

remedy a particular complaint and this is largely dependent on the original

cause of the complaint. It is also possible that a patient may be experiencing

difficulties in his/her work and/or home situation that are contributing to the

cause of the complaint(s). Therefore, as a physiotherapist, you will need to take

into account all relevant aspects of a patient’s lifestyle that may be influencing

a particular complaint. In many cases, you may also need to consult with

doctors, nurses and/or social workers.

An example

After having broken his/her wrist, a patient was referred to a physiotherapist

by a physician. The fracture had healed well, but the wrist was still stiff and

painful. during the initial consultation and examination, it was apparent

that the patient was still considerably inconvenienced during his/her daily

activities and that the normal flexibility of the wrist was seriously restricted.

To be able to improve the flexibility and motion of the wrist joints, it was

necessary to reduce the pain as much as possible, by applying massage and

gentle exercises within the painlimits. Once the pain level was reduced, the

physiotherapist was able to instruct the patient to execute specific exercises

and to assist the patient in doing so.

In this example, two different types of therapy were applied, i.e. massage

therapy and exercise therapy. Of course, there are countless different types

of complaint and a wide range of therapies available, but this example serves

to provide an indication of how a physiotherapist may tackle a complaint.

<< A well developed study program

with so many different and exciting

aspects, every day is a new day, and

another chance to learn something

new, and you will. The old saying; ‘The

home is where the heart is’, represents

my experience as a student here,

-Fontys is home. Hope to see you at

the start of next semester.’

A legally protected profession

physiotherapists practice a profession

that is recognized and protected by

law. This means that you may only refer

to yourself as a physiotherapist after

having attained the official degree, a

‘Bachelor of Health - physiotherapy’.

6

physiotherapy course structure

The physiotherapy course is a four-year study programme. Several years ago,

an education innovation project was initiated that resulted in the introduction

of the major/minor model to the dutch education system, whereby this system

was transformed.

To a certain degree, this education model provides students with freedom of

choice and the opportunity to tailor this course to suit their own areas of

interest. The main focus is on the development of the competencies required

to be able to work proficiently in the capacity of a junior physiotherapist. With

the assistance of your study career advisor, you will need to regularly monitor

which competencies you have mastered and which competencies require

further attention. you will learn to critically look at yourself as a person and at

the manner in which you act. It will be like looking at yourself in a mirror. you

will establish a personal development plan and you will assemble a number of

items for inclusion in your portfolio, which will form an integral component of

the final examinations (assessments).

Study load

during the first year, the main focus will be on becoming acquainted with the

study programme. you will learn how to study in a different manner than that

to which you are probably accustomed. As a physiotherapy student, you will

have a busy but varied life, with your total ‘working week’ amounting to

approx 40 hours, divided between time spent in classes and time spent on

individual study and independently practicing the required skills.

Theory & practice

during the first year, you will have a minimum of 15 - 20 contact hours per

week. These hours may take the form of lectures, workshops, skill classes or

other forms of practical activities. All students from the same year will attend

the lectures, during which the theory will be discussed. All students are

expected to have prepared for such lectures in advance, either individually or in

study groups. The practical classes will take place in smaller groups of

approximately 20 students.

As from the beginning, there will be regular alternation between the

theoretical and practical subjects. during the practical classes, you will practice

the required physiotherapeutic skills, such as exercise therapy and

physiotherapeutic diagnosis, with (and on) each other. during the practical

medical lessons, you will learn about the anatomy of the human body. In the

interpersonal skills subject and in terms of your study career advice, your

manner of communicating with people will form the core focus. This is of

importance, as the profession that you will be aiming to join is a profession in

which excellent interpersonal skills are required. For this reason, you will also

be required to work with others during much of the study programme. In

addition, during the first semester, you will participate in an orientation

internship, in order to become acquainted with the profession.

Jakob Hanzal, student

‘Hello my name is Jakob Hanzal I am 23

years old and I am from Vienna, Austria.

I am currently in my second year of

physiotherapy on the english Stream at

Fontys.

I chose this course because I wanted

to be taught in english and study in

an international environment whilst

experiencing a new culture. I am

thoroughly enjoying the course so

far, there is a good balance between

practical and theoretical study, with a

strong emphasis on practical work, a

learning experience I find particularly

useful as it is an integral part of

physiotherapy. The University has

excellent studying facilities and the

classes we study in are small, which

provides a supportive and motivating

learning environment. Teachers make

an effort to get real patients into

classes so we can interview,assess and

practice on them. The students work

well together, helping each other

with practical aspects of the course

and various assignments. Also, the

opportunity to study with students from

around the world provides different

perspectives and approaches on the

subject and returning to my home

country for clinical placements has

demonstrated to me how valuable this

insight and knowledge is. >>

7

you will not only attend lessons, but your ‘working weeks’ will also include

time for studying, both individually and with other group members. In

addition, you will spend time on practicing your physiotherapeutic skills, which

of course, will always be done with other students.

Personal supervision

primarily during your first year, you will be given a considerable amount of

supervision, in a so-called ‘basic group’ of 20 students, supervised by your

tutor. This system will help you to learn to work independently, to plan your

study regime and to take responsibility. Furthermore, the Fontys University of

Applied Sciences will ensure that the conditions will be in place for learning in

a conducive and stimulating atmosphere, which is essential for the promotion

of successful studies.

during the second and third years of the study programme, you will be expected

to play a more important role in guiding your studies and to work more

independently, but you will be given advice regarding any choices that you need

to make. during the fourth year, the longer internships will be executed.

Study programme

The study programme for this course is varied. The main focus will be on

developing the required competencies (commencement skills), becoming

acquainted with both the tasks performed by a physiotherapist and the typical

professional situations encountered by a physiotherapist.

A distinction is made between the following areas:

1. Theoretical knowledge

you will learn how to make optimal use of all available theoretical frameworks

and models that you will need to effectively practice your profession.

2. Practical skill

you will learn the required techniques and skills via demonstrations given by

the lecturer(s) and by completing assignments and exercises.

3. Integration

you will learn how to integrate all of your acquired knowledge and skills and

to apply these in practice.

In the practical stream the following subjects are taught:

• exercise therapy

• Technical applications

• massage therapy

• Orthopedic / neurological assessment

• The ‘physiotherapy method’ (integration)

• Interpersonal skills

<< The University has excellent facilities

for sport activities. The sport centre

opposite the Fontys building offers

a wide variety of sports so everyone

can find an activity and membership is

affordable.

relocating to eindhoven was a lot easier

than I anticipated – english is widely

spoken in this student friendly city and

the staff and students have been helpful

and supportive in ensuring a smooth

transfer. In my opinion it is worth trying

to learn some dutch as not only do the

dutch appreciate your efforts, it will

create new opportunities such as local

internships and generally integrating

better into the community.

Studying in the heart of europe, also

means you can travel to european

destinations, cities like paris, London

and Barcelona are in easy reach.

All in all both the course and the social

aspects make this a great place to begin

your career as a physiotherapist.’

8

The theoretical stream consists of e.g.

• Theoretical physiotherapy

• Anatomy

• physiology

• pathology (e.g. orthopedics, neurology)

Internships

primarily, the internship conducted during your first year of study serves as an

introduction to your chosen future profession and as an opportunity for

self-reflection. After this initial internship, the remaining internships will

become more expansive. you will gain practical experience in a range of

different environments, such as at a private clinic, a general hospital, or at

another institution, such as at a rehabilitation centre, a nursing home, or at a

psychiatric hospital. moreover, you can carry out your clinical affiliation in

several countries, including your own country.

Both your school and the clinical facility will give you extensive supervision

during your internships. your professional knowledge and skills as well as the

way in which you interact with both patients and colleagues will be evaluated

in order to assess your internships.

physiotherapy employment options

Upon graduation from the Fontys University of Applied Sciences, you will be

well prepared for the professional world. you will be aware of the possibilities

and of your place in the employment market. you will be able to count on

securing an interesting and challenging job. The dutch Bachelor of Health

- physiotherapy degree is also held in high esteem abroad. Of course, you may

also decide to further pursue your studies, e.g. by commencing a master’s

degree programme.

A physiotherapist may work as an employee at a hospital, a nursing home,

a rehabilitation centre, a school for handicapped children, or at a private

physiotherapy clinic. Of course, you may also decide to start your own

physiotherapy clinic.

The physiotherapy profession is also very much in development in the

preventative sector. you may be able to work for a company, a fitness centre,

or a sporting association, where you would be involved in the prevention of

complaints occurring, by monitoring the working posture of employees, or by

ensuring that sportspeople follow appropriate preparation regimes.

Vacation

Throughout the year several vacation

breaks are scheduled:

• Autumn (1 week)

• Christmas (2 weeks)

• Late winter (1 week)

• Spring (1 week)

• Summer (6 weeks)

9

physiotherapy admission requirements, application & study costs

Requirements

Students who wish to be admitted to the four year course physiotherapy

english Stream are required to have a (senior) secondary education diploma,

GCe or equivalent. Fontys will assess if you are admissible based on this

diploma. Furthermore, the student should be able to demonstrate a good

command of the english language.

Language requirements:

TEST

Minimum score bachelor

Minimum score preparatory course

40 and 27 weeks (intense variant)

Minimum score preparatory course

17 weeks(intense variant)

IELTS 6,0 (no subscore

under 5.0)

5,0 5,5

TOEFL comp. 213 133 173

TOEFL iBT 79 59 69

you are exempt from this language skills test in case of…

• dutch HAVO/VWO diploma

• Being an eU/eer candidate * with an acceptable previous education (see above)

• your previous education was english-taught (the level of this education

must also meet the entry requirements for the course, see above) and you

attended this education for at least two years

• your mother tongue is english

* YoumayhoweverberequestedtoshowproofofagoodcommandoftheEnglishlanguage

10

Application procedure

physiotherapy english Stream at Fontys has a decentralised selection. The

objective of this decentralised selection is to choose the applicants based

mainly on their motivation and language skills. The selection procedure is part

of the lottery procedure, which is under supervision of the dutch education

executive Agency dUO.

The application procedure consists of two steps.

First, you have to apply for the physiotherapy english Stream programme

through Studielink (studielink.nl) before May 1 , 2014. After this date it is no

longer possible to apply for the programme. please note that due to the

conditions of the lottery procedure your application for physiotherapy must be

your first application through Studielink. during the application process in

Studielink you must indicate that you want to participate in the decentralised

selection (see the Studielink information page with examples on our website).

When you have finished your application, the status of your application will

show the progress indicator ‘pending the result of the decentralised selection’.

Second, we must have received the following documents before May 15 , 2014:

• your motivation letter: a strong personal motivation is vitally important to

be accepted for the programme. elements such as what triggers your

interest for physiotherapy, any previous (volunteering) experience in the

field of physiotherapy or in health care in general, and why you want to

study abroad / at Fontys are important indicators for good candidates.

• your personal résumé/curriculum vitae

• Certified copies of your diploma and list of grades including certified

translations of these documents if they are not in english, German or French*

• A copy of your passport

• The application form (in this brochure or you can download it from our

website)

• A print or screen shot of the page in Studielink with the details of your

application showing the status ‘pending the results of the decentralised

selection’.* Incaseyoudonothaveyourdiplomayet,pleaseinformuswhenyouwillreceiveyourdiploma

you can send the documents to the mailing address as listed on the back of

the brochure to the attention of ms. marja Vermulst (you cannot send the

documents by e-mail).

Other costs (for information about the tuition fee, see left sidebar)

Costs for the year 2014-2015 non European students European students

Additional fee

english programme

€ 200,- (year 1)

€ 500,- (year 2+3)

€ 200,- (year 1)

€ 500,- (year 2+3)

Visa costs + residence permit appr. € 600,- --

Housing appr. € 350,- / € 400,-

(furnished)

appr. € 350,- / € 400,-

(furnished)

Fontys contribution € 49,- € 49,-

Coordination of the programme

For more information about the content

or other aspects of the physiotherapy

programme, you can contact the

coordinator:

mr. paul de meurichy

Telephone: +31 8850 75767

e-mail: physiotherapy@fontys.nl

Application/enrolment

In case of questions regarding the

application procedure, enrolment and/

or Studielink, you can contact:

ms. marja Vermulst

Telephone: +31 8850 72390

e-mail: m.vermulst@fontys.nl

General information number:

+31 8850 80000

Tuition fees indicator

The tuition fees indicator helps you to

determine the tuition rate for your

situation. The information and tuition

rates from this indicator are without

engagement. Go to fontys.edu/tuitionfeeindicator to start the wizard.

11

Application form

Personal details

1 Surname 1)

2 Initials

3 First name(s)

4 First name usually used (if other than given in 3)

5 Date of birth (day) - (month) - 19

6 Place of birth

7 Country of birth

8 Gender ❑ Male ❑ Female

9 Nationality

10 Address 2)

11 ZIP code/City

12 Country

13 Telephone number

14 Mobile telephone number

15 E-mail address

1) Female students should fill in their maiden name

2) Fill in an address that is least likely to be changed. You will receive all correspondence from Fontys University of Applied Sciences

Eindhoven at this address, during term and holiday periods. Pass on any change of correspondence address as quickly as possible

through Studielink (studielink.nl)

We must have received before May 15, 2014:

• your motivation letter

• your personal résumé/curriculum vitae

• Certified copies of your diploma and list of grades including a certified translation of these documents if they are

not in english, German or French

• A copy of your passport

• The application form

• A print or screen shot of the page in Studielink showing the progress indicator ‘pending the result of the

decentralised selection’

you can send the documents to the mailing address as listed on the back of the brochure to the attention of

ms. marja Vermulst

01.0

2

Fontys University of Applied SciencesPhysiotherapy

English Stream programme

Visiting address

ds. Th Fliednerstraat 2

5631 BN eindhoven

The Netherlands

Mailing address

p.O. Box 347

5600 AH eindhoven

The Netherlands

Telephone +31 8850 80000physiotherapy@fontys.nlfontys.edu/physiotherapy

Colophon This is a publication of: Fontys University of Applied Sciences, september 2013. Layout: Grafische Producties Fontys University of Applied

Sciences. Print: Verhagen Grafische Media.Photography: Bart van Overbeeke, Angela Aprea, Sjaak Peters, Paul van Soest, Frank Tielemans and

Marco Magielse. No rights may be derived from the contents of this brochure.

Verhagen Grafische Media is FSC certified.

more information

more information can be found on our website: fontys.edu/physiotherapy

Come and visit us!

We offer you the opportunity to meet us for a personal consultation. during

this consultation you have the possibility to ask any kind of questions you

might have. Feel free to contact us if you are interested in consultation.01

.M.2

897.

05.1

3

FONTYS

VISITING

DAYS

EindhovenDs. Th. Fliednerstraat 2

Sat 16 Nov 2013

09.30 - 15.00 h

Sun 26 Jan 2014

10.30 - 15.00 h

INformatIoNEvENINg

Wed 9 apr 2014

Wed 4 Jun 2014

18.00 - 21.00 h