Meet MRSc student Carmen Reed, a physiotherapist and owner and director of a multidisciplinary practice in South Africa, who is implementing and developing new programs based on her MRSc coursework.
How did you learn about the online MRSc Program?
I knew that I wanted to study further, but none of the South African post-graduate programs appealed to me. I spent some time researching available online Masters programs and was very impressed by what I found on offer at UBC.
How will you / are you applying what you have learned from your MRSc to your clinical work?
This for me is what is making this MRSC truly valuable! Since starting the program, I have been able to implement a new Falls Prevention education program, with the potential to reach a large proportion of my surrounding community. I have also changed and increased the use of outcome measures in my practice, led education sessions for my colleagues, designed an 8 week cost efficient program for a lower socioeconomic area that our practice serves, and have grown in confidence and strategic knowledge in terms of leading my team, being a team member and being a rehabilitation practice owner (and I’m only just over half way through the program!).
How is learning online as an international student?
My experience is very positive. The online support and learning from peers is very rewarding. Although the Canadian health system is very different to South Africa, this has in no way interfered with my learning – in fact, having different perspectives has been an enlightening experience. Logistically, the 10 hour time zone advantage has not impacted my ability to participate in discussions, and although the occasional webinar occurs while I’m in dream land, I have been easily able to catch up on those.
Being so far away has meant that I need to be organised. The 10 week wait for textbooks cuts it very fine at the start of the program, but ordering them all at once has minimised shipping costs and stress. Paying student fees also takes planning, especially with the exchange rate and my bank’s challenges with understanding the payment process.
Having never visited Canada, I look forward to hopefully one day soon being able to see in person the beautiful UBC campus that I see in pictures, and am grateful to my online learning peers for tips about must-see places.