Adam Trama

Tell us about yourself! 
I grew up on the Sunshine Coast. I was involved in a lot of sports growing up, such as basketball, combat sports and swimming. My career started in the military – I was a strength and conditioning coach, and was often surrounded by physiotherapists. That’s where my interest in this field began. During my undergraduate degree, in Exercise Science, I did a placement at a physiotherapy clinic, just to experience what it was like – and I loved it! I really liked the rehabilitation process.

Why did you choose UTS?
I chose UTS because the environment appealed to me. The student engagement made it seem like the best place to go! The facilities are also fantastic. Because it’s a young university, and because the course is quite new, the facilities are up to date. For many people, the location is another big factor – having the ability to easily get from anywhere to the University, just by catching a train or driving to Ultimo, is great.

Why did you choose the Master of Physiotherapy?
One of the main strengths of the Master of Physiotherapy is that the cohort is quite small. Having a close-knit cohort means you can interact with every single student. Plus, you can build relationships with the academics easier.

The course also provides lots of hands-on experience – there’s a lot more time for each person to learn, rather than in a cohort of hundreds where not everyone has the chance to practice. Because physiotherapy is so practical, being able to apply my skills to different people really helps. Evidence-based practice is also another big component of the course, which is so important in physiotherapy.

Plus, there are lots of events that are organised for students. It’s a great way to meet people and make friends who will support you throughout university. There’s also a Facebook group that we connect with, we put questions up there and bounce ideas off each other. It’s really good to have this community.

What is the learning like?
Aside from the knowledge and theory that I’m learning, I’ve also learned to be more independent in my thinking. In the military, everything is more fast-paced and regulated, but in physiotherapy, when you’re presented with a complicated case, you can’t just jump to one standard conclusion. You have to think about multiple factors and take your time to consider the whole picture. The good thing about the course is that it’s very open to what you can do. There’s not one set way to treat a musculoskeletal injury or stroke, whatever it may be.

Physiotherapy requires you to think positively and critically. There’s a lot of debate about particular techniques, but you have the independence to make up your mind about the strategies you want to use and how you want to reach the best outcome.

What do you hope to achieve in the future?
In terms of my future, I will likely stay in the army. There’s also the option to apply for the physiotherapy hospital allocation program, which is for new graduates. Something else I would like to do, but in the long-term, is establish my own business. I’m extremely interested in business, so I would like to set up my own company.

The course has definitely broaden my interests in physiotherapy; at first, I was interested in specialising in musculoskeletal, but I’ve also developed an interest in paediatrics.

Physiotherapy has so many pathways – you don’t have to just be a clinical therapist. To name a couple of different pathways, you can also work for medical organisations or become a researcher, both in Australia and internationally. It’s also exciting because, as a health professional, you need to be continually developing and learning.

Do you have any advice for future students?
I think people underestimate the amount you can learn at university, and how much that can carry over. You can’t just do the bare minimum, you need to also obtain some experience in the field. I did work experience at a few different clinics, to make sure that this was what I wanted to do. Gaining experience in the area is a great way to learn if it’s really what you want to do.

Find out more about studying Physiotherapy at UTS