Welcome to 2021 (Frontline)

Happy new year! 

The world has changed in ways that none of us could have imagined. As we turn over a new leaf in 2021, may all of us be blessed with a new vision that views the world afresh and sees new possibilities. 

I am Alan Jit-Ho Mak, a second year MSc physiotherapy pre-registration student at Manchester Metropolitan University and a member of the CSP’s student reference group (SRG). 

On behalf of the CSP students and the SRG, I would like to give all the new postgraduate students a warm welcome to the new academic year and of course to Frontline. 

This issue focuses on students and learning. The main feature explores what employers are looking for from graduates. It covers developing transferable skills that will be relevant for members at different stages of their careers, so if you’re no longer a student it will still be of interest to you. I’ve only got a year left before I qualify as a physio and this is a fantastic time for me to begin to develop the mindset and skills for my employment, so I’ll be reading this feature with interest. 

Abdul Bseiso a third year BSc student at University of East London, gives his top tips for students out on placement.  And in InProfile this month, James Armstrong, who is a recent graduate from the University of Plymouth, shares his experiences of supporting students as a newly qualified physio. 

Last year not only marked a rapid change to the way we live but also the way we do things. The annual Physiotherapy UK conference took a leap and became a complete virtual experience and Hayley Payne, a graduate from the University of Southampton, tells us about presenting a poster at the virtual  conference. 

I would like to thank all the members of SRG for everything they did during 2020 in such challenging circumstances. 

And – to all members of the CSP:

let’s work together in this new year as a community and be sensitive and mindful to each other’s concerns and needs and enjoy physiotherapy as much as possible.

• Alan Jit-Ho Mak is a physiotherapy pre-registration master’s student and a member of the CSP’s student reference group