Barriers and Facilitators Faced by Physiotherapist in and Around Pune, India with Regards to Acquiring Master's Degree: A Survey Based Study

Introduction: Within the physiotherapy profession, there are increasing expectations concerning specialization and lifelong learning. As a result, master's degree study is becoming more popular as a means of professional advancement. A Physiotherapist from Indian background might be facing a lot of barriers that leads to descent for Master’s in Physiotherapy. Hence there is the need to explore the career pathways of graduates. This study identifies barriers and facilitators faced by Indian physiotherapists and establishes influence and awareness related to master’s education.

Methods: The population of the study included all post-graduation qualified physiotherapists. Participants were polled on their facilitators, barriers and beneficiaries in pursuing higher studies in physiotherapy. For this purpose, a well-structured questionnaire was utilised to explore latest trends in pursuing higher studies in physiotherapy.

Results: In all 60 valid responses were received. The Master's program was deemed beneficial by 95% of participants. Study participants identified same main barriers (namely decent placement offers) and same main facilitators (namely knowledgeable academic staff).

Conclusion: Indian physiotherapists reported common facilitators and barriers to pursuing postgraduate studies. A greater number and diversity of physiotherapists are considering post-graduation studies as a viable career option.