Education

‘Physiotherapy was my first choice when I did the Leaving Cert’

Profile: Avril Copeland, BSc physiotherapy, RCSI

Avril Copeland: 'I consider myself really lucky that I had the chance to return to physio as a mature student.'

Tue May 14 2024 - 00:45

Physiotherapy was my first choice when I did the Leaving Cert.

At the time, however, I didn’t get the points, so instead I went on to study media production and sound engineering, enabling me to fulfil one of my dreams of moving to Nashville, Tennessee, to work in the music industry.

Along with my love of music, I also have a passion for sport. Before the move I had been playing hockey at an international level and then soon after moving to the US, I took up adventure racing.

Given my long-standing devotion, while in Nashville I took the opportunity to obtain a degree in exercise science. In 2007, after seven years in the US, I returned home to Ireland to pursue a degree in physiotherapy at RCSI.

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I consider myself really lucky that I had the chance to return to physio as a mature student.

Throughout my time there, I enjoyed most subjects, with some of my favourites being anatomy, physiology and health psychology.

For me however, the most important aspect of the degree was the clinical placements. Studying is one thing, but applying that knowledge in real-life is another, especially in a profession like physiotherapy where you are working in a hospital setting, meeting people at their most vulnerable.

The clinical placements gave me an understanding as to how healthcare works, the dynamics between the different healthcare professions and the pressures and challenges that they face day to day.

The most valuable part of my physiotherapy degree and career as a physio was the credibility I earned. Being a physiotherapist by background gave the healthcare professionals that we worked with the confidence and certainty that our mission was genuine, and that our goal was to improve their lives and that of their patients.

In 2013, I cofounded a digital healthcare company, Innerstrength, with Greg Balmer, the CTO. Our goal was to develop digital technologies to combat the pressures and challenges I had witnessed as a student and during my subsequent career as a physiotherapist. That knowledge I had gained was instrumental in the development of our business strategy.

In 2020 the business was acquired and as of only recently, I have stepped back to explore new opportunities.

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