Student Profile – Lucy Slater

Student Profile – Lucy Slater

Lucy Slater studies on our MSc Sport Rehabilitation and Therapy course at AECC University College. She tells us more about her background, what motivates her, why she chose to study with us, and her ambitions for the future:

Lucy’s motivation

“I studied for an undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Oxford Brooks University. I feel I really developed as a student during this time and I was also able to pursue my passion for football.

“I was part of the nominated selection for roll of honour in football, for representing English University Sport Southern squad as part of the England team.

“Sport, specifically football, has always been a big part of my life. As a result, I have experienced and witnessed various injuries along the way. When I have been injured and needed to undergo rehabilitation, I’ve found that you are often handed a piece of paper with exercises to complete that are not always individualised. This approach to rehabilitation doesn’t consider personal goals to achieve a good quality of life.

“The ethos of the MSc Sport Rehabilitation and Therapy course here at AECC University College is that being equipped with a fundamental toolkit of skills and knowledge can help us achieve more personalised and effective rehabilitation services as practitioners for our patients.”

Plans for the future

“I own a Sports Massage business and am able to work alongside this course.

“Studying on this course, I believe I have been able to gain a valuable range of manual therapy skills that will advance my own practice as a Sports Massage Therapist.

“I also hope that through the work experience module, doors will open for me in terms of new career opportunities, and I will become a competent rehabilitator for disabled and able-bodied athletes.”

Highlights of the course

“I have loved the ‘clinical skills’ module of the course, as we are taught to hone our clinical reasoning skills to determine a thorough assessment, diagnosis and injury rehabilitation plan for various pathologies.

“These are skills that we would implement on a daily basis for a career in this field. Our Course Leader, Tom Bennett, has also organised insightful and fascinating mini conferences for us on our course.

“We have had talks from the Ministry of Defence, Rehabilitators in Premier League Football Teams and PhD students to tell us more about further study.

“We are extremely lucky to have access to the prosection lab here at AECC University College. Very few institutions have one, and even fewer students are able to access this as a learning resource.

“I have also interned in the Human Performance lab, helping the AECC University College Sport Scholars monitor their performance throughout the duration of this Masters. This has given me a real insight into the expectations and responsibilities that professional clubs require when you are employed by them.”

Choosing AECC University College

“The student life at AECC University College and living in Bournemouth is a big motivating factor to succeed and a reason why I chose to pursue an MSc here. I believe that your surroundings and your location make a huge difference to your quality of life as a student.

“As a Bournemouth local, I have always known about AECC University College, so when deciding that I would love to work with an injured population I explored the courses available.

“This course stood out as it was new and seemed to be focused on delivering relevant content to nurture well-rounded practitioners working in a range of fields.

“Because of its health science focus, I find that the University College is an extremely motivating place to study. As soon as you step onto campus you want to succeed as are surrounded by like-minded people and the campus is beautiful.

“Not only are we located on the stunning south coast, we have a renowned reputation for developing world-class practitioners. Every member of staff has their own area of interest and passions, which means that every interaction as a student is beneficial for our development.”

Above: Lucy Slater (in white)