For Sean Moriarty, the physio clinic was a familiar surrounding from a very young age. Growing up he suffered problems with his legs and feet quite often. These regular visits to the physio allowed an interest to develop in pursuing it as a career.
However, like many, Sean was unnerved by the high points requirement to study physiotherapy in most third-level institutions.
Instead, he undertook a degree in Spanish and Economics from UCD, but after two years decided to drop it and began working full time. For some that might have been the end of any interest in third-level education, but not Sean as he still wanted to follow his passion.
“My interest in physiotherapy only developed over time as I ended up suffering quite a few injuries while playing rugby for my club, Old Belvedere.
“Again, I spent a lot of time in a clinic environment while going through my rehab.
“After working full time for a year, I decided to look into returning to education,” he said.
Sean knew that points and the CAO wouldn’t get him to where he wanted to go.
He went down the PLC route, taking a course in pre-university physiotherapy and, on completion, came across Portobello Institute’s BSc in Sports Therapy.
From there Sean went through our process of an interview, speaking with Dr Susan Giblin.
He was then given a conditional offer which would be contingent on the results from his PLC.
Because of his PLC completion, Sean was able to avail of advanced entry into the second year of the BSc in Sports Therapy.
He completed the remaining two years of the course and there were many aspects that he found helpful.
“Small class sizes meant that the tutors and lecturers knew all students by name, which made the learning environment very supportive.
“Weekly practical classes allowed us to apply any theory we had covered that week in a practical sense,” he said.
And, like many graduates of our Sports Therapy course, Sean has been able to go on and pursue a master's in Physiotherapy.
“I'm in my final year in a Masters in Physiotherapy at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen,
“Studying Sports Therapy at Portobello Institute provided me with an opportunity to work with teams and athletes as a Sports Therapist after graduating,” he said.
It is never too late to follow your passion and achieve your dream career. If sports therapy or physiotherapy is yours, then we have an event for you.
On April 7th, at 7 pm, Portobello will be hosting the first of a series of informative webinars, focusing on the paths to becoming a sports therapist or physiotherapist.
Sean joins other past previous graduates, Conor Sheils and Shannon Byrne. They will share their experiences with Portobello and what they have gone on to do after graduation.
Portobello Institute’s expert advisors are here to help you make an informed decision that puts you on the best path for your goals. If you find yourself in a similar situation to where Sean was, you can book a consultation with our admissions team today and see how you can begin your journey to becoming a physiotherapist. Contact jo.shaw@portobelloinstitute.com.
