SASMA's Professional Development Scholarship Winner: Tom Lancaster
September 4,
2019 1400 1400 
SASMA is committed to providing members with meaningful professional development (PD) opportunities to advance the specialised skills and understandings required for a career in Allied Health. It was with this in mind that SASMA offered scholarship opportunities for students and recent graduates to attend Professional Development sessions such as seminars, workshops or conferences that focus on developing their knowledge and skills further.
Our two scholarship winners for 2019 were Amy Hobbs and Tom Lancaster who were both University of South Australia students graduating in 2018 in Bachelors of Exercise/Sport Science and Physio respectively.
SASMA will be running this scholarship program again in 2020 and would encourage all students and recent graduates to apply!
Hear from Tom Lancaster and his chosen Professional Development Session:
I’m a Graduate Physio working in both a musculoskeletal private practice setting and also at the Sturt Football Club with the league and reserves teams. Graduated in 2018 from the University of South Australia. I attended the Sporting Hip and Groin Level 2 in Melbourne in August of this year, run by St Kilda FC Physio, Andrew Wallis.
There was no 1 specific highlight - just that it was superb to both consolidate and extend knowledge gained from the Level 1 course I completed in Adelaide last year. The Level 2 course is not offered in Adelaide so it allowed me to do something I may not have ever done otherwise.
It was very beneficial in that in consolidates and extends knowledge from Level 1. The hip and groin are areas which are not explored in great depth at University and are often difficult to diagnose and treat. This course covered presentations, examination techniques and treatments that are cutting edge and have already improved patient outcomes in my work.
I’m already finding I’m applying the knowledge I’ve gained into either my treatment plans with patients who have hip and groin problems. I’m also finding I consider many more contributing factors to hip and groin problems which can be corrected and improve patient outcomes and longevity.
Thanks heaps for this opportunity- as I said above it allowed me to do something I either wouldn’t have every done or wouldn’t have considered for a few years yet. It’s a great program and I hope it’s continued for others in the future.