Advanced Health Care Practice student awarded inaugural Joy McDermid Bursary
When Bansari Patel was completing her Bachelor of Physiotherapy at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Vadodara, India, she never imagined she would one day be working toward becoming a certified hand therapist in Canada. But after coming to London, Ontario, to enrol in the Health Sciences and Rehabilitation program at 深夜福利站’s Faculty of Health Sciences, new doors began to open for her.
Bansari Patel at 深夜福利站’s Convocation, graduating from the Master’s in Health Sciences and Rehabilitation program (supplied)
Patel is now a master’s student in the Advanced Health Care Practice program in the Faculty of Health Sciences at 深夜福利站. The one-year course-based master's program offers health care professionals the opportunity to pursue graduate-level education in a unique and specialized field of study. Patel is enrolled in the Upper Extremity Rehabilitation field within the Advanced Health Care Practice program, which focuses on hand and upper limb therapy.
“The cohort consists of therapists from all over Canada, so I’ve been able to connect and build a network of therapy specialists from across the country,” said Patel about the program. “We’ve also had a lot of world-renowned guest speakers and therapists share their knowledge in the field.”
But the hands-on experience and mentorship, Patel says, is the most valuable part of the program. “It’s amazing to work with hand therapists who have decades of experience in the field.”
One of those experts is internationally recognized researcher Dr. Joy MacDermid, a faculty member in 深夜福利站’s School of Physical Therapy and a Canada Research Chair in Musculoskeletal Health Outcomes and Knowledge Translation. MacDermid is a contributing expert for the Upper Extremity Rehabilitation field and leads a course in the program’s first semester.
“One of my reasons for coming to 深夜福利站 was Dr. MacDermid,” said Patel. “During my physiotherapy undergrad in India, her research papers were part of our curriculum. And now to be able to learn from her – it's really cool for me.”
The Joy MacDermid Bursary, a $5,000 award given annually to a student in financial need enrolled in the Upper Extremity Rehabilitation field, is funded by Hand Therapy Canada.
Patel received the inaugural 2024 Joy MacDermid Bursary earlier this year.
“Getting the Joy MacDermid Bursary was a complete surprise,” said Patel.
It was also a full-circle moment for her – receiving an award named for the researcher who inspired and encouraged her career path in physiotherapy.
As Patel completes the final months of the Advanced Health Care Practice master’s program, she says the knowledge and experience she’s gained have transformed her career path. It’s also equipped her with the skills to pursue certification as a hand therapist.
“I knew upper extremity as a physiotherapist, but the way I know upper extremity now is completely different – I know the theory, evidence, clinical as well as patient-centered components of it. Coming to Canada opened the door for huge opportunities for me.”
