My Graduate Fellowship experience

The Graduate Fellowship in Hand Therapy is a one year position designed to support excellence in hand therapy in up and coming physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

At the end of 2019, I was ready for my next big step upon completing my physiotherapy degree and forging my way into the professional working world. I was lucky enough to be joining the ranks of the well-established and leading hand therapy service, Melbourne Hand Rehab.

Melbourne Hand Rehab offers an organised and structured Graduate Fellowship in Hand Therapy program with logical skill progression that allows the individual to make the most of their strengths and to develop new skills at your own pace.

Challenges and opportunities

I was given the challenges and opportunities to facilitate professional and personal growth, never feeling rushed to reach an unreasonable performance goal. There is capacity to develop friendships and work in a cohort with Fellowship peers, and there was always a colleague to help with the next learning goal.

Mentoring, was for me, a vital part of my Fellowship experience. I was allocated regular 1-on-1 catch-ups with experienced working peer to monitor my performance, and not only to devise strategies for dealing with emerging challenges, but also to celebrate the wins as workplace successes accumulated over time.

Looking toward the future

I believe that Melbourne Hand Rehab’s Fellowship program was fundamental to me making a smooth transition into a meaningful and enjoyable career, encouraged independant learning along with structured learning program, and helped to establish important and long-lasting team bonds.

By Nicholas Reither
Physiotherapist