News that our Doctor of Physiotherapy program had been accredited by the Australian Physiotherapy Council and approved by the Physiotherapy Board of Australia for the next five years, capped off a wonderful 2014 for program director, Professor Cath Dean.

Professor Dean, who is also Head of the Department of Health Professions, said the highlights for the fledgling program have included:

• Year on year doubling of applications (2012 – 99, 2013 – 196, 2014 – 394)
• 80 research publications from staff since they joined Macquarie, including Lancet andtheBritish Medical Journal; and
• Three staff promotions.

In addition, esteemed visiting Fulbright Senior Specialist Professor Pamela Duncan, who visited the Department for five weeks in August and September from the USA, gave rave reviews of the program, noting:

[M]y impression is that this new curricula is highly innovative and transformative and could serve as a model for not only physiotherapy but also for medicine, nursing and other allied health professions. It has been strategically developed to systematically present the challenges of modern health care, integrate new models of care, develop outstanding clinicians and prepare innovative leaders. The themes of patient centred care and innovative practice in learning health systems are emphasized from the first semester to the final semester.

“Our success has truly been a team effort,” says Professor Dean, “and I’m very grateful for the support of physiotherapy across the University, but particularly from the Faculty of Human Sciences and Professor Janet Greeley.”