Sean Moriarty - PLC to Advanced Entry Sports Therapy Route at Portobello to Physiotherapy

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Sean Moriarty – PLC to Advanced Entry Sports Therapy Route at Portobello to Physiotherapy

BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy

Sports

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 begin working full-time.

For some that might have been the end of any interest in third-level education, but not Sean.

“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 in Colaiste Íde and, on completion, came across Portobello Institute’s BSc (Hons) in Sports Therapy.

Because of his PLC, Sean was able to avail of Portobello Institute’s advanced entry into the second year of his BSc in Sports Therapy. Many students with relevant further education qualifications can avail of this route at Portobello Institute, to fast-track your success.

Sean completed the remaining two years of the course and there were many aspects which he found helpful.

“Noticing my skill set develop from scratch to confidently being able to practice sports therapy with a range of athletes and teams was my best experience during the course. With help from the lecturers, I found the transition from the PLC course to the degree a lot more manageable than I expected.

“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 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 also laid the foundations for me to continue on my path to becoming a physiotherapist.

“Looking back, the practical element of the course really supported me initially in the Masters as a significant amount of what I studied in Portobello was also covered in my first semester here,” he said.

Sean is now a qualified physiotherapist working in both private settings and public service with the NHS in the UK.

In an update in October 2023, Sean said: “I’ve been lucky enough to be working in Ellon Physiotherapy Clinic since June, this has provided me with valuable experience working in the private sector. I’m delighted that I’ve been given the opportunity to develop as an MSK clinician also while working as a rotational physiotherapist with NHS Scotland.”

Despite first going to a large university for a degree he had no interest in, Sean followed his passion for sports to fulfil his potential in the career he wanted as a physiotherapist.

At Portobello Institute, we encourage you to follow your passion to fulfil your potential in the career you want. Our realistic entry requirements, simple application process and advanced entry opportunities can help to get you there.

You can watch Sean speaking at our webinar ‘My Portobello Journey – Pathway to Physiotherapy’.

Portobello Institute has a dynamic sports department with a range of top qualifications for the next step in your career.

If you are interested in any of our sports courses or have any questions you can book a consultation call with our expert sports advisor Jason Lester, email [email protected] or call 01 892 0029.