Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange has welcomed the return of its second-year physiotherapy students after they completed placements in clinics around the region. Physiotherapy lecturer Ms Kay Skinner from CSU’s School of Community Health said the course, now in its third year at CSU in Orange, has been enthusiastically supported by health services across NSW. “This is the third year of the four-year degree, so we will have our first graduates at the end of 2013,” she said. “But we have already developed strong connections in the region with health services that have traditionally had trouble finding enough physiotherapists to meet demand.” The most recent placements were designed to allow students to focus on mobility enhancement, including assisting patients regain mobility following surgery or a fall, or helping pediatric patients with limited mobility. “Physiotherapists often work with patients recovering from surgery or an accident and are a key part of the health system,” Ms Skinner said. “There is always very strong demand for physiotherapists in rural and regional NSW, and one of the great advantages of basing this course in Orange is that students who have spent four years in the region are much more likely to live and work here after graduation.”