Ashlea Hargreaves

My Graduate Story

My name is Ashlea Hargreaves. I studied BSc Honours in Physiotherapy at the University of Birmingham and I’m a current Specialist Hepatology Transplant Physiotherapist, working at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

The variety of placements that I had at UoB were really beneficial in terms of getting me to where I am now. The courses provided lots of placement opportunities across critical care, musculoskeletal, and actually one of my favourite placements was on critical care on the trauma unit here. Within that role, I was able to meet some of the senior physiotherapists who I work with today, so it's quite nice having a full circle and they’re some of my best mates now, which is, again, really nice to loop back round, but certainly having that experience, we're renowned here for being a large trauma and a critical care centre, so working with those expertise is a really big pulling factor of why I wanted to come here.

I certainly felt well-supported as a student throughout my time at UoB. The lecturers were also clinically-based, as well, so you had the transition of academia and clinical practice, which was great to draw upon. The Library Services, as well, there was always the support around lectures, essays, dissertation, which was a big challenge for me. But I'd certainly found that support really useful.

Certainly having a wide breadth of clinicians and academics across a different variety of physiotherapy areas really enhanced the skill and the delivery of the programme. Anyone looking to study at the University of Birmingham, I couldn't recommend it enough.

A Day in My Life

My current role, day-to-day, is a mixture of inpatient and outpatient work. So, currently I'm working on an NIHR funded trial looking at outcomes and quality of life for patients on the liver transplant waiting list. So, looking at whether physiotherapy can improve frailty, strength, quality of life, both before and after transplant, which is great. So typically, I'd come in in the morning, we'd look at what patients need to be seen on the ward, if they've had the transplant, and then we work in clinics making sure that patients are as fit as they can be going into surgery.

My Journey to Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Within that role, I was able to meet some of the senior physiotherapists who I work with today, so it's quite nice having a full circle and they’re some of my best mates now, which is, again, really nice to loop back round. Certainly having that experience, we're renowned here for being a large trauma and a critical care centre, so working with those expertise is a really big pulling factor of why I wanted to come here.

My Birmingham Experience

I certainly felt well-supported as a student throughout my time at UoB. The lecturers were also clinically-based, as well, so you had the transition of academia and clinical practice, which was great to draw upon. The Library Services, as well, there was always the support around lectures, essays, dissertation, which was a big challenge for me. But I'd certainly found that support really useful. Certainly having a wide breadth of clinicians and academics across a different variety of physiotherapy areas really enhanced the skill and the delivery of the programme.

The advice that I'd give to my student self would just to be so open-minded with each placement and each learning opportunity that came to me. Ultimately, just working in so many different areas, meeting so many different people, whether that be clinicians, whether that be lecturers, it's all going to enhance your growth, both personally and professionally.

It's really good to keep developing your mindset. And just being honest and open, when you're not sure of something, make sure you say and ask questions, certainly.