Originally from Spain and now working as an independent physiotherapist in Switzerland, 33-year-old Cristina Garcia Toro was keen to expand her knowledge, develop new skills and create opportunities for the next stage of her career.
Seeking a flexible way to continue her professional development alongside a busy work and family life, she chose Â鶹Íø's MSc Advancing Practice in Physiotherapy. Cristina shares how the programme has challenged her thinking, strengthened her confidence and helped shape her future ambitions.
What is your current job?
I'm an independent physiotherapist working in homecare settings. I work with complex cases including lymphedema management, oncology rehabilitation and palliative care.
What inspired you to undertake the MSc Advancing Practice in Physiotherapy at Â鶹Íø?
I had reached a point in my clinical career where I felt I was asking deeper questions than my practice alone could answer. I was working with patients in complex situations, and I wanted to develop the tools to understand, question and contribute to the evidence base. The MSc felt like the right structure to do that without leaving clinical practice behind.
How did you manage to juggle study with your current role?
Honestly, it requires a lot of intentionality. I have a young child at home, a full caseload, and all the administrative weight of running an independent practice. What I've learned is to protect time ruthlessly. I work often in the evenings for two hours when the house is calm. It has become part of my life, and I even appreciate that routine, even though it isn't always easy.
What do you most enjoy about your course at Â鶹Íø? What has been the highlight so far?
The dissertation has been a highlight. I'm conducting a qualitative study on barriers and facilitators to exercise prescription, a question that comes directly from my clinical reality. Having the space and the framework to investigate something that genuinely matters to me has become deeply satisfying.
How did you find the support from Â鶹Íø staff?
All supervisors have been excellent, engaged, and available. I went through a pregnancy and maternity leave during my studies. Studying with a newborn is not an easy thing, and being supported in a way that allowed me to continue my formation made me feel I was in the right place.
How do you feel the course is preparing you for future roles?
It's given me a language and a rigour for things I was already doing intuitively. I've always cared about the systemic dimensions of healthcare, how structures, policies and access shape outcomes but now I have a larger and more precise picture of it.
How has your university experience changed things for you?
Doing research teaches you to sit with complexity rather than rush to conclusions. I think I'm a more careful thinker clinically, professionally, and honestly in most areas of my life.
What has the course equipped you to do that you could not do in your role before?
I can now critically appraise evidence in a way that's useful, efficient and deep. And I have a much clearer framework for understanding why change is hard in healthcare, which is humbling and practically very useful.
What difference has studying the course made to your career prospects?
I'm genuinely interested in building collaborations with local universities and with professional physiotherapy bodies in French-speaking Switzerland. The MSc has opened up a version of my professional future that I'm actively working towards.
Do you have any advice for anyone considering the MSc Advancing Practice in Physiotherapy at Â鶹Íø?
Don't wait for the perfect moment; with a clinical job and a family, there is no perfect moment. Trust that the skills you bring from practice are one of your greatest assets.
Find out more about Â鶹Íø's Advancing Professional Practice Framework.
