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“We often do real detective work”: Leoni Knutzen on her job as a physiotherapist
Photo: Johanna Kölzsch
The start of working life is exciting, exhausting - and often completely different than planned. In the series "My first year on the job", young professionals tell how they experienced this time. This time: Leoni Knutzen, 22, physiotherapist in a therapy center in Schleswig-Holstein.
»I've been playing field hockey since I was four years old, and the year before I started my training I was even in the Bundesliga. With up to six training sessions a week, something regularly broke. If we went to a tournament at the weekend, there were always many therapists there to treat the big and small accidents on the field. That gave me the idea of becoming a physiotherapist myself: Being able to be close to my hobby during working hours - how awesome is that?
In my circle of acquaintances, I was one of only two people who wanted to start an apprenticeship after high school.
It is a huge advantage to be able to apply what you have learned directly!
When I started my apprenticeship in 2017, most of the physiotherapy trainees still had to pay school fees, fortunately I didn’t.
In the meantime, the fees have been abolished in many federal states.
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Nevertheless, in my selection interview I had to answer the question of how I would finance myself during the training.
Because it was classified as ›school‹ despite many internships, I did not receive any training allowance.
So I continued to live with my parents.
On the weekends I worked in a disco to earn at least some money.
Admittedly, no one tried to talk me out of the apprenticeship, but I've often heard people say, 'You won't earn anything later on'.
And it's true: Many physiotherapists do not receive a reasonable salary for their work.
However, I have found that it is possible to negotiate upwards outside of the collectively agreed hospitals.
I started with 2400 euros gross per month, now, a little over a year later, I earn around 3300 euros.
Among other things, I took on additional IT tasks and the health insurance rates were increased.
Side job: Medical detective
My patients are between 18 and 95 years old, their complaints range from a broken toe to cruciate ligament tears to diffuse headaches.
Sometimes I look after smaller groups that train their muscles and joints on equipment, sometimes I work on complaints with manual fascia and joint techniques or carry out heat treatments.
The job is very varied.
But also physically demanding.
I stand a lot - and a single leg can weigh a lot if I have to hold it and work through it for a long time.
More apprenticeships at »My first year on the job«
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Starting my career as a tattoo artist:»First I practiced on a grapefruit.
Then acquaintances came«Recorded by Katharina Hölter
What annoys me: We only have very little time for the treatments, the health insurance companies only pay for their patients for 15 to 25 minutes.
My calendar is therefore divided into dozens of small appointments from morning to evening, which sucks.
Actually, the patients should come to us with a clear diagnosis.
However, we often do real detective work and discover the causes of problems that the doctor did not recognize.
Recently, after listening carefully to a patient, I found out that her medically diagnosed rib blockages were caused by stress-related stomach problems.
I sent her back to her doctor, who prescribed stomach-friendly medication - and the symptoms went away.
Although I am now employed, I still live with my parents.
I'm saving for my own house, and I'd rather invest my money in further education than in rent.
That's why I continue to work in the disco on the weekends and work as a therapist for a hockey team several times a week.
So I can continue to be in the hall a lot, which is what I wanted at the beginning.
Further training is important for us physiotherapists.
Without additional qualifications, for example, you are not allowed to treat patients who have been prescribed lymphatic drainage or manual therapies.
That's a little silly, after all I learned all this during my training and can also do it on private patients.
Basically, I believe that you can always learn more.
I want to help people, that's why I do this job.
What if my spine, muscle, ligament and tendon methods don't help against the back pain?
Then I would like to look at the organs, the nervous structures, the whole system!
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I still don't want to study medicine.
Doctors often have to make decisions based on economic aspects and have even less time for the human than we do.
I'd rather take the exam to become a non-medical practitioner, but I can't do that until I'm 25. Until then, I'll be completing part-time training to become an osteopath.
It lasts four and a half years and costs a good 14,000 euros.
But it's worth it to me.
I can well imagine becoming self-employed at some point with a mix of physiotherapy, osteopathy and medicine and earning good money.
I also get bored easily and standing still is not good for me.
Fortunately, I never have to stand still in my job.
If I want, I can continue my education until the end of my life.«
Have you just started your career yourself and would like to tell us about it? Then write to us at SPIEGEL-Start@spiegel.de.