Starting a placement in a private musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy clinic can bring a mix of excitement, curiosity and uncertainty. For students joining a private clinic such as goPhysio in Chandlers Ford, near Eastleigh, the experience often differs from NHS placements – offering a more personalised, hands-on learning environment focused on patient experience, continuity of care and clinical reasoning.
This student reflection explores what to expect from a private MSK placement, including how to maximise hands-on opportunities, the importance of being proactive in clinic, and how private practice supports skill development across real patient journeys. If you are preparing for a physiotherapy, sports therapy or rehabilitation placement in a private clinic in Hampshire, this insight will help you feel more confident, prepared and ready to make the most of your learning experience.
You have just received an upcoming placement invitation to goPhysios private MSK clinic, what should you expect?
If you have received a private MSK clinic as your upcoming placement, you are probably experiencing lots of thoughts; how can I meet these high expectations, what kind of opportunities can I experience to promote personal development, will I get any hand-on experience at all? A private clinic is vastly different to an NHS MSK placement. For one – you will not receive a full case load of patients as expected in an NHS setting. This may provide you with relief as it did for me, or you may be worried about how much experience you can achieve. As patients are being seen by physiotherapists, sports therapists (both junior and advanced), the cost implication does play an important role in how hands on you can be. To solve this, your hands on experience will be based upon how proactive you are in the clinic, opportunities will not be handed to you if clinicians are unaware of what you wish to achieve or do within the session. You can demonstrate this in several ways; proactively looking ahead in the diary can allow for planning time, and here you can select what sessions or elements of sessions you wish to request to lead.
What happens if this is denied?
Patient preference and comfort are goPhysio’s upmost priority, if your request to lead is denied, take this in your stride, you have still demonstrated the initiative to request these opportunities.
NHS vs private practice, is there a difference?
Private practice is a fantastic opportunity to prioritise patient comfort and expectation, here, hands on treatment through massage and other mobilisations is essential. Through a quieter environment of a private clinic, you will have the opportunity to see patients week after week, supporting your understanding of patient journey and rehabilitation, allowing an abundance of opportunity to observe/support a variety of hands on skills.
Are my skills good enough to be placed in a private clinic as a student?
Yes! And through the support of the brilliant team at goPhysio, these can be continually developed over your placement. 2nd and 3rd year university taught skills provide a solid foundation for the variety of conditions, populations and clinical testing used at goPhysio. To prepare for this placement, consider the population statistics around the Eastleigh area. Considering this, what conditions may be most prevalent to brush up on prior to your first day?
Emily, final year BSc Physiotherapy Student (Feb 2026)
