Recent Graduates’ Perspectives on Undergraduate Kinesiology Programs in Canada

Background: Kinesiologists are a growing group of health professionals in Canada who can enter practice after completing undergraduate kinesiology programs. Unlike other health professional programs such as physiotherapy that have well-established curricula and extensive national accreditation standards, kinesiology programs vary considerably between institutions. The resultant disparities in kinesiology graduates’ entry-level skillsets, competencies, and confidence levels contribute to their uncertainty regarding their role in healthcare and the public’s underutilization of kinesiology services. Conclusions: As former kinesiology students, and as current kinesiologists and allied health professionals, we offer our perspective on how undergraduate kinesiology programs could change to respond to the needs of their graduates. Specifically, we suggest an increased emphasis on practical skill development, providing students with kinesiologist mentors and teaching staff, offering kinesiologist specific career planning, and creating explicit streams of specialization. We hope our perspectives based on our own lived experience will better prepare kinesiology students for careers as kinesiologists

Recent Graduates’ Perspectives on Undergraduate Kinesiology Programs in Canada

Background: Kinesiologists are a growing group of health professionals in Canada who can enter practice after completing undergraduate kinesiology programs. Unlike other health professional programs such as physiotherapy that have well-established curricula and extensive national accreditation standards, kinesiology programs vary considerably between institutions. The resultant disparities in kinesiology graduates’ entry-level skillsets, competencies, and confidence levels contribute to their uncertainty regarding their role in healthcare and the public’s underutilization of kinesiology services. Conclusions: As former kinesiology students, and as current kinesiologists and allied health professionals, we offer our perspective on how undergraduate kinesiology programs could change to respond to the needs of their graduates. Specifically, we suggest an increased emphasis on practical skill development, providing students with kinesiologist mentors and teaching staff, offering kinesiologist specific career planning, and creating explicit streams of specialization. We hope our perspectives based on our own lived experience will better prepare kinesiology students for careers as kinesiologists