well, the course is a combination of practical and theory, and our bodies are made up of molecules and chemical reactions, therefore, to understand the function of our body systems, which in turn affect the function of the muscles and joints etc you you need to understand the theory first before you put it into practice, which is what we do in 1st year, which is all the molecules, functional anatomy etc. otherwise, you'll pretty much be thrown in the deep end, when it comes to analysing patient's problems.
there is more practical in later years, but first year does have quite alot of theory.
and you do need to take clothes off, for surface anatomy, however, it's not as bad as you think. it is a part of the learning process because u can find landmarks on the body, making it is easier to identify the areas which contribute to the problems.
with career opportunities, to open up your own private practice is difficult,because it would require very long hours, however, it is not impossible. in nsw, physio is only offered at usyd and at newcastle, so it's not like a degree, like commerce, which offers degrees in every single freakn uni, which makes accountants low in demand. physios are high in demand overseas, especially australian physios, and also if u look at the age demographics, we are an aging population, which means that there will need to be physios about to assist with treatment, meaning more job opportunities. you also need to start off in the hospitals as a graduate first, to gain more experience too.
hope this answers any of your questions!
