Prof. Dr. Astrid Schämann is the director of the Institute of Physiotherapy at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. It is the largest research and teaching university in Switzerland offering professional BSc-, MSc- and CPD- programs to over 600 physiotherapy students. The own research and development unit is of main interest- it’s results influence the teaching immediately.
As president of the professional conference in Switzerland and advisor for the Swiss association of physiotherapy « physioswiss » she strongly influences the professionalization of physiotherapy, e.g. by helping to develop and implement of the concepts of specialization and certification.
She is also a member of the ER-WCPT education working group, the Swiss medical scientific association and further national and international professional and political bodies. She is also a reviser for several scientific journals and institutions.
Her main research activities are in the field of professionalization, education and academic development with the focus on closing the gap in between theory and practice.
There will be many challenges in a changing health care system and physiotherapists should contribute to it to a large extent- or: take a leading role!
Astrid Schämann graduated as a physiotherapist in Germany in 1987, ran her own private practice for several years before she studied medical pedagogics at the Humboldt University in Berlin. While that, she continued working as a physiotherapist and taught at PT and OT schools and set up a CPD program. She finished her studies at Humboldt University on the topic of physiotherapist’s behavior concerning CPD, afterwards she set up and led a new school for physiotherapy and decided to do her PhD on „Academisation and Professionalization in Physiotherapy- the students perception“. As Switzerland changed towards higher education in 2006, the new Institute with BSc-, MSc-, CPD-programs as well as an own research unit under was established her lead.
