A Tuesday in the clinic
Example day8:00–4:30 · 16 appointments, 30 minutes each, back to back
- Notes, eating lunch at your desk
- Notes you didn't get to
- Notes you didn't get to
Stay in health. Leave the treatment room.
Rehab consultants help people injured at work or on the road get back to their lives. ShiftUP's three-week academy teaches you the job and puts you in front of rehab providers who are hiring.
Starting roles commonly advertise $80k–$100k plus super, and providers are hiring. Lessons run after work, so you can keep your current job while you train.
Now registering interest from physios, exercise physiologists, OTs, nurses and social workers in NSW and the ACT. Nothing's locked in until you accept a place.
Example caseWeek 3
Sam, 34, warehouse storeperson
12of 38 hours back at work
Back 4 hours a day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Love the people, but not the pace?
It's still people work. You're just there for the whole recovery, from the first phone call to the first full week back, working with the person, their employer, their doctors and their family.
You're a few years in and running on empty.
You still love the moment a patient gets better. It's the back-to-back bookings, the targets and the ceiling you can already see that are wearing you down.
You've just finished uni and you're not sure clinic is forever.
You worked hard for that degree and you want to use it. Maybe just not in a treatment room for the next 40 years.
You'll need a degree in physiotherapy, exercise physiology, occupational therapy, nursing or social work.
Same skills, a different Tuesday
A Tuesday as a rehab consultant
Example day- Calls and emails, plan the day
- Drive to Penrith
- Initial assessment at a client's kitchen table
- Drive to Smithfield
- Worksite walk-through with a supervisor
- Lunch in the car, podcast on
- Case conference with a GP and physio, by video
- Write up a return-to-work plan
- Case notes, then an update call to the insurer
- Initial assessment at a client's kitchen table
- Worksite walk-through with a supervisor
- Lunch in the car, podcast on
- Case conference with a GP and physio, by video
- Write up a return-to-work plan
- Case notes, then an update call to the insurer
Rehab consulting keeps the part you love, working with people, and changes the rest.
Follow Sam's recovery, and your part in it
Sam isn't a real person, but his story is a common one. Step through ten weeks to see what the job looks like day to day.
Day 1: Referral lands
Example case
Stage 1 of 6Day 1
Referral lands
Sam, 34, a warehouse storeperson, hurt his lower back lifting stock. The insurer refers him to you. You call Sam the same day to introduce yourself and book a visit.
- Who you're with
- Sam and his insurer
- Your clinical skills
- Building trust on the first call
0of 38 hours back at work
Not back at work yet.
The parts nobody puts in the job ad
We'd rather you hear it now.
- Paperwork. Reports and case notes take up a good part of most weeks.
- Driving. Home visits and worksites mean time in the car.
- Deadlines. Insurers and the schemes set timeframes you have to meet.
- Not everyone is ready. Some people aren't ready to go back yet, and helping them is part of the job too.
You'll practise these parts in the academy too.
It pays well from the start
Starting roles advertised in Sydney commonly list $80k–$100k plus super. You're paid a salary, not by how many patients you see.
It's a fast-growing field with real need. Workers compensation and motor accident schemes rely on rehab consultants to get people back to work, and providers are hiring.
What the pay can look like
Rehab consultant
$80k–$100k to start
From there, senior consultant, team leader and manager roles pay more.
Where it can lead
Specialise in a scheme
- Workers compensation
- Motor accident (CTP)
- Life insurance and income protection
Specialise in assessments
- Functional capacity evaluations
- Ergonomic and worksite assessments
- Vocational assessments
Lead, or move in-house
- In-house return-to-work coordinator
- Injury management advisor
- Team leader
- State or operations manager
How the three weeks work
Six lessons over three weeks, two a week, run after work so you can keep your current job.
Week 1 · 2 lessons
Learn how the industry works
Who's who in a claim, what each person needs from you, and what a good week looks like as a consultant.
Week 2 · 2 lessons
Build the core skills
The assessments, reports and conversations that move a case forward, practised on cases like Sam's.
Revisit Sam's caseWeek 3 · 2 lessons
Put it to the test
An evening simulation: work a mock case from referral to return to work, the way a consultant would, and get assessed on it.
Week 4 · Optional
Get ready to apply
If you want it: help with your CV, interview practice and salary conversations.
How you'll know you're learning the right stuff
You learn from people who do the job. Lessons are taught by experienced rehab consultants who also mentor people coming into the field.
It's built with real employers. We work with rehab providers who are hiring. When a provider sponsors your cohort, we build how their team works into your lessons and mock case.
You meet the people hiring. When your cohort has a sponsor, someone from their team can come to a lesson to talk about what it's like to work there.
After the academy, we help you land the role
- 1
We put you forward
To your cohort's sponsor first, if it has one, and to other rehab providers who are hiring. They set up screening calls with the graduates they'd like to meet.
- 2
You interview
If they call you, you go through their usual interviews, with prep from us beforehand if you want it.
- 3
You decide
We help you weigh up an offer, then check in through your first weeks.
- 4
If it isn't the right fit
We keep going, with feedback and introductions to other rehab providers who are hiring.
A fair deal, both ways
We put a lot into every person in the academy, so we ask the same of you.
What we ask of you
- Turning up to all six lessons, ready to take part.
- A proper go at the week 3 simulation, and the assessment that goes with it.
- Being ready to take a rehab consulting role when you finish.
What you can count on from us
- We teach you the job.
- We put you in front of rehab providers who are hiring.
- We help you prepare for interviews and weigh up offers.
- We stay in touch until you're settled in.
When you register, we'll ask you to confirm you can do the three weeks and that you'd take a role at the end. No surprises.
Do I need any rehab consulting experience?
No. That's what the academy is for. You'll need a degree in physiotherapy, exercise physiology, occupational therapy, nursing or social work.
Will I stop using my clinical skills?
No. You use them differently. Assessments, clinical reasoning and translating medical information for workers, employers and insurers are the core of the job. You'll influence a whole recovery instead of one session.
Do I have to give up my registration?
No. Your qualification and your professional registration stay yours. Registering your interest with us is a different thing: it starts a conversation, and nothing's locked in until you accept a place.
How much time does the academy take?
Six lessons over three weeks, two a week, run after work hours. Week 3 includes an evening simulation, where you work a mock case and get assessed. There's an optional fourth week for CV and interview prep. We'll confirm lesson times and cohort dates on your call.
What does it cost?
We'll take you through cohort dates and any costs on your call, before anything's locked in.
Will I have to do unpaid work for a provider?
No. There are no unpaid trials or work placements. Your hands-on practice is a simulation during one of the evening lessons, and that's what you're assessed on.
Can I keep working while I do the academy?
Yes. Lessons run after work hours, so the academy fits around your current job.
What if I don't get an offer straight away?
Rehab providers choose who to interview and who to hire, so an offer isn't guaranteed. If it isn't the right fit, we keep working with you: feedback on how each application went, introductions to other rehab providers who are hiring, and more interview practice.
Where are the jobs?
We're starting with rehab providers in New South Wales and the ACT. If you're elsewhere in Australia, register your interest anyway so we know where to look next.
What happens after I register?
We'll call you within two business days to book a 15–20 minute chat. If it's a fit, we'll offer you a place in the next cohort.
In our example, Sam texts you a photo from his first full shift.
Who will you help next?
Three weeks of after-work lessons, introductions to rehab providers who are hiring, and our help as you look for the right role. Registering takes about two minutes, and we'll call you within two business days.
Nothing's locked in until you accept a place.
Example caseWeek 10
Sam, 34, warehouse storeperson
38of 38 hours back at work
Back on his normal roster: 38 hours, Monday to Friday.