Mentoring is not a new concept for physiotherapist Dr David Worth MACP. 

Supporting and guiding others has been woven throughout his six-decade-long career in occupational health, management and leadership. 

What stood out to him about the APA’s Mentoring Program was not the idea of mentoring itself but the way it formalised and supported something he’d been doing intuitively for years.

‘The minute I saw the APA Mentoring Program, I contacted them. 

'I’ve been doing this for a very long time with professionals, particularly physios, so I just wanted to understand what the program was about. 

'I took it on immediately and it’s wonderful,’ says David, an APA Titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist.

Now in his third year as an APA mentor, David has supported several mentees, some briefly and others over several years. 

What keeps him returning is not a prescribed structure or defined outcome but the depth and quality of the conversations the program makes possible. 

For him, mentoring is not about dispensing advice but about creating a space where someone else can think clearly.

‘The first thing I learned right from the beginning was to listen, to feel and hear without interruption. 

David Worth.

'People are different and you have to understand how they see the world before you can help them navigate it,’ he says.

That approach aligns closely with the APA program’s emphasis on mentee-led relationships. 

Sessions are shaped by what the mentee brings forward, with timing and focus adjusted as their needs evolve. 

David typically sets aside an hour at a time, allowing mentees to decide how often they would like to meet and what they want to work through. 

‘That’s why they stick with you. They feel ownership over the process,’ he says.

For Fiona McKechnie APAM, the Mentoring Program came at a time of transition. Originally from Scotland, Fiona trained and worked in the NHS before moving to Australia. 

While she arrived with years of experience and a strong clinical foundation, adapting to a new healthcare system, workplace culture and professional expectations presented challenges she hadn’t anticipated.

‘When I moved to Australia and joined the APA, an email came through about the Mentoring Program,’ Fiona says. 

‘In the UK, mentoring is built into public health roles but private practice here is different. I thought it would be a good way to fill that gap.’

Fiona applied to the Mentoring Program without a clear sense of what to expect, viewing it as an opportunity to explore rather than a solution to a specific problem. 

What she found was a mentoring relationship that supported both her professional development and her adjustment to working as a physiotherapist in Australia.

Matched with David, Fiona quickly discovered that mentoring extended well beyond clinical discussion. 

Many of their conversations focused on navigating the realities of private practice, particularly areas Fiona had never encountered before. 

‘Conversations about wages, expectations and benefits were completely new to me. 

'So we did a lot of role-play so I could feel more confident about having those discussions,’ she says.

The guidance, Fiona says, was invaluable. 

David’s experience helped her understand not just what conversations needed to happen but how to approach them in a way that aligned with Australian workplace norms. 

For an overseas-trained physiotherapist, having access to that perspective reduced uncertainty and built confidence.

Beyond employment discussions, mentoring sessions became a place to reflect on complex cases, referral pathways and professional decision-making. 

Fiona describes bringing patient scenarios to David and talking through how care could be coordinated within the Australian healthcare system.

‘I’ve been able to say, “This is the scenario; what do you think?”’ she says. 

‘And David could explain what options are available here and who else might be involved.’

For David, those conversations reinforce that mentoring is not about providing answers but about helping mentees recognise their own capacity to reason and decide. 

That philosophy resonated strongly with Fiona, who describes the mentoring relationship as empowering rather than directive. 

‘He never tells you what to do,’ she says. ‘He helps you think about what you want to do and why.’

The flexibility of the program supports their dynamic. 

Fiona estimates she has had around 10 sessions with David, each lasting about an hour, with meetings becoming less frequent as her confidence and clarity grew. 

‘It didn’t feel time-consuming. It felt like time invested in myself,’ she says.

One of the program’s strengths is that it recognises mentoring as a two-way exchange. 

While mentees gain insight, confidence and direction, mentors also describe significant personal and professional benefits. 

Fiona Mckechnie.

For David, mentoring has become a way to remain deeply connected to the profession while contributing meaningfully to its future. 

‘I discovered that I’ve built up so much knowledge over time. And being able to draw on that and see how it helps someone else is incredibly satisfying,’ he says.

Mentoring has also encouraged David to challenge his own assumptions. 

Working with physiotherapists from different backgrounds and career stages has reinforced the importance of curiosity and humility. 

‘You have to stop yourself from thinking “I wouldn’t have done it that way”. You learn to listen first.’

That respect was particularly important in his work with Fiona. Rather than focusing on differences, David made a conscious effort to meet her where she was. 

‘If I didn’t quite understand something, I’d ask her to repeat it. That’s part of respecting the person you’re working with,’ he says.

For Fiona, this created a sense of safety that allowed honest reflection and growth. 

‘It’s not an interview,’ she explains. ‘It’s just a chat. And that makes a huge difference.’

Both mentor and mentee point to the program’s broader impact on professional connection. 

By matching physiotherapists who might never otherwise cross paths, the APA Mentoring Program builds relationships that cut across geography, experience and practice settings. 

‘This program connects people who would otherwise not run into each other day to day. That’s incredibly valuable,’ David says.

Fiona lives in Queensland and David lives in South Australia, so the virtual format of meeting removed barriers rather than created them. 

‘We’ve never met in person,’ Fiona says. ‘But that hasn’t mattered.’

Accessibility is particularly important for physiotherapists in small practices, in rural or regional areas or in the process of navigating career transitions. 

The program provides a dedicated space for reflection that is not tied to employment or hierarchy, enabling conversations that might not happen elsewhere.

‘I think at any stage of your career, mentoring would be useful,’ Fiona says. 

‘You only know what you know. Speaking to someone else, in that dedicated space, is very powerful.’

For David, volunteering his time is simply an extension of a career shaped by shared learning and professional generosity. 

‘There’s absolutely enjoyment in it.’ 

For Fiona, the experience has prompted conversations with colleagues who were unaware the program existed.

Those conversations reflect a growing recognition that mentoring is not only for new graduates or those seeking change but for anyone who values reflection, growth and connection within the profession. 

As Fiona puts it, ‘Go in with an open mind. You might think you want one thing but you’ll come out with much more.’ 

Program opens for 2026

Applications for the 2026 APA Mentoring Program open in February and will close in March, with applicants notified of suitable matches by the end of March.

The program will officially start in April and will run for eight months until December. It is exclusively available to APA members, with physiotherapists at all career stages welcome to apply as mentees. 

Mentors can nominate preferences to support early-career physiotherapists, experienced clinicians or overseas-trained physiotherapists undertaking the Australian College of Physiotherapists assessment process for recognition in Australia. 

Participants are supported by a dedicated program manager, a comprehensive mentoring resource library and interactive webinars delivered at key stages. 

New enhancements of the program for this year include a goal-setting workshop for mentees at the start of the program and a mid-progress e-learning module for mentors, designed to re-energise mentoring relationships and maximise the value of the second half of the program.

Click here for all the details of the 2026 program.