• BCAK
• Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine
• BPK Graduate Program
• CHANGEpain
• College & Association of Respiratory Therapists of Alberta
• Curtis Personalized Health Management Ltd.
• Fit in 30 Minutes

• Innovative Fitness
• Kintec Orthotics + Footwear
• Wilson School of Design at KPU
• Life Chiropractic College West
• OzTREKK
• Palmer College of Chiropractic
• Ross University School of Medicine

• SFU Career and Volunteer Services
• SFU Recreation
• SFU Sports Medicine
• St. George's University School of Medicine
• University of Western States
• Vancouver College of Massage Therapy
• West Coast College of Massage Therapy

Chris Back
WorkSafe BC

I currently work for WorkSafe BC as the Director of Industry and Labour Services. I graduated from SFU with a BSc. Kinesiology in 2002. I completed six co-op terms and co-op was the best decision I could have made during undergrad. My co-op placements were at Kintec Orthotics, Guildford Physiotherapy, Lakeside Fitness, ErgoRisk, and Worksafe BC. Co-op provided me practical experience in various areas of kinesiology and allowed me to explore the different streams of work within the field. My advice is to use your university experience to explore as many opportunities that you have available and join the co-op program.

Megan Bruschetta
UBC Physical Therapy 

Megan Bruschetta completed her degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Active Health & Rehabilitation in 2017 and is currently in her first year of the Master of Physical Therapy program at UBC. While at SFU she enrolled in co-op where she completed three terms as a Research Assistant in the Rheumatology Department at BC Children’s Hospital and this solidified her belief that physical therapy was the career for her. After this, she volunteered at Kids Physio Group shadowing pediatric physical therapists and at The Centre for Child Development as a pool therapy assistant. These opportunities fueled her desire to pursue a career in which she can help children reach their fullest potential. During her time at SFU she was also heavily involved with the BPKSA and held an NSERC USRA in the Injury Prevention & Mobility Lab. 

Dr. Taki Galanopoulos
Physician
Blue Water Medical

I majored in Kinesiology and then did my MSc in the same department (in the lab of Glen Tibbits).  I received by BSc in 1997 and my MSc 2001.  I'm currently the owner of my own private practice Blue Water Medical in Vancouver, as well as the Lead Physician at the Student Health Center at BCIT.  Previously I worked as the Chief Medical Officer of a Pennyrile Health Services in rural Kentucky (2013-2014), I held a one term position as the Interim Medical Director of Health Care Services at Ross University School of Medicine (2015), and I was a Physician at PrimeCare Medical in Burnaby (2015- May 2017).  My advice for students: Plan ahead, but be flexible when plans don't go as planned.

Xelliece Guerra
Practicing Kinesiologist

Xelliece graduated from SFU in 2016 with her BSc in Kinesiology, and the certificate in Health/Fitness and Active Rehabilitation. She currently works as a Return to Work Planning Kinesiologist at Lifemark Vancouver, and as a Mobile Kinesiologist for Easy Therapy Surrey.

During her education, Xelliece worked as an Admin Assistant and Human Resources Manafer at a Tutoring Company, an Admin Assistant at a physiotherapy clinic, and a Physical Pctivity Leader through the YMCA. 

Her advice for current students is to talk to professionals in the areas that interest you and to volunteer or do co-op to apply your practical skill set. 

Dr. Alexander Hoffer
Orthopaedic Surgery Resident

I majored in Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology at SFU and went on to complete medical school at UBC. I am currently a first year resident in Orthopaedic Surgery at UBC and work mainly at Vancouver General Hospital. 

Before medical school I considered physiotherapy or pursuing a career in research. During my time here I completed four co-op terms including two as a personal trainer at Innovative Fitness, one in Montreal at the Canadian Space Agency and one in the Neurokinesiology research lab at SFU. 

My advice for current students? Do co-op! You’ll gain valuable experience and it is a ton of fun. If you are considering a career in Medicine, make sure you know what you are signing up for. Shadow or talk to current doctors in different specialties to get their perspective. It is a rewarding career but is certainly a long road.

Tallon Milne
UBC Physical Therapy

Tallon Milne graduated from SFU with a BSc. in Kinesiology in the summer of 2013. He currently is in his first year of the Master of Physical Therapy program at UBC. Between graduation at SFU and attending UBC he completed a MSc. at TRU while working as a Wildland Firefighter. His MSc. thesis evaluated the interaction between an antimicrobial peptide with its proposed receptor on gram-negative bacteria as preliminary pharmaceutical research. Tallon was also a varsity basketball player throughout his academic studies at both SFU and TRU. While at SFU he also completed one co-op practicum with the Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA) of BC. Working with young adults at DDA Tallon gained experience with different developmental disabilities, which propelled him to focus on becoming a physiotherapist.

Michelle Pospisil
CHANGEpain Clinic

Currently I am working as a Clinic Coordinator at CHANGEpain. I graduated from SFU with a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Physiology in 2012. I was heavily involved in research with Max Donelan in the SFU Locomotion Laboratory and worked on creating a Gait Analysis Database. I also worked for Dawn Mackey at the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility. I researched how to improve energetic cost of walking in seniors. My advice for current students it to always ask why and to not be afraid to try something new. I believe that one of the best ways to learn is to teach, even if you do not feel perfectly ready.

Cassandra Russell
Physiotherapist, Fraser Health

My name is Cassandra Russell. I graduated from SFU in spring 2013 with my Bachelor of Science (BPK Major) and Certificate in Active Health and Rehabilitation. While I volunteered with a variety of programs while at SFU (Burnaby Hospital Healthy Heart/Mental Health exercise programs, coaching field hockey, trainer for the SFU Rugby team, shadowed at Physiomoves clinic), I did not complete the COOP program. After volunteering with the Burnaby Hospital Mental Health exercise program and helping the manager complete a statistical analysis of the effectiveness of the program, the information was used to expand the service to neighbouring communities and I was hired by Fraser Health to run program in New Westminster. Then I attended Glasgow Caledonian University in the United Kingdom where I graduated in April 2016 with my Masters of Physiotherapy. I had an amazing experience as a physiotherapy student in the UK. We had eight placements in different areas of physiotherapy (such as musculoskeletal, elderly rehabilitation, orthopedics, neurology, rheumatology, occupational health, surgical intensive care unit, and maxofacial surgery), a dissertation involving a quantitative study, as well as access to University sport teams and international travel. I returned to Canada in January 2016 to complete the credentialing and exams required by the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators. I have been working as a physiotherapist at Surrey Memorial Hospital since June 2016. My advice is: if you know what you want to do, don’t wait!

Valentine Sergeev
UBC Medical Student

I’m currently in 1^st year medical school at UBC. I was always interested in pursuing medicine but took a rather meandering route to get where I am. I started as an Econ major at McGill University before transferring into BPK in my 3^rd year. After completing my B.Sc. in Biomedical Physiology in 2015, I continued in the BPK department and attained my M.Sc. in 2017 under the supervision of Glen Tibbits and Tom Claydon. In the summers between my undergraduate years, I was a forest firefighter out of 100 Mile House, BC and during my time as a graduate student I was a teaching assistant for several BPK classes. I enjoy teaching and have also worked and volunteered as a tutor. My advice for you is to treat your education as a full-time job. Not only will this save your GPA (in case you would like to apply to a competitive graduate or professional program) but will also build your work ethic and resilience in preparation for world.

Alec Yu
UBC Medical Student

Hi there! My name is Alec, and I'm currently a first year medical student at UBC. I was a Biomedical Physiology major at SFU, and completed two co-op work terms in the wonderful Dr. Peter Ruben's lab. For other BPK students considering medical school, I would recommend thinking about the type of person you would like to be once you are a doctor, and building the skills, traits, and habits necessary to achieve that goal during your undergrad. Later on, you will definitely become a medical expert, but you won't have as much time to work on other aspects of yourself that are equally important to patient care and a fulfilling lifestyle.