Dr. Nehal Shah has25 years of teaching experience with 20 years in SBB College of Physiotherapy. She is the InchargePrincipal of the College since 2016. She is a Post Graduate teacher in Orthopedic Physiotherapy since 2006 and a PhD Guide since 2015. Dr. Nehal Shah is a Certified EMG/NCV practitioner and trainer from American Academy of Clinical Electro diagnosis, USA since 2014, the only Physiotherapist in Gujarat who has achieved this. She was a Team member and co-investigator for a research project “Rehabilitation Prescription Allowing Injury Recovery (RePAIR) in collaboration of Government of India and National Trauma Research Institute, Australia. The project was carried out in India by Australia – India Trauma System Collaboration. She was the Resource person for a webinar on PREVENTING FALLS AMONG ELDERLY as a part of  STEP SAFELY – strategies for preventing and managing falls across lifespan organized by World Health Organization and Monash University Accident Research Centre on 14 th April, 2022. She is an Elected Member, Gujarat State Council for Physiotherapy (2021-2026) and elected as Joint Secretary (West Zone), The Indian Association of Physiotherapist 2020 -2023 term. Shewas also Selected as Gujarat State Head, Women Cell of Indian Association of Physiotherapists by nomination December 2018 - March 2020 and National Head, Research Committee, Indian Association of Physiotherapist, June 2020 till date. She has been a resource person in atleast 80 Seminars, Conferences and Workshops till date.

S.B.B. College of Physiotherapy

When you first came to S.B.B. College of physiotherapy, what was your vision for the university and how far along in implementing that vision are you?

"My objective when I joined this college was to transform our students into best Physiotherapists"

I joined SBB College of Physiotherapy in 2002. The college was still in its infancy and there was a need to establish the college. There was a need to lay a strong base and foundation on which the future of the college relied. Foundation of Academic planning, Patient care setting and education standards were to be laid and strengthened. The vision was to make industry ready Physiotherapists. This was effectively done with team work and SBB College of Physiotherapy grew with a strong base. In 2006 SBB College was the second College to start Masters in Physiotherapy (MPT) program in Gujarat. This broadened the vision and outlook. SBB College entered a new world of research and evidence based era of Physiotherapy. The team had a new challenge ahead and once again with hard work, dedication and teamwork, we could emerge as one of the promising colleges that established high quality academic standards. Recent era is the era of Research and Evidence Based practices. SBB College has a sound foundation of Research promotion. The vision for the next decade is promotion of Research activities and coming at par with Global standards in terms of Physiotherapy research. SBB College has to speak the language of research spoken by the International Physiotherapy community and prove its standards. The college has begun this new journey and the students and faculties are pro-research and putting in great efforts. Soon we aim to see SBB College research proposals being taken up and funded by renowned funding agencies and SBB College shining bright in the field of research and innovation and also in Clinical Physiotherapy.

Being the Principal of S.B.B. College of Physiotherapy, what is your philosophy of leadership?

"A true leader knows how to help everyone grow by utilising their skills and help them build new one"

I always believe that I should be the facilitator who can aid all round progress of subordinates and students. I believe in ‘TOGETHER WE CAN AND WE WILL”. I always believe that each of us has the potential and all it needs is some amount of facilitation and motivation. Instead of being a boss, if a leader works as a promoter and a motivator, we can get better results. Instead of divide and rule, I believe in Walking and growing together.

What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector?

"My curious attitude and passion of educating others has kept me associated"

I always believe that lucky people get an opportunity to have their career in the healthcare sector. It is a very noble profession. I was one of such lucky lot. And adding to this noble profession, I was blessed to be in healthcare education. As an educator I believe that we need to always be updated and more prepared than our students. We need to teach them in a different way, what we teach has to be more practical and realistic and not mere textbook. I believe in pouring my experience with my lectures and probably that made me a teacher who was liked by the students. Apart from this, professional upgradation and Continuing Education programs add to the connectivity with the education system. Strong desire to continuously upgrade, moving ahead of time and keeping an eye on the Global scenario has kept me connected with the Education sector. Holding a key position in an education system also means being very much involved with policy making and decision making. And for this also one needs to think and apply at a broader perspective and need to adopt a broader vision. I have always prepared myself for the same with apt logical reasoning and broader vision.

In your experience, what inbound students can gain from studying here in your college?

"Students here will receive best theoretical and practical knowledge"

Education systems in India and abroad are way different and at times any student of any field who wishes to pursue abroad keeps struggling matching up with these two different types of education systems. 

A college can play a crucial role in making this struggle. If the faculties of the college are experienced and experts in their respective fields, they can help bridge this gap. Biggest aim of any college should be making industry ready professionals. Education in the healthcare sector consists of two things – classroom teaching and clinical teaching on patients and apt hands-on exposure on patients under supervision while they are still in college.

Physiotherapy is a branch of modern medicine where a student after passing has to be prepared enough to treat patients in an efficient manner, communicate effectively with other healthcare professionals and even their patients. This can come when a college provides clinical exposure to the students apart from classroom teaching. At SBB College of Physiotherapy both these are well blended as per the academic calendar and planning done by the college. A student studying in SBB College of Physiotherapy is no less than any student of any country because SBB College is committed to quality education.

How do you establish a healthy relationship and environment in your college?

"By being a good listener and maintaining a transparent communication ambiance for everyone"

The biggest task of any leader is to keep unity and a healthy atmosphere in an Institution. No two people in a family are the same and at times differences are bound to happen. To keep interpersonal relationships healthy among the employees of the college, transparency and communication are my mantra. It is difficult to match up with everyone’s ego and grudges. But by creating a cordial and easy atmosphere, this too can be sorted. Not poking into small matters , trusting them and their capabilities and give them liberty to work in their way provided it is not harming the system can build a healthy atmosphere in which an Institute can grow.

Students are youth with tender minds. I always believe that they need to be trained and not pampered. This training should be in a positive way and devoid of any nagging and negative psyche. There is a very thin line between giving them freedom and pampering them. I strongly believe in this thin line and not breaking this line. This is for the betterment of the student. If a student needs to be punished for something, firstly that punishment should also be positive and secondly a student needs to explain in clear cut words the reason for this punishment. At the same time, listening to the students is equally important. If they are correct, they need to be appreciated. Their good progress is appreciated. Their work with patients is registered and appreciated and their new ideas are given proper direction at SBB College of Physiotherapy.

Check S.B.B. College of Physiotherapy Courses & Fees

What makes your college unique in comparison to others?

"Our faculties, education and clinical exposure we offer to students makes us different"

Experienced and expert teachers along with Physiotherapy OPD and IPD of the college catering hundreds of patients per day is the USP of SBB College of Physiotherapy. College is attached to SVP Hospital for indoor patient exposure. Hence right from the beginning a student practically learns everything that he/she learns in theory. This builds up their clinical skills. They are taught clinical reasoning and decision making on patients which they cannot forget. This practical knowledge with a blend of hands on experience helps them cope up with the healthcare system within India and abroad. Students are also taught ICF which is a common language the entire world speaks as far as the healthcare sector is concerned. Hence teachers plus patients under one roof is the USP of the college. Teachers of the college are one of the senior most in the respective speciality. Majority of them are Nationally renowned and few are Internationally certified teachers. Teachers have authored books or written chapters in books. Studying from such teachers means gaining the Bible of Physiotherapy during the college days. This blend of expert training with patient exposure makes these students stand out apart from the mass after passing out. They are industry ready, profession ready and confident. Students of SBB College of Physiotherapy have done wonders in India and across the globe after completing their studies from SBB College of Physiotherapy.

Apart from this, SBB College of Physiotherapy provides stipend as per Government norms to its own students pursuing six months mandatory internship at SBB College after passing Final Year BPT examination and stipend as per Government norms to Post Graduate students pursuing MPT for entire two years of their study.

How is the Life of students at S.B.B. College of Physiotherapy?

"Students life at SBB is amazing with the blend of co-curricular activities and disciplined routine"

There is a very thin line between being friendly and pampering. SBB College of Physiotherapy is a PARENT INSTITUTION. Parents can be friendly but not friends. It is a duty of every parent to train their children for a better tomorrow and as a parent institute, SBB College of Physiotherapy also believes in training a student and cultivating discipline and professional ethics. We are not only there to teach them textbooks. We are there to inculcate the entire physiotherapy profession in them which includes professional ethics, morals and discipline. We know that when these students pass out and enter the real world, they are not going to be pampered. And hence we try to make them discipline and professionals.

Hence life of students at SBB College of Physiotherapy is disciplined and professional. This discipline with time gets deep rooted in them and then they also speak the same language and they are able to identify the benefits of this disciplined culture. Nevertheless this discipline is cultivated in them with proper explanation of the reason behind everything so that they don’t feel pressured because of that. At the same time, students are at liberty to enjoy extracurricular activities in their own way without any limitations when such activities are planned. Such activities are planned almost quarterly and all teachers and students gel with each other and enjoy a pleasant friendly atmosphere.

If a student has some good innovative idea, the idea is channelized properly to make it a success. SMILE FOUNDATION OF SBB COLLEGE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY is the best example. One student came up with the idea to provide opportunity to students to help the underprivileged and that idea grew up to become SMILE FOUNDATION which brings smiles on faces. The foundation has done various activities like providing clothes and food to the underprivileged, t-shirt painting for Physically and mentally challenged children and recently AzadikaAmritMahotsav was celebrated by SMILE FOUNDATION by organizing a Drawing competition for children living in slums. This gives a sense of social responsibility and serving mankind to these youth.

So to summarize Life of Student at SBB College of Physiotherapy is a perfect blend of discipline, professionalism with a pinch of fun and flavours of social service.

How is your college more welcoming to students of different races or economic backgrounds?

"We cater students admitted to our College either through the admission committee of Government or directly admitted by us in the same manner irrespective of their caste, creed or economical status"

SBB College of Physiotherapy is a college managed by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Medical Education Trust. College admissions are done as per Government norms and hence students of all races and economic backgrounds stand a chance to study in the college. Reservation policy as per Government norms are followed during admissions and majorly admissions are done by Admission Committee of Government of Gujarat for Undergraduates and Admission Committee of Gujarat University for Postgraduates. 

Students admitted to the college can avail all scholarship schemes given by State as well as Central Government which can help economically weaker strata of students also study in the college. 

Apart from that college runs BOOK BANK for students who cannot afford to purchase books. College accepts books as donations from its existing students, ex-students, faculties and any one who wishes to donate books that can be used by other students. Students who belong to weaker economical backgrounds can apply for availing books from the book bank and they are provided such books for the entire year till they clear that particular year after which they have to return the books back to the college and the same can be given to other students. BOOK BANK is also managed by students of the college who pass on this legacy to their juniors when they pass out.

Click S.B.B. College of Physiotherapy Faculty

Any suggestions which you would like to give to the current youth and aspiring students?

"Be practical, don't take everything for granted and set realistic goals for yourself"

Current youth is a pure social media prisoner who lacks applying commonsense and logic into any decision making of life. They go by jazzy marketing. They believe in being pampered and they don’t want to step out of their comfort zone.

My advice to them is realistic. Outside world and life reality is not always comfortable and a cherry walk. One needs to be realistic and step out of one's comfort zone to be successful. So when you are making any decision in life, think practically and realistically. While choosing a college, instead of going by jazzy marketing, false promises and pampering, choose the college with a strong base and firm ethics. For the healthcare sector, look at the college that provides good hands-on exposure and not mere visits to the hospitals. Ask for the OPD that the college has developed and not the hospitals attached. Ask for the profiles of the teachers and their experience. To be successful, one needs to work hard and think outside the box. One needs to be logical and disciplined.