Overview
Background
Roma Forbes is the Program Director of the Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) program at The University of Queensland. A highly experienced APA-titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, she brings extensive clinical and academic expertise to her role.
Roma is a Director of the Australian Physiotherapy Council and serves as the National Chair of the Accreditation Committee, overseeing the quality and standards of physiotherapy education and practice. She also represents Australia on the World Physiotherapy Education Committee, contributing to global advancements in physiotherapy and interprofessional education. She serves a number of editorial roles including as an Associate Editor for The Clinical Teacher and Editor for Education for the Archives of Physiotherapy.
With a strong commitment to student success and workforce readiness, Roma leads programs of research exploring work-integrated learning, student transition, and the capabilities needed for a contemporary health workforce. Her work informs both curriculum innovation and policy, focusing on how learning environments, assessment, and educator development can enhance graduate outcomes.
Roma is passionate about fostering a supported, inclusive, and high-performing community of health professional students, educators, and researchers at UQ and beyond. She remains deeply committed to transforming health professional education through evidence-informed leadership, policy, and partnerships that support students from university entry through to graduation and into the workforce.
Awards and Fellowships
- Advance Higher Education Global Impact Award (2023)
- The University of Queensland Award for Teaching Excellence (2023)
- Association for the Study of Medical Education - Medical Education Developing Scholarship Award (2023)
- Higher Education Academy Senior Fellow (2023)
- Health and Behavioural Sciences Faculty Award for Programs that Enhance Learning (2023)
- Australian Award for University Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2021)
- Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Fellow (2021)
- The University of Queensland Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2020)
- Flinders University - ANZAHPE Award for Excellence in Health Professional Education (2020)
- Higher Eduction Academy Fellow (2019)
- Health and Behavioural Sciences Faculty Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2019)
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2018)
- Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) Associate Fellow (2018)
Availability
- Associate Professor Roma Forbes is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Qualifications
- Bachelor, Auckland University of Technology
- Postgraduate Diploma, Auckland University of Technology
- Masters (Coursework), Auckland University of Technology
- Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
- Certificate of Languages, Te Wananga o Aotearoa
Research impacts
Roma leads and collaborates with teams across universities and industry sectors to embed innovative patient education models and educator development frameworks into health professional programs in Australia and internationally. Her work focuses on building educator capability and embedding evidence-informed teaching practices across classroom and clinical settings. She also leads national research initiatives to improve access to and quality of work-integrated learning in private practice, identifying systemic barriers and co-designing solutions that strengthen placement capacity, educator support, and student learning outcomes.
Works
Search Professor Roma Forbes’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Conference Publication
Allied health student and educator experiences of teaching and learning clinical skills online in response to COVID-19
Forbes, Roma , Martin, Romany, Patterson, Freyr, Hill, Anne, Hoyle, Melanie, Penman, Adriana, Leung, Letizia, Smith, Sage and Mandrusiak, Allison (2021). Allied health student and educator experiences of teaching and learning clinical skills online in response to COVID-19. QLD Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Showcasing Research and Scholarship in Teaching and Learning, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 15 July 2021.
2021
Conference Publication
Allied health student and educator experiences of teaching and learning clinical skills online in response to COVID-19
Forbes, R., Martin, R., Patterson, F., Hill, A., Hoyle, M. and Penman, A. (2021). Allied health student and educator experiences of teaching and learning clinical skills online in response to COVID-19. Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA), Brisbane, QLD Australia, 15 July 2021.
2021
Journal Article
Descriptions of learning and teaching innovations; using project-based learning to support clinical education
Forbes, Roma (2021). Descriptions of learning and teaching innovations; using project-based learning to support clinical education. Australian Journal of Clinical Education, 9 (1), 30-35. doi: 10.53300/001c.25453
2021
Conference Publication
Patient-centred education in healthcare practice
Forbes, Roma (2021). Patient-centred education in healthcare practice . Caring and Sharing International Conference of Medical Humanities, Lisbon, Portugal , 24-26 June 2021.
2021
Conference Publication
New-graduate physiotherapists working in rural Queensland.
Lu, Andric, Martin, Romany , Mandrusiak, Allison and Forbes, Roma (2021). New-graduate physiotherapists working in rural Queensland.. Outback Allied Health Forum, Centre for Rural and Remote Health, Mount Isa, QLD, Australia, 24-25 June 2021.
2021
Journal Article
Exploring allied health professional student and academic teacher experiences of teaching and learning clinical skills online in response to COVID-19
Forbes, Roma, Martin, Romany, Patterson, Freyr, Hill, Anne, Hoyle, Melanie, Penman, Adriana, Leung, Letizia, Smith, Sage and Mandrusiak, Allison (2021). Exploring allied health professional student and academic teacher experiences of teaching and learning clinical skills online in response to COVID-19. Australian Journal of Clinical Education, 9 (1). doi: 10.53300/001c.24488
2021
Journal Article
Five myths about hosting physio students in private practice
Peiris, Casey, Forbes, Roma, Dunwoodie, Ruth, Lawton, Vidya and Eustace, Jim (2021). Five myths about hosting physio students in private practice. Physiotherapy InMotion.
2021
Journal Article
Exploring the workplace mentorship needs of new-graduate physiotherapists: a qualitative study
Lao, Andrew, Wilesmith, Sarah and Forbes, Roma (2021). Exploring the workplace mentorship needs of new-graduate physiotherapists: a qualitative study. Physiotherapy theory and practice, 38 (12), 1-10. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2021.1917023
2021
Journal Article
Hosting pre-registration physiotherapy students in Australian private practices does not change service and economic outcomes; an economic analysis
Forbes, Roma, Dinsdale, Alana, Brauer, Sandra G., Dunwoodie, Ruth, Fooken, Jonas, Khanna, Diana and Birch, Stephen (2021). Hosting pre-registration physiotherapy students in Australian private practices does not change service and economic outcomes; an economic analysis. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 52 102318, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2021.102318
2021
Journal Article
Navigating diagnostic uncertainty in musculoskeletal practice: the perspectives and experiences of new graduate physiotherapists
Almond, Allexandra, Zou, Yixin and Forbes, Roma (2021). Navigating diagnostic uncertainty in musculoskeletal practice: the perspectives and experiences of new graduate physiotherapists. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 52 102354, 102354. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2021.102354
2021
Journal Article
Mentorship and workplace support needs of new graduate physiotherapists in rural and remote settings: a qualitative study
Martin, Romany Anne, Mandrusiak, Allison, Lu, Andric and Forbes, Roma (2021). Mentorship and workplace support needs of new graduate physiotherapists in rural and remote settings: a qualitative study. Focus on Health Professional Education: A Multi-Professional Journal, 22 (1), 15-32. doi: 10.11157/fohpe.v22i1.426
2020
Conference Publication
Lessons learned in using simulation for patient education training of health professional students
Forbes, Roma (2020). Lessons learned in using simulation for patient education training of health professional students. Australian Catholic University Simulation Showcase, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 2 December 2020.
2020
Journal Article
New-graduate physiotherapists’ self-efficacy and preparedness for patient education practice: a mixed methods study
Wilesmith, Sarah, Lao, Andrew and Forbes, Roma (2020). New-graduate physiotherapists’ self-efficacy and preparedness for patient education practice: a mixed methods study. Focus on Health Professional Education: A Multi-Professional Journal, 21 (3), 44-64. doi: 10.11157/fohpe.v21i3.432
2020
Journal Article
Interprofessional, student-led community health clinic: expanding service provision and clinical education capacity
Forbes, Roma, Beckman, Emma, Tower, Marion, Mandrusiak, Allison, Mitchell, Leander K., Sexton, Christopher T., Cunningham, Brent and Lewis, Peter A. (2020). Interprofessional, student-led community health clinic: expanding service provision and clinical education capacity. Australian Health Review, 45 (2), 255-260. doi: 10.1071/ah20021
2020
Conference Publication
Clinical placements in private practice; exploring impacts and opportunities for quality and capacity
Forbes, Roma (2020). Clinical placements in private practice; exploring impacts and opportunities for quality and capacity. Australian Collaborative Education Network; Work Integrated Learning Symposium, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 15 October 2020.
2020
Journal Article
New‐graduate physiotherapists' perceptions of their preparedness for rural practice
Martin, Romany, Mandrusiak, Allison, Lu, Andric and Forbes, Roma (2020). New‐graduate physiotherapists' perceptions of their preparedness for rural practice. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 28 (5) 12669, 443-452. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12669
2020
Journal Article
Exploring strategies used by physiotherapy private practices in hosting student clinical placements
Forbes, Roma, Dinsdale, Alana, Dunwoodie, Ruth, Birch, Stephen and Brauer, Sandy (2020). Exploring strategies used by physiotherapy private practices in hosting student clinical placements. Australian Journal of Clinical Education, 7 (1). doi: 10.53300/001c.17206
2020
Journal Article
An exploration of workplace mentoring preferences of new‐graduate physiotherapists within Australian practice
Forbes, Roma, Lao, Andrew, Wilesmith, Sarah and Martin, Romany (2020). An exploration of workplace mentoring preferences of new‐graduate physiotherapists within Australian practice. Physiotherapy Research International, 26 (1) e1872, e1872. doi: 10.1002/pri.1872
2020
Other Outputs
The economic and health impact of physiotherapy student placements in private practice services; building private-sector placement capacity
Forbes, Roma (2020). The economic and health impact of physiotherapy student placements in private practice services; building private-sector placement capacity . Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland.
2020
Journal Article
Project-based learning for physiotherapy clinical education quality and capacity
Forbes, Roma and Martin, Romany (2020). Project-based learning for physiotherapy clinical education quality and capacity. OpenPhysio Journal. doi: 10.14426/art/1310
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Roma Forbes is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
-
Enhancing clinical education capacity within the physiotherapy profession
-
New graduate physiotherapist readiness for practice
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Enhancing new graduate physiotherapist practice of clinical documentation
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak
-
Doctor Philosophy
Preparing and supporting recent graduate physiotherapists for the private sector
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak, Dr Alana Dinsdale
-
Doctor Philosophy
Educational experience and work readiness of allied health students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Adriana Penman
-
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring new graduate physiotherapists transition to practice and the role of graduate programs
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
The contribution of patient caseload complexity in bridging the gap between student and new graduate physiotherapist
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak
-
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the professional boundaries between physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy in Australia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nathalia Costa
-
Doctor Philosophy
Preparing new graduate physiotherapists to work with First Nations Australians: A cultural safety journey
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak
-
Master Philosophy
Does an understanding of interprofessional collaboration impact preregistration nursing students readiness to engage in interprofessional education?
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jacqueline Jauncey-Cooke, Associate Professor Peter Lewis
-
Master Philosophy
Exploring student and practice educator experiences in feedback processes within clinical learning environments
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Adriana Penman
-
Doctor Philosophy
Study Strategies in Health Professions Education
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak, Professor Jason Lodge
-
Doctor Philosophy
Physical activity behaviour change training for pre-professional health students to support delivery in clinical practice
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Genevieve Healy, Associate Professor Sjaan Gomersall
-
Master Philosophy
Navigating diagnostic uncertainty in physiotherapy practice
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Alana Dinsdale
-
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the experiences of clinical based learning and transition to clinical practice for physiotherapy students from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background with a view to informing better student, university and clinical placement practices
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Martin Sale
Completed supervision
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Preparing and supporting new-graduate physiotherapists for rural practice
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Trevor Russell, Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring disability and management in adults with persistent mechanical temporomandibular disorders
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Julia Treleaven, Dr Lucy Thomas
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Roma Forbes directly for media enquiries about:
- Clinical Education
- Graduate Preparedness
- Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy
- Patient Education
- Private Practice
- Readiness for Practice
- Teaching and Learning
- Work Integrated Learning
- Workforce
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