Meet
Dr Myles Murphy
Dr Myles Murphy
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Edith Cowan University
First, can you give a brief rundown of your career pathway so far?
I graduated from my undergraduate degree in 2012. I then worked in private practice while working part-time with a local and then WAFL football team for a number of years. I completed my masters in Sports Physiotherapy at Curtin University in 2015 after that and was fortunate enough to work with the inaugural Fremantle Football Club AFLW team, before starting a full-time role at the WA Cricket Association. After my Masters, I started my PhD and focussed on that after leaving sports team work in 2019. Since then I completed my PhD, split my work week between clinical practice and research while also being fortunate enough to consult for elite athletes and artists.
What initially drove you to work in sports medicine and how did you become involved with SMA?
I attended the SMA conference in Melbourne in 2016. I found the conference to be an incredible experience, met amazing researchers and clinicians and that drove me to want to come back every year. This then lead to more involvement in SMA as I learned more about the organisation.
What is your favourite thing about working in sport? Tell us about a career highlight (or two).
The best thing about working in sport is being able to share the highs with the athletes. This does not necessarily mean the highs of winning a series or premiership. Instead I mean that feeling you get when you see the happiness on an athlete’s face when an athlete returns to play from an extended time out due to injury is fantastic and the best job satisfaction you could ever ask for.
Has there been any challenges throughout your career that you have had to overcome?
For me, my biggest challenge was the decision to leave full-time work in sport to split my time between clinical and research settings (though that decision was probably the best choice I made as far as career happiness).
Finally, do you have any tips to pass on to junior colleagues to progress their career in sports medicine?
My biggest tip is to make sure you remember that no one is irreplaceable. I think it is always really easy to fall into the trap of thinking no one can or will do your job as well as you so make sure you are always at the top of your game and make sure you do not get complacent.
Favourite Athlete?
Tia Clair Toomey