La Trobe University 2018
I completed a two-week clinical placement in a hospital in the Philippines and it was one of the best experiences of my life.
Work the World were very organised and efficient. Being on an airplane flying overseas by myself for the first time was a little daunting. However, from the moment I arrived in Manila Airport (which is still a flight away from Iloilo Airport), I felt supported by the Work the World Staff. They were very very professional in their service and contactable at any time.
My first impression of the Work the World house was that it was even better than I expected. The atmosphere when I arrived was relaxed and it was even more beautiful than it was in the photos I’d seen.
The staff in the house paid attention to our wellbeing and were always around if we needed them, even when we messaged them at night! The catering team in the house always cooked delicious food, and I barely ate out because of this!
For my clinical placement I spent time is the largest hospital in Iloilo. The Rehabilitation Medicine Department consisted of 11 Physical Therapists, who worked together on a shared patient load. They provided exercise therapies, heat modalities, electrical stimulation, infrared therapy, ultrasound, standing therapy and play therapies, based on the assessment and treatment plans of the local ‘physiatrist’.
The physiatrist was the medical specialist who assessed and prescribed physical therapies. I assisted the team of Physical Therapists with therapy tasks, including performing ultrasounds, stretching and performing passive ROM exercise programs, setting up TENS therapies, performing massage techniques and instructing patients in the proper technique of active exercise programs.
The rehab team were extremely helpful and friendly. They felt like my second family by the time I left. My placement was the perfect mix of fun and physiotherapy experience.
I would strongly recommend a Work the World placement. For those of you who have already decided to undertake a placement with Work the World, make sure you show initiative. If you show the department staff you are confident in what you are doing, they will give you more opportunities. Be prepared to be confronted by conditions that you may not see in your own country, and carry a bottle of hand sanitiser with you if you're a germaphobe like me!
