Experiential Learning
Personal
1. Prague Journal
PT students are offered the opportunity to study abroad. Last summer I went to Prague “not sure if I was brave enough to do this” and came back “able to appreciate the person I was becoming.” I wrote the journal I included in the portfolio as an assignment for my co-op reflection course that I took when I returned. On re-reading this journal I realized how closely the discoveries I made as a traveler in a new continent mirror my discoveries as a physical therapist in a new clinical setting. My learning to overcome language barriers to communicate with new people is like my first encounter with a new patient – finding a way to communicate and connect is the key to beginning a patient-provider relationship. One challenge of a therapist is translating the medical terminology used in the medical setting into a language that is understandable and non-threatening to a layperson.
