OT in the NEWS!
'Operation India' complete
Nine second year Graduate Entry Master's students have recently returned from India after completing their final clinical placements as part of the Operation India program.
Operation India is an international placement program that gives students the opportunity to gain experience practicing in remote rural or urban slums in the southern region of India. The students are linked to Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programs and assist in the training of the CBR workers in the management and treatment of people with disabilities.
"For me, India was an experience of extremes. It taught me multitudes about cultural sensitivity, communication, the importance of the essentials of clinical practice and multidisciplinary interaction," said Master of Physiotherapy student Lydia Yeap.This year's multidisciplinary group included six final year physiotherapy students, three final year occupational therapy students, and a cohort of forth year undergraduates. Students were involved in workshops where they taught local workers basic therapy concepts and skills, and they also had the opportunity to accompany workers on challenging and often confronting field visits.
Speaking on behalf of the group Lydia stated that, "It was everything you could want from an international experience. It was fun, challenging, and emotional at times, but oddly satisfying. Ultimately India was an adventure of epic proportions that taught me a great deal more than I could ever teach it!
"Operation India was established in 1995 by Elizabeth Henley from the Discipline of Physiotherapy and Robyn Twible from the Discipline of Occupation Therapy. Aside from the student experience, the ultimate aim of the project is to leave sustainable strategies that local works can continue to utilize once the students complete the placement.
