Valencia, Spain is more than a beautiful backdrop - it’s where international Physical Therapy interns like Tyler gain hands-on experience in rehab, evaluation, and patient care while assisting skilled local therapists. Eager to push her boundaries and build independence, Tyler dove into a 4-week Physical Therapy internship abroad, which not only expanded her clinical knowledge, but also helped her reflect on her future in the field. Read on to see how she turned this opportunity into a powerful stepping stone toward her dream career.
Hi Tyler! What was your first week in Spain like?
My first week in Valencia for an internship abroad was such a big learning and fun experience! It was different in many ways from what I imagined. Firstly, I did not think I would make so many friends so quickly. From the very beginning in my Spanish classes and during orientation, I immediately met so many great people who I feel I grew close to in such a short amount of time.
It was so nice to meet, interact and connect with people who were going through the same experience as me. During my first week I celebrated my birthday and got to do all the things I love to do - yoga, brunch, physical therapy, and going out - all with new friends in a new place!
How did the Physical Therapy internship contribute towards your career goals?
My internship role contributed to the achievement of my long-term career goals in many ways. Firstly, I was able to physically see how physical therapists interact and handle each patient’s injury through treatments and communication.
Secondly, I was able to see treatments and rehab sessions take place in real time, allowing me to learn the similarities and differences of how physical therapy is done in a different culture.
Shadowing different Physical Therapists throughout both treatment and rehab sessions, adapting treatment and exercise plans as my patients progressed or regressed, teaching and explaining exercises to patients allowed me to greatly improve my interpersonal communication skills.
What kind of challenges did you experience?
I was definitely challenged by local behaviors and expectations. I was not used to the Spanish eating schedule or being so aware of conserving water and energy. I had to make a conscious effort to have quicker showers, turn off lights when not in use and unplug outlets when not in use.
The language barrier could also be tricky at times, especially during my first week. Asking questions and understanding locals definitely took some getting used to. I thought I had a better grasp on the language, but some words really threw a curveball. I had to learn to navigate as best I could, which took time and patience.
Some advice I would give to someone about to begin an internship position in a culturally diverse setting would be to have patience and be aware. Become aware of how locals speak, interact, and move. For example, they do not say “Si” in Valencia; instead, they say “Vale”. Also, know that whoever is speaking to you will be patient with you, so do not give yourself a hard time for not understanding. The experience is not as stressful as you anticipate it will be!
In what ways do you feel more empowered to be successful in your field?
I feel more empowered to be successful in the field of physical therapy because I now know a number of different methods, treatments, and structures that are used in Spanish Physical Therapy, which are not seen in America. I am able to further my own research on the methods used in Valencia and educate others on those methods.
Furthermore, maybe even introduce those methods to the states and expand upon Physical Therapy, increasing productivity and effectiveness. I think because of this internship, I have expanded my knowledge of the field of physical therapy and have allowed myself to open up to new and different ways to help patients that I would have never been able to do before.
Ready to plan your own international internship?
Our step-by-step guide on how it works provides you with more information on how to get started. The process is user friendly - just submit your application to begin. It doesn’t cost anything to apply and won’t take more than 5 minutes. However, your formal expression of interest provides the foundation for us to help you take the next steps.
320+ internship programs across 26 countries
Placements tailored to your academic requirements or career interests
Exclusive experiential learning curriculum
We help you develop and articulate the soft skills most favored by employers
Most affordable & flexible
We organize everything, including local accommodation, from only $1129 USD
