3. S Strong desire to do something different
S Great opportunity to have a real impact
S Get full hands-on experience and responsibilities
S Eye-opening experiences culturally, personally, and
professionally
S Adventure of a lifetime
4. Before it all started..
S Fall of 2011 decision to intern in Africa
S Search began numerous organizations and contacts
made
S Locations Ghana, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sierre
Leone, Namibia, and South Africa
S Quickly learned that African internships (especially
medical) are highly sought after and cost a fortune
S Found the perfect organization to meet all of my goals
S Africa‟s best kept secret
7. Company Profile
The Volunteer Adventure Corps was established in 2006 as a
professional internship organization that specializes in
allowing students and young professionals to meet
professional and personal goals.
They offer internships in all fields of study given the
relationships they‟ve built within the city (work with over 150
local companies)
Staff is located in host city and acts as the primary support-
group for interns during their stay (internships, program
housing, weekly activities, travel around Africa, courses,
continued education, etc). All at a fraction of the cost.
9. S Accepted to the program in October 2011—3
questionnaires, letter of reference, resume, and
telephone interview
S Worked with placement team to give me the opportunity
to work at a site that allowed me to meet all of my goals
from Packet A
S Was placed at The Athlone School for the Blind in
February 2012 as a Pediatric Physiotherapist Intern
12. Brief History
S Established in 1927 by an Anglican Church to house colored
(mostly Afrikaaners—not a derogatory term in SA) children who
were otherwise banned to enroll in the only school for blind
children at the time under the then Apartheid regime.
S Now is a publically funded school for blind, disabled, and able-
bodied children
S Serves students‟ transportation, some housing, therapy, regular
class, and as a vocational institution (on-site job training)
S 405 Students, mostly blind and/or multiple handicaps
S K-12, mostly from very low income families
13. Therapy Departments
S Both on-site occupational and physical therapy for the
students
S Occupational therapy 80% of space, 8 staff members,
4 offices, more funding, lots of equipment/learning aids
S Physical therapy 1 staff member
S 1 small office and 1 treatment room with limited
equipment
14. My Roles and Responsibilities
S More or less an acting physical therapist
S Oversaw patient assessments
S Execution of treatment based on individual needs
S Further planning and realistic goal setting
S Patient write-ups (SOAP notes)
S One-on-one therapy
S Group-led therapy
S In charge of PT department when mentor was absent
15. Day in the Life
S Up at 6
S Transportation leaves Obs at 7
S On site by 745 in Belville
S 45 minutes to check schedule, patient files, make
plan…(take a nap on treatment table)
S See 3-5 patients a day (40 minutes each)
S 1-4 group therapy sessions
S Pick up at 3 or mini-bus home
16.
17. Discipline-Specific Technology
S Very limited funding:
S 2 treatment tables
S Medicine balls
S Parallel bars
S Battery-powered mobility table
S Free weights
S Elliptical
S Ample toys for fine/gross motor skill development
18.
19. Motivating Patients
S Largest component of my internship
S Rewarding, stressful, necessary, hectic, daunting,
difficult, etc.
S My strength as an intern but subsequently an aspect of
the job that drew me away from the field
S Few examples
20.
21. Application of previous skills
S Unfortunately not a whole lot
S Learn to be resourceful
S Learn communication with patients (PEP 454-6)
S Applied some from paramedic training
S SOAP notes
22. Research & Continued
Education
S Very independent learning
S Was briefed on CP during first day
S Referred to a lot of online resources
S Treatment options, classifications, types, etc.
S Example: Marie-Charcot-Tooth patient
23. Standards of Care
S Culture of learn as you go, ask questions, learn from
mistakes
S All the freedom in the world
S Learn standard treatment/assessment techniques that
standard in South Africa
S Had to work with the limited resources and tools I had
24. Few Goals and Objectives
S Goal:
S Gain hands-on experience in the field of physical therapy
S Treated as full-time PT on site
S My own patients
S Own assessing, treating, planning
S Find interest in sub-field
S Learnt pediatric PT is now for me
S Have for now decided not pursue career in PT
S Life experience culturally, personally, professionally
S Culturally lived and worked amongst other South Africans
S Worked in impoverished communities
25.
26.
27.
28.
29. What have I gained?
S Life Experience
S Wealth of knowledge through work, travel, living
S Independent learning/the importance of taking initiative
S Worked with numerous organizations: Athlone School, SACLA,
Emasithandane Orphanage, Volunteer Adventure Corps, Cape
Town Refugee Center
S Travelled to Namibia and around South Africa
S Living in The Observatory vs. Southern suburbs
S Greater understanding of what I what to get out of my life, my
skills, what‟s going to make me happy
30. Advice for future interns:
S Don‟t treat PEP 495 as a regular class
S Invest in your life/potential career
S Take chances
S Leave your comfort zone
S “Go for the gold”
S Don‟t procrastinate
31. Where I‟m going from here..?
S „Live the dream‟ for a while and figure out career plans as I go
S This summer: MNR firefighter in Northern Ontario
S September-October 2013
S Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
S Self-drive from Tanzania Malawi Zambia Democratic
Republic of the Congo Zimbabwe Botswana South
Africa
S Start work full-time for Volunteer Adventure Corps October
2013?? As program coordinator
S Continued education
