I am extremely excited to announce that I have been given the opportunity to travel to Bolivia on a Service-Learning Trip in just a few short weeks! Myself, along with six other DPT students and two MCPHS faculty members are piloting the first service-learning trip to Rurrenabaque, Bolivia.
The moment I found out that I was working with Dr. Charrette for my DPT capstone project I was ecstatic. Her ideals and value of service learning lined up with mine and I knew we were going to have a successful capstone group experience. Learning that I had the opportunity to travel to Bolivia in May to implement our goal of a well-rounded service learning trip only furthered my excitement. I believe that this trip is a unique and valuable way to develop as a future healthcare professional, and become a more global DPT.
I have never completed an international service project before. This is an opportunity to expand my cultural competency by combining community service with learning and reflection. It is important for everyone in the healthcare field, especially physical therapists, to understand the importance of international service-learning. We plan to share our breadth of knowledge with therapists in a more underserved area while also keeping an open mind and learning from them as well.
The moment I found out that I was working with Dr. Charrette for my DPT capstone project I was ecstatic. Her ideals and value of service learning lined up with mine and I knew we were going to have a successful capstone group experience. Learning that I had the opportunity to travel to Bolivia in May to implement our goal of a well-rounded service learning trip only furthered my excitement. I believe that this trip is a unique and valuable way to develop as a future healthcare professional, and become a more global DPT.
I have never completed an international service project before. This is an opportunity to expand my cultural competency by combining community service with learning and reflection. It is important for everyone in the healthcare field, especially physical therapists, to understand the importance of international service-learning. We plan to share our breadth of knowledge with therapists in a more underserved area while also keeping an open mind and learning from them as well.
The Itinerary
- We will be departing from Boston Logan Airport on Saturday May 4th
- The service work we are completing will mostly be centered out of the Rehabilitation Hospital in the town. We will be there for the majority of our time in Rurrenabaque. We are also performing home visits to help assess and evaluate patients. We have prepared to complete fall-risk assessments on patients as well. We are hoping we will get the chance to spend time volunteering with children from the town’s orphanage and perform screenings for orphans at risk for developmental delays.
- The last days of our trip will be spent exploring the Amazon basin. We will be taking river transport to Madidi National Park where we will take part in Pampas tours of the Amazon.
- We will be flying back to La Paz where we will get a chance to explore the city for a while before departing back to the United States.
As you can tell, we have a jammed packed schedule of amazing experiences!
Team Bolivia
We recently took a trip to Dr. Charrette's farm for some pre-trip planning. We plan to create posters (in Spanish) to help explain the assessments we will perform. We discussed the importance of making this trip about sustainability. We want to offer as much as we can so the Bolivian Physical Therapists can use it after we are gone.
Our next steps are all about finishing our final exams and brushing up on our Spanish!
Our next steps are all about finishing our final exams and brushing up on our Spanish!