Abstract
In January 2020, I travelled to South India to complete a physiotherapy clinical rotation at a rural healthcare facility. The host organization - Amar Seva Sangam (ASSA) – is a grassroots NGO that provides in-patient and community-based rehabilitation services to children and adults living with physical, cognitive and neurological disabilities. I worked primarily with post-acute spinal cord injury patients in an in-patient rehab setting. I provided physical rehabilitation services to in-patients 6 days a week over the two-month clinical placement period. Working in an entirely different political, religious and cultural setting pushed me outside my comfort zone and provided space for me to internally challenge my biases and intrinsic beliefs I have acquired growing up as white male student from Canada. This poster presentation will explore the obstacles I faced while practicing abroad and the strategies that helped me navigate an entirely novel health care experience. Topics that will be covered include: (i) providing rehab services as a student with minimal clinical supervision; (ii) the importance of creativity when working in a low-resource health care setting; and lastly (iv) culture shock, the practice of cultural humility, and why it is important to be curious, remain open-minded, and to fully immerse yourself in the environment you chose to step into.
