Five University of Alberta students have decided to pack their bags and take their education overseas.
At the end of June, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine occupational therapy (OT) students Janelle Daku, Camille Dube, Claire McEwan, Jarett Stastny and Brookes Charlong began a six-week placement working with occupational therapists in Indonesia.
"The U of A has had a long standing relationship with the Indonesian OT program," said Shaniff Esmail, PhD, associate chair of the U of A's occupational therapy program. "We sent a group of four students to Indonesia last year and they loved it. This year we sent five."
Esmail discussed sending students to Indonesia after taking his sabbatical there in 2005. Last year, he was able to make it a reality.
"We hope to continue to send students every year. The students learn a lot from working in that setting, and the people there learn a lot from our students."
The students will be working in collaboration with students at Surakarta University - the only Indonesian university with an occupational therapy program recognized by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists.
Before heading off on the adventure, McEwan said she is both excited and nervous at the same time. "Mostly excited though, as it is very exciting to go into this placement without knowing much about the city and the people we will be working."
Stastny on the other hand, was not nervous at all. "I think previous travel opportunities have weathered me against that, and I typically don't get excited until I'm on the plane but the excitement of the others is a bit contagious."
Charlong has always wanted to do an international placement and she's glad the OT program gave her that opportunity. "I really wanted to gain a perspective that would be unlike anything I might see in Canada or a more westernized country. Because the U of A helped build the OT school in Solo, I thought it would be a great way to contribute to the development of the OT school and help create awareness for OT internationally."
All five students have never been to Indonesia before, and Daku admits she's never been outside North America. "I am fully expecting to have to endure a decent case of culture shock, but I really think this experience will reinforce how grateful I am for every opportunity that I have had thus far," she smiled.
The weather will be another area of adjustment for the students, as we all know Edmonton feels like it's more often -30 than it is +30. Daku wasn't too worried though. "I am a hot weather girl. I think I grew up in the wrong country!"
The students look forward to further developing their clinical skills as OTs, including effective communication, cultural sensitivity, problem solving, creativity, adaptability and independence. When asked what they'd miss most, everyone had a different answer.
"I will miss Edmonton's summer festivals and camping trips to the rocky mountains. I will also miss my friends and being able to have a fast internet connection to research topics during placement," said McEwan.
"All the festivals in Edmonton!" Charlong exclaimed.
" There's a lot that I'll miss - my family, my girlfriend, my hobby groups and sporting teams, Alberta beef - but I know it'll all be here when I return, everyone has been great with understanding and encouraging me to take this on," Stastny grinned.
" My friends, family, and all of the kiddos and families that I work with back home," said Dube. "I think that being away from everything familiar for this amount of time will give me a new appreciation for everything that I have."
"For me, it would be my bed! And of course, my family and friends," said Daku.
Brookes Charlong Camille Dube Claire McEwan Jarett Stastny
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About the University of Alberta Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine
As the only free standing faculty of rehabilitation in Canada, the University of Alberta Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine balances its activities among learning, discovery and citizenship (including clinical practice). A research leader in musculoskeletal health, spinal cord injuries and common spinal disorders (back pain), the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine aims to improve the quality of life of citizens in our community. The three departments, Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT) and Speech Pathology and Audiology (SPA) offer professional entry programs. The Faculty offers thesis-based MSc and PhD programs in Rehabilitation Science, attracting students from a variety of disciplines including OT, PT, SLP, psychology, physical education, medicine and engineering.