Case Series Comparing Physical Therapy International Clinical Education Experiences in a Developed and Developing Country and Measuring Against Professional Standards and Guidelines

Abstract

Background. With a growing vision for globalization and internationalization in higher education, a number of Commission on the Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)–accredited physical therapist education programs across the United States have begun to routinely place their students at international sites for one of their full-time clinical education experiences in both developed and developing countries. The purpose of this article is to compare and contrast the physical therapy international clinical education experience in both the developed and developing country and compare the experiences to professional standards and guidelines. Case Description. This case series describes the experience of 9 physical therapy students in an 8- to 10-week, full-time, international, clinical education experience. Four were placed in the developed country of Italy, and 5 were placed in the developing country of Belize. All students participated in preclinical preparation and experienced cultural immersion for the 8–10 weeks that they participated in the full-time clinical education experience. Outcomes. Evaluative materials consisted of a student weekly questionnaire, an electronic student journal, a Clinical Site Evaluation Form, and comments/ratings from the student's self-assessment on the American Physical Therapy Association's Clinical Performance Instrument. Analysis of the data demonstrated that the participants were experiencing a depth and breadth of clinical experiences commensurate with CAPTE criteria in both the developed and developing settings. Both settings afforded learning experiences in cross-cultural communication and cultural considerations with the developing country posing more cross-cultural practice challenges than the developed country. Discussion and Conclusions. Comparison of the data with a proposed model and guidelines for optimizing international clinical education experiences demonstrated alignment in both the developed and developing country experiences. Both international clinical education experiences met CAPTE standards and other professional standards and proved to be a broadening experience for the participants.