Aligned with the objective of the Global Internship Experience (GIE)
which is to build international and intercultural knowledge and
appreciation of healthcare systems and advancing knowledge
and skills in the field of rehabilitation sciences, six University of Santo
Tomas College of Rehabilitation Sciences interns accompanied by a
faculty member were participants in an interprofessional education at
the Niigata University of Health and Welfare (NUHW) in Niigata, Japan.
The engagement was from September 1 to September 25, 2017.
The student interns were Kimberly Joy Cruz and Alfred Lawrence
Tan of the Department of Physical Therapy; Jethro Karl Amancio and Bea
Angelina Chiu of the Department of Occupational Therapy; Sameerah
Jane Lacson of the Department of Sport Science; and Kathleen Dy
from the Department of Speech and Language Pathology. They were
accompanied by Ms. Zyra Mae F. Villamor, a faculty member of the
Department of Physical Therapy and the GIE Leader for this group.
The UST- NUHW partnership is now on its ninth year. For this year,
CRS students participated in the weeklong Interprofessional Education
(IPE) Seminar, where the UST group learned about the healthcare
system of Japan and how each profession can contribute to patient
care. The group was also given a chance to use NUHW’s state-of-the
art laboratories, attend physiology and biomechanics classes and visit
nearby hospitals and communities. The CRS students were also invited
by the Minimihata group of elderly people and led a group exercise
activity participated in by the members of the organization during their
barbeque party.
Aside from the academic experience, the students also participated
in the Niigata Soh Odori (dance festival), one of the Niigata Prefecture
festivals. The students were taught the dance and even performed the
traditional dance in the streets of Bandai City in Niigata. Their Japanese
counterpart meanwhile, participated in the English camps for students
and faculty members to help them practice the English language.
CRS interns also gladly introduced their own university to the student
participants in the IPE Seminar who come from different countries by
showing a video clip about the University of Santo Tomas and teaching
UST cheers to the participants. The experience allowed the group to
not only experience the rich culture of the Japanese people but also
to share with them the Filipino culture and school spirit through these
different activities.
Through the efforts of Prof. Masayoshi Kubo of NUHW, Ms. Villamor,
met with the chief secretary of the Niigata Disaster Rehabilitation Relief
Liaison Council and Hospital Professor, Shinji Kimura, MD, Ph.D.,
and learned how the physical therapists, occupational therapists and
physiatrists participate in disaster relief operations of Japan. The
discussion centered on how each country prepares for disasters and
how rehabilitation professionals can play a huge role in every phase of
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM).
