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Four third-year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students at the University of North Georgia (ǧÃŬAV) gained valuable experience with a clinical rotation in Italy during the fall 2023 semester.  

The time abroad occurred during the second of three required clinical rotations for the program.  

"The opportunity for our four students to participate in international clinical rotations in Italy in the fall was an amazing experience. It revealed to the students many valuable insights into health care service delivery models in other countries, as well as insight into treatment methods and critical thinking," Dr. Camilla Christopher, director of clinical education in the Department of Physical Therapy, said. "They have learned how to communicate when language is a barrier and to adapt to new environments. These skills will serve them well in their future careers." 

Hannah Jordan, who is from Fayetteville, Georgia, said she was interested in the chance to complete a rotation in Italy so she could experience another part of the world and learn about different health care systems.  

"I learned so much about communication while navigating the language barrier. Physical therapy is a field that requires adequate communication, and even with English-speaking people, there are different diagnoses that will require more than verbal communication," Jordan said. "This experience has opened my eyes to the other ways there are to communicate and adapt to the needs of the patients that I treat." 

Jennifer Miller, from Atlanta, Georgia, was excited to have experience with travel physical therapy, which is something she hopes to do after graduation. Similar to Jordan, the communication element was an opportunity to stretch her skills. 

"My favorite part of the semester was when I successfully took a patient through their whole treatment using Italian, something that was very stressful with that same patient the week before," Miller said. 

Allyson Willman, from Kennesaw, Georgia, appreciated having an extended opportunity to work and learn abroad.  

"My favorite part of the semester was getting to learn from physical therapists from other countries, and I was able to be fully immersed in the culture of Italy," Willman said.