Second set of participants from NUHW, Niigata, Japan. Seven first year Physical Therapy students and one Clinical Technology student from the Niigata University of Health and Welfare (NUHW) visited
the University of Santo Tomas College of Rehabilitation Sciences from February 24 to March 24, 2018. The group was led by Prof. Takanori Kikumoto, and Prof. Masayoshi Kubo.
The eight NUHW students, namely, Hana Goto, Hina Tanaka, Mika Kamino, Yuta Shimizu, Yuri Akiba, Mayuu Shagawa, Makoto Nakagawa and Chika Yokota attended various Physical Therapy lectures and laboratories and Clinical Observation from CRS affiliated rehabilitation centers, namely, UST Apolinario Mabini Rehabilitation Center, UAAP Sports Rotation, Philippine
Cerebral Palsy Institute (PCPI) and the Rural Health Unit of Abucay Bataan, a communitybased rehabilitation center.
The Japanese students observed how the practice of physical therapy is enriched and conducted in the Philippines. They helped in the annual inter- physical therapy school competition, Kinetiq 2018, where the university placed 5th among 41 participating PT schools. Hana Goto, a student participant studying clinical technology, was able to visit some classes under the Medical Technology department, with the help of the Faculty of Pharmacy.
The interaction between the NUHW and the CRS students, and the cultural immersion activity led by the CRS student council and PT Society, gave the visitors the opportunity to practice the English language and experience the hospitality of the Filipino people, and its culture and traditions. Asst. Prof. Selene Leynes, a faculty member of the English department, held sessions of English classes for the visitors, while Ms. Lanie Vergara, taught the student some basic Filipino words.
CRS Internationalization head Ms. Paulin Grace Morato – Espino, Physical Therapy Department Chair Ms. Jocel Regino, and faculty member Ms. Fe
Therese Chavez, were the faculty in-charge of the preparations for this activity. Officials, faculty members from Seton Hall University, USA
Five officials and faculty members from Seton Hall University (SHU) School of Health and Medical Sciences, New Jersey, USA, a partner university of the University of Santo Tomas College of Rehabilitation Sciences visited the university on March 7, 2018.
Led by School of Health and Medical Sciences Dean Prof. Brian B. Shulman, Ph.D., the Seton Hall officials were composed of department representatives, namely, Physical Therapy Department Asst. Chair Asst. Prof. Kim Poulsen, Ph.D., Occupational Therapy Department Faculty Member Asst. Prof. LaMar Bolden, Speech Language Pathology Department Chair Assoc. Prof. Vikram Dayalu, Ph.D., and Department of Physician Assistant Clinical Education Director Ms. Vanessa Rodriguez.
The group was met by the UST – CRS administrators, namely, CRS Dean Assoc. Prof. Anne Marie Aseron, Assistant Dean Asst. Prof. Ma. Georgina Mojica, and College Secretary Ms. Ma. Roxanne Fernandez. They were joined by academic officials and a representative from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.
The officials from the two institutions discussed the existing curriculum and student exchange programs. The guests from Seton Hall University also paid a courtesy call to UST Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Cheryl R. Peralta, DrPH.
The group also visited some of the facilities of CRS including the New Central Laboratory, the Apolinario Mabini Rehabilitation Center of the UST Hospital, and a community-based affiliation center of the College, R.E.A.C.H. Foundation, Inc., in Mandaluyong that provides PT and OT services to the urban poor. CRS looks at this visit as a way to further strengthen the partnership between UST and Seton Hall University.
GIE for PT interns at Mahidol University, Thailand. Three UST-CRS Physical Therapy interns and one faculty member participated in the Global Internship Experience (GIE) at the Mahidol University, Thailand. The delegation was led by faculty member Mr. Ken Erbvin R. Sosa. The exchange students were: Thad Nuel Natividad, Angelica Marie Mandario, and Via Elisa Canita. This experience aimed to expose the students to build international and intercultural knowledge and appreciation of healthcare systems and advancing knowledge and skills in the field of rehabilitation sciences and to be familiar with their academic curriculum.
The UST team was met by Prof. Pimpawee Kirdsup and Ms. Rungtip Pongkasara for the orientation on Mahidol University and the schedule of activities for the duration of their internship. The students were assigned to the two University clinics on a rotation basis for exposure to musculoskeletal, neurologic, sports, community, pediatric and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation settings.
Sosa attended laboratory classes to observe the teaching-learning strategies and to assess their curriculum for possible adaptation by UST-CRS. He also accompanied one of the faculty members during a community rehabilitation exposure. Internationalization Coordinator for the Faculty of Physical Therapy Asst. Prof. Dr. Pakaratee Chaiyawat toured Sosa around the various laboratories of the faculty such as the Cardiopulmonary Laboratory, Ergonomic Laboratory, Motor Control and Neuroplasticity Laboratory,
Occupational Therapy Laboratory, Human Performance Laboratory, among
others. The curriculum of Mahidol University was also discussed, including
the Master and Doctoral degree programs which were introduced and offered to CRS in a meeting with Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roongtiwa Vachalathiti.
CRS Sports Science interns in Mahidol University, Thailand Nine interns under the Sports Science program of the UST College of Rehabilitation Sciences took part in the Global Internship Experience held at the Mahidol University in Thailand. The CRS students, Wilson John C. Aseron,
John Paul G. Butalid, John Marcus M. Fabricante, Christian Paolo V. Eslava,
Charisse Genevieve Mulles, Ronnell Angelo Esteban, Marcos Gabriel Vega,
Johnmer Paul M. Se, and Miguel Aric Lopez were accompanied by Sports
Science faculty member Mr. Gino Zapanta.
The primary objective of the program is to expose the students to the practice of Sports Science in Thailand and through their observations, the students shared their experience with their fellow Sports Science students in UST.
UST and Mahidol University have been partners for years in ensuring
that the exchange of experience for all programs is a fruitful one. The
Sport Science program highlights the importance of physical fitness and sports in their country. A unique feature of the program is its focus on Football Science and Coaching since the sport is one of the most popular sports in Thailand.
The program promotes evidencebased practice and so Sport Science
students are encouraged to be analytical when dealing with their clients. The GIE did not only provide the UST Sports Science interns with knowledge and insights but also gave them a glimpse of Thailand’s rich culture and traditions.
Back in UST, these students continue with their hands-on approach to learning complemented by world-class equipment such as the biofeedback machine, EEG, EMG and Motion Detector Cameras.
