Kitchana Kaewkaen
Master degree Physical Therapy Student, Khonkaen University, Thailand
and
President of PTSUT 2010. E-mai : Ultranawin@gmail.com
Physical Therapy Student Union of Thailand (PTSUT) is a group of undergraduate
PT students in Thailand. The aims are to create uniformity among students of 16
PT schools in Thailand and help each other solving professional problems as
students. PTSUT works with PT student networks in each university. In addition
PTSUT collaborates with other student associations like National Council of
Thai Medical Students (NCTMS), Dental Student Union of Thailand (DSUT),
Pharmacy Student Union of Thailand (PSUT), Nursing Student Union of Thailand
and Thailand Public Health and Health Science Student Association. Internationally,
PTSUT collaborates with Asia Physical Therapy Student Association
(APTSA).
After APTSA collaborated with World Wide Physical Therapy Student Network
(WWPTSN), PTSUT was connected with friends from Germany. "Mr. Ralf Kraft
and Mr. Cornelius Boettcher" came to see how the System of Physical
Therapy education is working in Thailand... That's good news for PTSUT to
welcome friends from other countries. So the two Germans visited Mahidol
University and KhonKaen University.
When they arrived in Thailand, PTSUT send the international relations
department to welcome them and to be a host for visiting at Faculty of Physical
Therapy, Mahidol University. After their arrival, Mr. Ralf Kraft and Mr.
Cornelius Bottcher went to observe how Physical Therapists work in PT Clinic
and exchanged information about clinical practice for Physical Therapy Students
in Germany. Then, there was a discussion held about the difference between these
two countries.
After finishing the activities at
Mahidol University, our German guests went to visit the Physical Therapy
Department, Faculty of Associated Medical Science, KhonKaen University. On the
first day, they went to have some clinical practice with PT students at the clinic.
They had a discussion about how different some techniques are and shared
experiences together, "I teach you and you teach me". And then Mr.
Ralf Kraft did a presentation about
Physical Therapy in Germany and some
extra curricular activities of their PT students. Many PT students attended
that class and asked many questions. The representative from Thailand,
Mr.Kitchana Kaewkaen who was a president of PTSUT 2010, presented about all the activities of
Physical Therapy Student Union of Thailand (PTSUT) and Asia Physical Therapy
Student Association (APTSA). After the presentation, we had a discussion about
the European Network for academic Physical Therapy Student (ENAPT) which Mr.
Ralf Kraft was a co-founder of. This is a first step of relationship between
PTSUT, APTSA and ENAPT.
The second day in KhonKaen, Mr. Ralf
Kraft and Mr. Cornelius Bottcher went to visit Physical Therapists working in
Srinagarind hospital and observed the 3rd year Physical Therapy students do a
clinical practice there. First, they went to the internal medicine ward to
observe the Cardio-pulmonary Physical Therapist work, and then they went to the
rehabilitation ward. Germany has more modern technology than Thailand so
Physical Therapists in Germany use a lot of devices and new technology to
improve the quality of a patient's life. But in Thailand, most treatment
is done manually.
On the last day in KhonKaen, Mr. Ralf Kraft and Mr. Cornelious Bottcher went to
a lecture with 2nd year Physical Therapy students for electrotherapy, 3rd year
Physical Therapy students for Aging and
4th year Physical Therapy student for a presentation about PT in community. And
then they went to the PT research room and The Back, Neck and Other Joint Pains
Research group room. Master and Ph.D PT students there presented some
innovation which was developed by PT KKU researcher and let them try it.
In conclusion, for this visit, we learned a lot about the differences and
similarities between Physical therapy in Thailand and Germany. We shared a lot
of experience and exchanged the activities among PTSUT, APTSA and ENAPT. The most
important thing was that we hope to help develop better Physical Therapy by
moving forward together.
Observing
the Cardio-pulmonary Physical Therapist at work at Srinagarind Hospital
studying
the patient history with 3rd year PT student
sharing
the experience about PT in Pediatrics for PT students KKU
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