Last modified 15.3.2011 at 13:21

Physiotherapy in practise

Text: Heikki Ylipaavalniemi Picture: Pekka Kallasaari

Doing your practical training abroad can give you a lot of insight about different methods how things can be done.

Martynas and Indre have been doing their practical training in Finnish hospitals. Their daily routines also include swimming and yoga.

Martynas Ramanaukas, 21, and Indre Kalnutyte, 22, are both doing their practical training in physiotherapy in the School of Health and Social Care.

They both come from Lithuania and came to Finland in the beginning of January to start their practical training period. Martynas will stay in Finland for three months and Indre until the beginning of April.

Martynas jokes that his reason for coming to Finland was that he wanted to see Joulupukki (Santa Claus). Of course that wasn’t the main reason for coming to Finland.

- I decided go to Finland because I was exploring where I can improve my knowledge in physiotherapy and everybody was saying that the Scandinavian rehabilitation is the best in the world.

He also wanted to find something new because according to him if you are staying or studying in one place for a long time you can become a slave of routine.

Indre on the other hand wants to try her skills as a physiotherapist in other countries. She thinks that it will be a good experience for her and also she wanted to see Finnish culture, and of course nature. She has visited Norway and Sweden before so now it was Finland’s turn.

Image of Finland

They both knew something about Finland before coming here and according to Martynas and Indre the expectations were very accurate.

- I knew that Finland has got many saunas, ice-fishing, heavy metal and of course Joulupukki, Martynas tells. Also I knew that it is a very polite community, here in Finland.

Indre’s image included the fact that Finland has good results in many international comparisons of national performance such as the share of high-technology manufacturing, public education and health care.

- You have a lot of saunas, she adds to the list.

Independent working gives motivation

Martynas and Indre are both doing their practical training in a Finnish hospital. When comparing working in Finland to their own country, they both say that in Finland there is more room for independent working.

- Also at Oulu University of Applied Sciences is the richest library I have ever seen, Martynas says.

Finnish teachers and students get credit from both of them. According to Martynas the teachers are very sensible and smart because they have a vast knowledge and are always willing to clarify if something is unclear for you.

- Students are working a lot for themselves, and they are very responsible persons. Teachers and students are very punctual, they are always in time, Indre adds.

They both wish that they could learn the differences in studies and culture between Finland and their own country.

Visiting Oulu and further

Martynas and Indre have been in Finland for only two weeks and have only had time to visit the city of Oulu. They had a nice trip in the city by foot, bike and bus. Of course they would like to see more of Finland and both are thinking about travelling to Rovaniemi, Kemi, Tampere and Helsinki.

Both Martynas and Indre were surprised how hard it is to learn Finnish.

- I like listening when they are talking in Finnish. I didn’t know that it will not be very easy to learn some words, but I think after 3 months I will know some basic words, Indre tells.

Indre’s dream is to see some of the unbelievable things nature has created in Finland. Martynas on the other hand wants to travel as far North as it’s possible in Finland.