Students and therapists in Merida, Mexico
February 2007

The integration of cultural competence in physical therapy education has become a focal point in mainstream and unconventional entry level curricula. Parallel to this fundamental standard are issues centered on service learning. The two topics intersect providing students and faculty with experiences that are aimed at increasing awareness of and sensitivity for cultural diversity and the distinctive traits of the diverse cultures we encounter in our profession.

Having successfully implemented a service learning component in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Problem Based Learning Curriculum for the past seven years, the Department of Physical Therapy at Wheeling Jesuit Uuiversity (WJU) in Wheeling, West Virginia is at the forefront and cutting edge of cultural competence and service learning in physical therapy education. Service learning at WJU is addressed at the local, regional, and international levels. The international service learning experience takes place in Mérida, Mexico during the second year of the curriculum. During the second week of February, physical therapy graduate students and faculty, as well as other professionals from other disciplines, travel to Mexico's Yucatan peninsula to participate in this international experience. Under the guidance and supervision of a faculty member, groups of students and professionals are assigned to a service location. These service locations include: the Patronato (a school and rehabilitation center for children with disabilities), the Albergue (a shelter for the homeless operated by the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul), Celerain (a nursing home), Hospital de Amistad (a children's hospital), and various outpatient clinics associated with the Medical School and Department of Rehabilitation at the Universidad Autonóma de Yucatán.

Local service learning is also integrated into the DPT curriculum. During the fall and spring semesters of the first academic year, under the supervision of a faculty member, students are assigned in groups to various local sites that include The Catholic Neighborhood Charities, the Dialysis Center at Wheeling Hospital, Extended Care Unit at Wheeling Hospital, Wheeling Health Right (an outpatient facility for underinsured persons), Northwood Health System (a facility for persons with severe disabilities), and the Howard Long Wellness Center.

The regional service learning component takes place during the summer of the first academic year. Students have the opportunity to spend two days at a retreat facility located in a rural county in the state of West Virginia. The focus of the regional service learning experiences includes group assignment and work on projects such as Headstart (where students are working in the school system with parents and children), the County Health Departments, women's health clinics, and home visits.

A panel composed of WJU physical therapy faculty conducted a presentation on this service learning model for the Education Section at the 2008 APTA's Combined Sections Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. The essential elements in the design and implementation of service learning experiences in a physical therapy curriculum were presented and discussed. The fundamental elements of local, regional, and international service learning experiences were discussed in an effort to foster cultural competence in physical therapy students. A study of outcomes based on collected data was presented as well.