Ever
since I was young, I knew God was calling me into ministry overseas and
specifically China. I just didn't know what that looked like until my time at
SLU, where I not only learned first-hand what it meant to have my heart break
for justice issues right in our own backyard but I learned about a profession I
grew to love and wanted to use to serve.
Physical
Therapy, as we think of it in the West, was first introduced to China in major
hospitals about 15 years ago but is still a relatively new concept. I am often
asked about my occupation here and many are confused about what that is or what
it entails. Rehabilitation for illnesses
are often treated with Traditional Chinese Medicine which takes a passive
approach to care and often doesn’t emphasize functional activity or
patient-centered goals. In the hospital setting, therapists have a wide range
of educational backgrounds: some have just graduated from high school or others
who have been physicians all their lives are now interested in learning what it
means to become a therapist. Things are starting to change where more
therapists are being educated; currently there are rehabilitation schools present
in each province. These schools are a “three in one discipline” where one
becomes a PT, OT, and SLP. Although one can be trained in well-known
techniques, there can be a discrepancy between what they have been taught and
in actually incorporating it into clinical practice. At times, there is lack of
clinical reasoning in choosing certain techniques so care can fall into more of
a ‘recipe’ of treatment rather than a rationale of treatment. The biggest issue
is the same across the board worldwide: there are not enough therapists to meet
the demand for the aging population.
There have been a variety of things
I have been involved with since being here. In regards to work, coming in as
not only an “American” but as someone who has a higher level of education/experience,
specifically in physical therapy and also a basic background of Mandarin, opens
the door to opportunities. Training is an opportunity most are interested in.
Training can mean hours of lecturing given to those with medical or non-medical
backgrounds wishing to learn more about PT. It can mean treating patients with
5-15 other therapists surrounding you wishing to learn from you. Training can
also mean treating their most complicated patients with other patients/family
members watching and hoping you will introduce new concepts or make their
illnesses gone, all in one visit!
Lastly, training can entail working at the orphanage and helping
caregivers embrace the importance of daily stretching, exercising, walking, or
even just simply playing with the children. In addition to these experiences,
I’ve also been involved in working with project development and doing home
visits in rural communities.
Saying
it has been a challenge in learning a different medical system, taking classes
and learning medical language, treating/training in Chinese, or even living day
to day in a country where they think you’re Chinese because you look like it on
the outside but you’re completely American can be an understatement! Yet, at
the same time, there is great reward in knowing you and your co-workers are
working with the medical community together to better serve people. How can you
not be excited to be a part of the process in helping a country become more
familiarized with your profession? How exciting to be able to be a part of
developing programs that link therapy with even more specialized care that we
forget others do not have the privilege of receiving, such as introducing the
concept of home health, sports, or women’s health into practice, just to name a
few of my experiences! Mostly, I've learned what it is like to not come in with
a patronizing attitude or feeling like you are “helping” or “saving” others but
that you are here to listen, learn, and grow in relationship with others. Each
day is a new day of learning and I’m so blessed to be here to experience it all!
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