Ukrainian university opens an academic program for physical and occupational therapy. The need for the above professionals is high. Foreign specialists will be engaged in preparation of future professionals.
Kyiv, July 4, 2016. In September 2016 The School of Rehabilitation Medicine within Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) will start preparing students to become physical and occupational therapists. Both physical and occupational therapists are the most in-demand specialists in rehabilitation sphere. While there is a small number of physical therapists in Ukraine, there are no occupational therapists at all, said Ulana Suprun, Director of the UCU School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Director of Humanitarian Initiatives of the Ukrainian World Congress and Director of the“Patriot Defense” NGO at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
“A physical therapist helps a person who, for example, has suffered a stroke, to learnhow to sit, stand and move again. An occupational therapist teaches what the person needs to do to get back to social life. Therefore, the therapist teaches [the patient] how to set up his/her daily routines and restore their daily functions. His/her main aim is to return the person to working activities,” explained Volodymyr Golyk, Academic Director at the UCU School of Rehabilitation Medicine, head of the board at the “Ukrainian Society for Neurorehabilitation” NGO, Vice President for international relations at the “Ukrainian Society for Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine” NGO.
He said that master programs of UCU’s School will last for two years. The programs have been designed according to the requirements of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists and the World Confederation for Physical Therapy. Specialized subjects are taught by certified foreign professionals. Each program foresees 1000 hours of clinical practice in six medical institutions supervised by the certified professionals. Specialists from Canada, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and the U.S. will be teaching the students as well as preparing professors.
Ukrainian professionals will also get vocational training abroad. Graduates in possession of a bachelor’s degree in physical rehabilitation, a pedagogy for children with special educational needs as well as doctors will be able to apply for the program. “The school lit the sparkle that is going to spread all across Ukraine and change the rehabilitation system, so that physical and occupational therapists work in recreational facilities. So that the doctors are sure that these professionals will return their patients to social life. So that the patients see it for themselves that this profession is of quality and in demand, that their life will get a positive benefit, there will be less disability, more people will get back to their working places. It is this sparkle that may change the rehabilitation system to the benefit of each citizen, military and each doctor,” Suprun said.
More information about the exams is available here.
Detailed information about the school is here.
