Determining Availability of Internship Opportunities for Professional Clinical Experience During Undergraduate Physical Therapy
Internship Availability in Undergraduate Physical Therapy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61919/jhrr.v4i3.1428Keywords:
Physical therapy internships, clinical experience, undergraduate training, healthcare education, private institutions, Lahore.Abstract
Background: Undergraduate clinical experience is vital for physical therapy students to develop professionalism and practical skills early in their education. However, securing internships can be challenging, particularly in private institutions.
Objective: To determine the availability of internship opportunities for gaining professional clinical experience among undergraduate physical therapy students in private institutes of Lahore, Pakistan.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 200 undergraduate physical therapy students aged 18-29 years, selected through non-probability convenience sampling. Data were collected using an internship-rating questionnaire distributed as handouts in the university. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 21, with quantitative variables presented as means and standard deviations, and categorical variables as frequencies and percentages.
Results: Among the 200 participants (75 males, 125 females; mean age 22.88 ± 2.03 years), 80 students (40%) found internships available, while 120 (60%) did not. Reasons for unavailability included the need for references (47%), limited seats (21.5%), and preference for government students (7%).
Conclusion: The majority of students did not find internships easily due to systemic barriers such as the need for references and limited seats, highlighting the need for improved internship opportunities in private institutions.
Downloads
References
Pagliarulo MA. Introduction to Physical Therapy. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2021.
Muhammad DG, Gbonjubola YT, Abubakar IA, Elisha AT, Ahmad HY. Prevalence of Mistreatment Among Physiotherapy Interns in Nigeria: A Preliminary Study. Bulletin of Faculty of Physical Therapy. 2021;26(1):1-7.
Mukhtar F, Daud S, Manzoor I, Amjad I, Saced K, Naeem M, et al. Bullying of Medical Students. Journal of Pakistan Medical Association. 2010;20(12):814-8.
Ahmer S, Yousafzai AW, Bhutto N, Alam S, Sarangzai AK, Iqbal J. Bullying of Medical Students in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Survey. PLOS ONE. 2008;3(12).
Nadeem W, Shahid Z, Ijaz M, Maqsood U, Arshad HS. Perception of Intermediate College Students About Physical Therapy as a Profession in Lahore, Pakistan. Rawal Medical Journal. 2021;46(1):127.
Zhao Y, Musitia P, Boga M, Gathara D, Nicodemo C, English M. Tools for Measuring Medical Internship Experience: A Scoping Review. Human Resources for Health. 2021;19(1):1-12.
Cannon GW, Keitz SA, Holland GJ, Chang BK, Byrne JM, Tomolo A, et al. Factors Determining Medical Students' and Residents' Satisfaction During VA-Based Training: Findings from the VA Learners' Perceptions Survey. Academic Medicine. 2008;83(6):611-20.
Sein NN, Tumbo J. Determinants of Effective Medical Intern Training at a Training Hospital in North West Province, South Africa. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine. 2012;4(1):10-4.
Whiteside D, Stubbs B, Soundy A. Physiotherapy Students' Experiences of Bullying on Clinical Internships: A Qualitative Study. Physiotherapy. 2014;100(1):41-6.
Supe A, Burdick WP. Challenges and Issues in Medical Education in India. Academic Medicine. 2006;81(12):1076-80.
Carrascosa M, Campos Td, Sampaio JE, Souza RR, Ribeiro VL, Maia ML, et al. Medical Interns and COVID-19: Results of National Research. Revista de Saúde Pública. 2020;66:812-7.
Liu CH, Tang WR, Weng WH, Lin YH, Chen CY. The Process of Coping with Stress by Taiwanese Medical Interns: A Qualitative Study. BMC Medical Education. 2016;16(1):1-6.
Agh S, Aldossar RJ. Perceived Physiotherapy Interns and Faculty Satisfaction with the Current Physiotherapy Internship Program. International Journal of Research in Social Sciences. 2016;6(3):667-81.
Mak V, March G, Clark A, Gilbert AL. Australian Intern Pharmacists' Perceived Preparedness for Practice, and Their Expectations and Experiences of the Internship Year and Future Career Intentions. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. 2013;2(1):25-34.
Daugherty SR, Baldwin DC Jr, Rowley BD. Learning, Satisfaction, and Mistreatment During Medical Internship: A National Survey of Working Conditions. JAMA. 1998;279(15):1194-9.
Balint NT, Anghel MJG. The Importance of Specialized Internship for the Physical Therapy and Special Motor Skills in Improving Their Professional Skills. Journal of Physical Education and Sport. 2016;17(1).
Kim HJ, Suh BG, Lee DB, Lee GW, Kim DW, Kang KT, et al. The Influence of Pain Sensitivity on the Symptom Severity in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis. Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society. 2013.
Al-Moslih A, Shami R, Al-Jayyousi GF, Du X, Al-Awaisi A, Rahim HA, et al. Medical Students' Readiness for Virtual Clerkships During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development. 2021.
Montagna E, Donohoe J, Zaia V, Duggan E, O'Leary P, Waddington J, et al. Transition to Clinical Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Young Doctors' Experiences in Brazil and Ireland. BMJ Open. 2021;11(9).
Duggan E. Transition to Clinical Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Young Doctors' Experiences in Brazil and Ireland. BMJ Open. 2021.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Erum Ghaffar, Fatima Latif, Syed Jamal, Fatima Mazhar, Rimsha Tariq, Aneeqa Aqdas, Mobshara Ibrahim, Hira Amin, Fareeha Saleem
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.