Bulgaria & Greece: Pre-Occupational & Speech Therapy Program
Start your adventure in the Eastern European country of Bulgaria, located on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. It is one of the oldest states in Europe founded in the 7th century. Bulgaria joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2004 and of the European Union (EU) in 2007. The country is a unique blend of Eastern and Western cultures, which can be seen through its cuisine, its architecture, and its religious heritage. Bulgaria will be your home base for the clinical portion of your program. Finish your journey by traveling to the neighboring country of Greece and spending 4 days taking in the sites of Athens & Santorini. Taste your way through traditional markets and wonder the historical cities, explore the ancient town of Akrotiri, explore the acropolis and more!
What Will I Do?
Your group will collaborate with our local community partners to bring services to children and adults in the town of Sevlievo. With an intentional focus on cooperative learning and capacity building for both visiting and hosting professionals, our AOTA licensed Occupational Therapists and ASHA-licensed SLPs will take you through a cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral and cross-cultural program that will change the way you develop within your field. Our community partners have developed a brand new health clinic that will offer occupational therapy services and also include a fully functioning pharmacy. Students will work directly in the pediatric clinic for the majority of their time, providing services and running a camp for kids with special needs. In addition, students will have the opportunity to visit and provide services in a local long term care geriatric facility. You will also be working directly with patients in the main hospital in Sevlievo. In addition to your supervisors, you will have interpreters and guides with you during your entire trip.
Therapy Abroad students and staff provide essential services such as screenings, direct rehabilitation, referral and/or care to promote fitness, health and wellness and capacity building in the provision of occupational therapy to individuals, organizations, and communities. You will learn about diverse approaches to teaching and implement methodologies for designing and evaluating learning experiences used in the education of patients/clients, students, colleagues, and the broader community.
Excursions: While you will earn observation and clinic hours, there will also be opportunities for fun, cultural excursions. Places you may visit in Bulgaria include the Devetashka Cave and Krushina Waterfalls, city tour of the capital of Sofia, the Veliko Tarnovo and Tsarevets Fortress, a monastery, and an oasis.
Benefits For Students Who Participate In This Program:
- Hands-on experience
- Build experience and resume for graduate school admissions
- Gain observation and volunteer hours
- Materials, tests and diagnostic tools
- Therapy Abroad tee-shirt
- Cultural responsiveness
- Learn from professionals in small discussion based groups: Topics include disorder vs difference, oral motor and feeding techniques, applied behavior analysis, working with culturally & linguistically diverse groups and more.
- Learn to compare and contrast speech-language pathology and occupational therapy services in developing countries with that in the United States.
- Intercultural exchange in creative learning environment
- Increased skills of intercultural communication
- Experience in research and collaboration
- Practice skills in a multicultural environment
- Greater international understandings of social issues
- Better understanding of global social change
- Greater understanding of inequalities and differences in world systems
- International travel experience
What’s Included With Your Tuition?
Travel and study abroad is a big investment and our commitment to you is that we will work hard every day to make sure you are going to have the most amazing experience: professional staff, tasty meals and comfortable accommodations, and overall, a well-crafted itinerary full of diverse activities and good people. With the exception of international airfare, our trips are all-inclusive. All domestic transport, meals, accommodation, all activities, supervision, and all excursions. We won’t try to upsell you on any “additional activities” or “additional optional activities” that aren’t advertised as part of the program.
More specifically, your program includes:
- Pre-departure support
- Group flight booking assistance
- Flights team support staff
- Professional and licensed staff (practitioners and academics)
- 24-hour emergency support staff and in-country support
- Airport pick-up in Bulgaria
- Private transport throughout the country
- Experienced facilitators
- Shared, comfortable accommodations
- All meals
- Snacks and drinking water
- Orientation and curriculum
- All necessary equipment, materials and supplies
- All activities listed in the program itinerary
- All domestic transport
- Flights from Bulgaria to Greece
- Materials, tests and diagnostic tools
- Therapy Abroad tee-shirt
