Exchange Report

Exchange report - incoming students

Home university:

Hogeschool van Amsterdam

Study programme:

Physiotherapy

Exchange programme:

Erasmus

Semester:

Spring semester 2009/2010

Name:	Alice de Jong
Email address:	jong.dealice@gmail.com

Arrival and registration

I arrived a week before my internship started and that was a good choise because it took time to get to know the public transport and how to get everywhere. The arrival arrangement was not so good because nobody picked me up, but i had a friend with me who could help me. And the way to find the place where to pick up the keys and stuff like that, was hard. But everybody was kind and wanted to help me with finding my way. Also at the introduction day i met other erasmus students and than you know you are not alone.

Acommendation

My first impression was okay. It did not look nice in the corridor and the kitchen but in my room i immediately felt at home. I did apply for housing via UAC, it took some time before i knew i had a house but i was happy that i got something. In the middle of my stay they started renovating my kitchen and my bathroom, they told me that was going to happen but i was happy i could move to another room. That was very kind of them to take the effort to arrange another room for me.

Leisure time and social activities

Global Friends did organize some activities, but i did not attend to a lot of them. Most of the free time i spend with the other erasmus students i met here and at the introduction day. They did have parties regular, that was something i did like. So here you can meet other students. But there could be more activities and more explanation about the sport groups you can join.

Pre-departure

Since two years i wanted to go abroad and at the same time study. The reason why i wanted to go study abroad was because of new experiences on personal and on professional level. The reason why i wanted to go to Stockholm was because in Sweden physical therapy has a good standard. KI is a partner university from the HvA and that was a little easier than searching for a other place which is no partner university. I wanted to get out of the routing in The Netherlands and experience another coutry where i allso really can learn something more and bring it to The Netherlands.

Courses during the exchange period

SSVK13 : Literature Review

I did my literature review during my Clinical rotation for exchange students - Physiotherapy 3, that was in Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge. For me it was at first not a problem to do my internship and literature review at the same time, it's about time management and stand up for yourself. But sometimes it is hard to concentrate at two things at the same time. I would recommend that students will get one day a week off, to work fulltime on their literature review. Or that they get time off for two weeks to work fulltime on the literature revieuw.

ESG001 : Clinical rotation for exchange students- Physiotherapy 1

My supervisors were really nice and explained and learned me a lot. What could improve was the contact between them, the KI erasmus coordinator and the HvA erasmus coordinator. Also they should have a conversation with me what i want to achieve and what they have to do or to fill in, if they don't have the experience with that.

ESG002 : Clinical rotation for exchange students- Physiotherapy 2

It was a little the same as the first rotation. They gave me a lot independency, and that was what i really liked. I got more confident in my act and in my physiotherapy knowledge. They gave me time to read and learn about as many patients as possible.

ESG003 : Clinical rotation for exchange students- Physiotherapy 3

Here my supervisors were also nice. I had two supervisors and it was not really clear who i had to turn to and when. They did not ask what i want to achieve and what goals i had. But i was very independent and could always ask my supervisors if i did not know something. They made me feel at home. I also got a badge and a code to get in the hospital, i did not have that in Solna.

AT1X01 : Community and Home Based Rehabilitation - Cultural Perspectives

This course was mainly about the Health Care System in different countries. The group and the atmosphere was really nice and the teachers also! Only the literature list was outdated, they did not have the books in the liberary. And we had a lot of lectures and i would like to have a little more do something together like interesting workshops.

Summary

I had a really nice time in Stockholm and a the KI. I learned more than i would learn at an internship in the Netherland, because a lot of things are different and new and than it is even more interesting. Everybody is really nice and make you feel at home. It is good that there are people you can contact if you have questions about something. I would not change this time here in Sweden, it was amazing!

Language and Culture

I did participate in the course. I did the course in 5 weeks, twice a week. But i think especially twice a week, two and a half hours is too long. We could not concetrate all the time. But the teacher was very nice and we learned something, but not as much as i did expect.

Studies in general

The Swedish study environment is relaxed, you enjoy more when people are not stressed out. And everybody, especially my supervisors, where very nive to me and wanted to help me if i had problems or questions. They really learned me a lot! The first 15 weeks i did my internship in the Karolinska University Hospital in Solna and in Huddinge. After this i did a Community and Home Based Rehabilitation Course. My internship was a bit more stressfull and i was doing a lot of things i never did before, i learned a lot. And the course was a little more relax and i have more knowledge about my own and other countries and there health care. The contact between the teachers at KI and the stucents at KI is better because we did some lunches together, so we got more in contact. At my school they don't arrange stuff like that.