Students of the Faculty of Physical Culture at Palacký University Olomouc now have a new opportunity to complete a clinical placement at Clínica Universitaria La Salle in Madrid. Part of Centro Universitario La Salle, this partner institution offers a modern multidisciplinary clinical environment that closely integrates student education with everyday patient care. The opportunities available at the clinic were explored during a four-day Erasmus staff training mobility by Pavla Horová from the Department of Physiotherapy.
Affiliated with the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Centro Universitario La Salle offers degree programmes in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, and dentistry. Its university clinic provides students with hands-on clinical experience under the supervision of experienced healthcare professionals while delivering care to local patients.
One of the clinic's greatest strengths is its multidisciplinary approach to patient care. Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, speech and language therapists, podiatrists, and other healthcare professionals work side by side, allowing students to gain first-hand experience of interdisciplinary collaboration in clinical practice.
During her mobility, Pavla Horová observed occupational therapists working in neurology, hand therapy, paediatrics, and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. She was particularly impressed by the paediatric occupational therapy department and by the close collaboration between different healthcare professions throughout the clinic. The facilities are equipped with modern resources, including dedicated spaces for activities of daily living training, custom thermoplastic splint fabrication, and research into the use of exoskeletons and virtual reality in hand rehabilitation.
A placement at Clínica Universitaria La Salle represents an excellent opportunity, particularly for physiotherapy students interested in interdisciplinary rehabilitation or paediatric care. It may be especially valuable for students who have completed a study mobility within the Pediatric Physiotherapy programme at Avans University of Applied Sciences in Breda, the Netherlands, and wish to further develop their clinical experience in an environment that also offers specialised paediatric occupational therapy.
Students considering a placement at La Salle should be aware that a good command of Spanish is highly recommended. While English can be used in the university environment and the staff are welcoming and supportive, everyday communication with patients and much of the clinical practice take place in Spanish. A communicative level of Spanish is therefore considered a significant advantage for making the most of the placement.
Beyond providing insight into an inspiring clinical environment, the mobility also opened discussions on expanding cooperation between the Faculty of Physical Culture and Centro Universitario La Salle. The newly established connections may lead to future opportunities not only for student placements but also for teaching mobilities and further academic collaboration.
"I would highly recommend La Salle to anyone interested in experiencing a university clinic abroad, gaining insight into interdisciplinary collaboration, and finding inspiration in everyday clinical practice. Physiotherapy students, in particular, should take the opportunity to observe occupational therapists, as this broader perspective can greatly enrich their understanding of rehabilitation," says Pavla Horová.
