Workplace = Heaven (article for physiotherapists)

Hello all!

Time has come to write about my first workday at my host place. Usually people tend to get horrified by hearing the following words: "monday", "working", "overtime", "getting up early", but when you finish reading my post, you will find yourself smiling and feeling absolutely alright. My internship takes place every day between 7:00 a. m. and 13:15 p. m. at a physical therapy centre. Yes, I know it starts early in the morning, I have to wake up at 5:50 a. m. every weekday, however, I have my whole afternoon and night free to discover my environment, or relax, or do whatever I want. By the way, it's quite common that in Austria work begins before 8. I like this idea, because if I start earlier, I also finish earlier.

My place of internship is easy to be reached from my dorm by tram 1. It’s situated exactly at Rechbauerstraße 3. APT am Hauptstadt (Ambulatorium für Physikalische Therapien) is an old and grandiose building, with 4 floors. On the ground floor and on the first floor there is a massage and electrotherapy unit. Moreover, on the second and third floor active physical therapy through moving and manual therapy is available. For more info you can check their website.

There is no way to get bored, because patients present various diseases, starting with musculo-skeletal problems to neurological or heart conditions, children, adults and older people at the same time. These colourful symptoms require professionalism, thinking, intelligence and spontaneity from the physical therapist, so you will find yourself in the middle of challenge, but you can do it! There’s no way of getting bored or burn-out. Plus the patients incorporate multiculturalism, because from the Muslim, Austrian, Egyptian patients to the black, Croatian and Romanian people there is a large palette of nationalities asking for treatment. Half an hour is at each patient’s disposal.

It’s a hygienical, serious, precise and problem-solving oriented workplace, with extremely friendly staff. Circa 25 physiotherapists work at APT. The average age is 27-28, every therapist is young, so there is high energy level, optimism, humour, directness and very much fun at work.

Two tips for the end: I came at APT with almost no German health-care terminology vocabulary, and in only 2 days I gained so much knowledge, that on the third day I could do therapy for German-speaking patients. So don’t hesitate in applying to a country with a language you don’t know, because if you hear it day by day, you will learn it. Language = no problem.

Tip for Hungarians and Polish: at APT am Hauptstadt work Hungarian and Polish physiotherapists. This was a big advantage and a relief at the same time, because on my first days I could speak with therapists from my country on my native language.

So in conclusion, APT is the best place for a physiotherapist internship!

Sorry for the quality of the pictures, I’m not a professional photographer!

Thank you for reading. Bis später! Dóra.

Photo gallery