Occupational Therapy Internship in Vietnam

Are you interested in getting occupational therapy work experience at a rehabilitation centre? Do you want to help those who need support most? If you answered yes to these questions, our Occupational Therapy internship in Vietnam would be a good fit for you.

This project is perfect for any student looking to put occupational therapy into practice. To join, you should have completed at least two years of occupational therapy-related studies or training. Please be aware that the work you do will depend on your level of experience and training.

This is a unique way to add work experience to your CV, and it will give you interesting points to talk about in applications and interviews.

You can join at any time of the year, and we encourage you to stay longer than the minimum duration, to ensure you have a bigger impact on the people you work with and maximise your learning. It’s also a great opportunity to gain even more occupational therapy work experience while in Vietnam.

You’ll begin each day bright and early, leaving your accommodation at around 7am. You’ll travel by taxi or bus, or walk if it’s close enough to you. On your first day, our staff will accompany you to show you the way.

Your exact daily schedule will depend on where you are placed, as each facility runs according to its own schedule. Work at your placement will generally start at 8am, and your day will end at 4pm.

Your mornings and afternoons will be comprised of you treating patients. You could work in a therapy room helping patients who have decreased fine motor precision and coordination, using games and activities. You could make use of equipment like:

• Exercise mattresses
• Gym balls
• Toys
• Trampolines

In Vietnam, lunch breaks are long and run from about 11am to 1pm. During your lunch breaks, you can do things like play badminton with the children, or teach basic English. After returning to work in the afternoon, you’ll continue working with patients until 4pm.

During your free time, you can explore the city of Hanoi or surrounding rural areas. You can get a taste of Vietnam by trying street foods like spring rolls, sip on cups of sweet Vietnamese coffee, or learn about Vietnam’s history at museums. Over a weekend, you could visit the world-famous Ha Long Bay.

The aim of this project is to give you the opportunity to learn and develop your skills in occupational therapy.

During the Vietnam War, chemical warfare was used to devastating effect. Agent Orange continues to affect children born decades after the war, because the chemical damaged DNA. This has led to children being born with mental and physical disabilities. There aren’t many qualified occupational therapists working in Vietnam, and there is a significant need at the rehabilitation centres we work with.

Your main focus will be on helping disabled people improve their skills and quality of life through focused therapy. Your efforts will be part of our ongoing work to improve healthcare in Vietnam.

We are working toward five long-term goals through Medicine and Healthcare Management Plan for Vietnam:

• Encourage an understanding of medical practices and promote an exchange of medical knowledge
• Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients
• Improve the quality of specialised or alternative healthcare provided
• Improve hygiene standards
• Improve access to basic healthcare for disadvantaged groups

Join us as we strive to reach these goals to help people in need, and advance your career in occupational therapy.