Physiotherapy Internship in Central America

Make a difference to healthcare in Guatemala! The Centre where you'll assist works to better the lives of approximately 70 children who have physical and/or mental handicaps. The patients here are taken care of by general staff, nurses, doctors, dentists and physiotherapists.

The centre is looking for people with a background or interest in physiotherapy to assist them with their daily work. You'll most likely assist and shadow the physiotherapists while they work with the children and you may help to care for the children, including feeding them, giving them baths, and possibly even assist with cooking or with the laundry. You are here as an assistant physiotherapist, but you must be prepared to muck in with other activities too!

You will need to have some Spanish skills participate in this project. You should ideally have GCSE or equivalent skills, or be prepared to learn some of the language in Guatemala before starting your project.

As medical terminology is likely to be used at the centre, it is also highly recommended that you take some extra medical Spanish lessons before starting your project, even if you’re already confident in general Spanish. We can arrange these specific lessons, where you’ll learn medical terminology, which will not only be useful to you on the project but perhaps also in your future career.

If you have a low level of Spanish or no Spanish at all, you are still very welcome to come on the project, but it is a requirement that you spend some time learning Spanish at our language schools before starting work at the care centre. It usually takes between 4-8 weeks to reach the required standard of Spanish. If you were comfortable with languages at school and feel confident about languages in general, you should be at the lower end of the scale.

• An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into undiscovered Central America.
• New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional development.
• An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head and shoulders above most others in the job market
• The enormous satisfaction of helping disadvantaged children and knowing that you made a difference to them
• And maybe best of all ... an unforgettable experience!

Accommodation with host families means that Travellers volunteers get to eat, sleep, work, socialise and generally live like a Guatemalan. Local family homestays enable you to fully experience the local culture from the inside. Many of our volunteers remain friends with their host families long after they leave Guatemala and in some cases they return to the country later especially to visit their family. Some homestays are more like small hotels, which can accommodate between 1 and 10 volunteers at any one time. Many offer the option of single or shared rooms, and generally houses within the same town are in close proximity with each other. The accommodation is comfortable, with a ‘western-style’ bathroom.

All of your meals will be provided from Monday to Saturday, leaving you free to sample local eateries on Sundays.

Whether you’re an adventure-mad extreme sports enthusiast or a nature-loving bird-watcher, Guatemala’s awesome unspoilt natural habitat will have something for you. The extraordinary terrain around the volcanoes and caves provides the perfect setting for mountaineering and caving (spelunking) whereas the fast-moving rivers are ideal for boating, white-water rafting and windsurfing, with Lake Atitlán also popular for diving. There’s also a nearby turtle sanctuary.

Besides this you can also find ample opportunity to go mountain biking, bathe in hot springs surrounded by lush green jungle, or indulge your passion for nature in one of the country’s national parks.

Talk to us - We're there to help you. Most of our team are ex Travellers volunteers and are ideally qualified to offer advice and guidance because they know what you're looking for. They'll help you find your perfect project - and then make it all happen!

If you'd like to apply for this project. Visit our website and complete the application form. As soon as we receive it, we'll liaise with you and then start making your travel adventure happen.

It's as easy as that.