During February and March of 2026 I completed 8 weeks of practical training in the university hospital in Gent, Belgium. In total I spent around 2,5 months in Gent. I study physiotherapy and my exchange was in the spring semester of 3rd year. I had clinical placements in two different places, four weeks each. First one was a rehabilitation centre and the second an outpatient department. In both placements I had a local student colleague, which helped with the pressure of being a student and gave me an amazing opportunity to get to know local students better. I felt very welcomed in my internships and the hospital hosts many exchange students, so everything felt very clear.
In my spare time I spent a lot of time being social, much more than in Finland. If not every day, multiple times a week I would hang out with friends, go out or just explore the city. My work week was 4 days, so I always had a long weekend which gave me the opportunity to make weekend trips as well. I visited other cities in Belgium and also went to Amsterdam and Paris. As my exchange period was quite short, I wanted to do as much as possible and loved every second of it. Gent also had a very active Erasmus network, so it was very easy to get to know other exchange students as well in the parties and events they held.
When it comes to physiotherapy, the methods and principles followed the same guidelines as in Finland. I felt I was at the same level with the local students, which was a big relief for me. In Belgium physiotherapy is a five year master’s degree, so I was a bit intimidated at the start of the internship. However, after talking with the local students I learned that I had the same amount of clinical placements and had completed more at that point. I didn’t notice a gap in theoretical knowledge at all either. Work ethic felt similar to Finland, maybe we’re more punctual and organised… All the patients were very welcoming and didn’t mind speaking English with me. I saw the same patients almost every day, and a few of them I will always remember.
Overall, doing the exchange was the best decision I could have made and my time abroad was so much more than just the internship. I will always wish I could relive it. Dank je wel en tot ziens Gent <3
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