Most physical therapy students learn anatomy in a classroom, but seven from Neumann University learned it more than 100 feet above the Amazon floor, while on a canopy walk deep in the Peruvian rainforest.
The Doctor of Physical Therapy students recently spent seven days far outside their suburban routines on an immersive learning trip to Peru’s Amazon, writes Peg DeGrassa for the Daily Times.
Dr. Karen Wientjes organized the voluntary journey as part of her Health Care and Healing Traditions of Amazonia workshop, which she launched in 2015 and has now led five times.
The group included students Laila Aly, Madison Hawk, Haley Hughes, Sarah Lipscomb, Madison Locurcio, Grace Shanton, and Hannah Singer, along with Professor Etsuko Hoshino-Browne and Leah Albaugh, Wientjes’ daughter.
Their trip began in Lima.
There, the students met with providers at a children’s hospital and toured a Ministry of Health exhibit on native medicinal plants, including cat’s claw and dragon’s blood.
Next came Iquitos, a city near the Amazon River reachable only by plane.
The group explored a marketplace where vendors sell raw plants and medicinal preparations side by side.
From there, the journey continued by boat to a Yagua community, where the students spent four days immersed in rainforest life.
They caught and cooked piranha, crossed the canopy walk high above the forest, and learned from a local shaman about plants, trees, ceremonies, and the idea of healing the whole person.
“The experience exposes them to another approach to healthcare and our interconnectedness with nature,” said Wientjes. “There’s no way you can leave without a sense of awe, a better understanding of our place in society and the world, and a newfound connection with nature and others.”
For Wientjes, the trip helps students grow personally and professionally while deepening their understanding of nature, culture, and holistic care.
Dive into the full story in the Daily Times to see what the rainforest taught these future physical therapists.
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