Development of physical therapy student cultural competency through international community service

Many healthcare professions students are unaware of their own ethnocentrism, and movement along the continuum of cultural competence may not be possible until the students encounter individuals whose cultural beliefs, values, and needs differ significantly from their own. This project was an example of an international community service immersion experience in Nicaragua that led to increased cultural competency of five physical therapy students. Through immersion, the students progressed from cultural blindness to cultural precompetence. To further foster student cultural competence, the conceptual framework needs to reflect the multiple facets of an individual's identity and influences on behavior change.