Program Reviews

I had an amazing experience traveling to Costa Rica. I was initially nervous about traveling alone but the moment I stepped onto the bus both the directors and students on the trip made me feel right at home. My days were constantly packed with activities to do and the physical therapists we shadowed truly went out of their way to make us feel comfortable and teach us new things. Shadowing at the neurological clinic during my time there inspired me to apply to do neurological research this summer! I grew so much both personally and professionally over the two weeks and this is truly a trip I will remember forever.

Toucan Abroad is the perfect mix of education and adventure. Throughout the time that I spent in Costa Rica I practiced at three different Physical Therapy Clinics, each one with its own specialization. Each clinic offers a variety of hands-on practice with both manual therapy and equipment. There is opportunity to work in all areas of Physical Therapy ranging from geriatric, athletic, pediatric, special needs, and more. After a full week of shadowing, there is still time to see what else the beautiful Costa Rica has to offer. We traveled to both the Caribbean coast and the Pacific coast for our weekend excursions. Both of these were phenomenal experiences leaving unforgettable memories. Overall, I can not thank Toucan Abroad enough for the opportunity to learn so much about Physical Therapy with unmatched hands-on practice, experience the beauty of this country, and for the life-long friendships that were made along the way!

This experience was amazing from the clinical hours to the weekends trips!!The therapist’s were so welcoming and taught me so many different therapy techniques. My most memorable moments during clinic was at Salud Vital was working out in the pool that was given by Juliana (physical therapist).From the interactions with patients made me realize the specialty I want to pursue in my future pt career which is geriatric's. My favorite parts of the trip were the weekend trips!!! All of the memories we created from doing Karaoke, surfing with the locals, riding jet-skis, and going on the Catamaran boat!!! I highly recommend coming on this trip, I learned a lot about myself and what I want in my pt career.

When I first signed up for Toucan Abroad, I thought it would be mostly physical therapy shadowing with a few activities scattered here and there. After going on the trip, I can confirm it was much more than that. Almost every day of those 3 weeks I was in Puerto Vallarta felt action packed and had met its full potential. I was constantly having fun and experiencing new things. A lot of the things I experienced were not listed on the trips original itinerary and instead came as pleasant surprises. These included things such as surfing, going on a yacht, clubbing, visiting private beaches, and going to amazing restaurants.

One of the best things I liked about the program was the amount of freedom you got. Outside of your shadowing hours, students are free to choose whatever they’d like to do and get to be creative with their choices. You are treated as a responsible adult and I like that.

The shadowing is great as you get a chance to work in a raw environment, and are treated as if you’re just another worker. You get to bounce between 3 clinics each week and can choose what specialties you want to observe. I found the experience to invaluable, as I learned a lot and made multiple relationships with the therapists. I even got to use one as a reference when applying to PTA school.

As I’m writing this, I’ve been home for only a few days but I still find myself missing the trip, the friends I made, and the things I got to do. I HIGHLY recommend this program to anyone who is interested in the physical therapy profession. I think Phil and everyone else at Toucan Abroad has done a great job putting this together and I can’t wait to watch it grow and reach more people.

If you are even thinking about applying, do it!!! This was truly the best experience ever and I have grown and learned so much from it! You gain lifelong friends through this program and couldn’t be more thankful for everything this program showed me!! The clinical hour experience was amazing and I learned so many new techniques and how to use different equipment which was great! The environment is beautiful and could never get over our views we had every day!! Definitely recommend this program and you will not regret it!!

I cannot recommend this program enough!! If you have the time and money to do it, you should. The physical therapy in Mexico was much more hands on and interactive than in the US, and it helped me learn so much. This is a great opportunity if you’re wanting to improve your Spanish skills or learn some Spanish as well. This was the best experience of my life and there was a great balance of learning and fun! It truly goes by so fast and you become close with everyone so quickly, it doesn’t even feel like you’re away from home.

I would highly recommend shadowing with Toucan Abroad! This experience was unlike anything I’ve done in the United States while getting shadowing. Everyone was great, from the fellow students, to the director, to the therapist. Everyone was very interested in us learning. Although there was a language barrier, it didn’t stop us from communicating. You get out what you put in, so give it your best effort and you’ll have the best time! This program is 100% worth it!! I’m so thankful for this opportunity with Toucan Abroad.

This program was amazing! Great for any pre pt students. Such good hands on experience at the different clinics. The physical therapists were great to work with. It was so much fun on the weekends going to the beaches. The food was also really good and Fernando had some great reccomendations. We got to experience so many new things and met so many great people. It was also a great opportunity to practice Spanish and be immersed in a different culture. Perfect trip for anyone considering doing pt. I got so much out of this trip and I wish I could do it again.

I don’t even know where to begin. This trip was unforgettable. Not only did I gain very valuable physical therapy experience, but I made friends that will last a lifetime. Everyone on this trip, staff and toucans, are people I aspire to be. I was excited about this trip before but I never expected it to be as good as it was. The worst part of the trip was having to leave. I can’t find anything bad to say about Toucan abroad. If you are thinking about doing physical therapy, go on this trip!! Thank you Toucan Abroad for the best 3 weeks!

I can’t even begin to explain how much going on Toucan Abroad changed my life. I was unsure at first going abroad to a new country without knowing anyone but I can say now I’m so glad that I did. While in Costa Rica I got to learn about what physical therapists really do day to day and all about the culture. The physical therapists there see a wide variety of patients with different conditions. I was able to shadow and help with all sorts of patients which helped me learn about the patients I may want to work with when I become a PT. Being in a different country I also got to try new amazing foods, swim in beautiful clear waters, and learn about the different lifestyles in Costa Rica! In addition to that I met so many wonderful people on this trip that I wouldn’t have met anywhere else. Each of the Directors of Toucan Abroad were also so great and helpful! I’m so thankful this opportunity was given to me! It truly was a once in a lifetime experience!