European University of Lefke (EUL) Faculty of Health Sciences, Head of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department Asst. Prof. Dr. Aydın Meriç drew attention to the Physiotherapy profession and gave information about the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department of EUL. 

Meriç: Physiotherapists are indispensable members of the healthcare team. 

Meriç physiotherapist said, “Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation is related to a wide range of disease groups and therefore physiotherapists are indispensable members of the healthcare team”; pain and dysfunction caused by injury, illness, congenital disability, movement system disorders or other conditions; By determining the functional limitations, pain, disability and abilities of the people with special measurement, evaluation and examination methods, according to the diagnosis of the physician, planning, implementing and reevaluating the physiotherapy and rehabilitation program for the development of function and functional capacity, appropriate exercises to maintain the health of healthy people and He explained it as a health personnel who has professional autonomy who plans preventive programs.

“The Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation of the Faculty of Health Sciences closely follows the developments in the world with its strong academic staff and gives priority to quality in education in undergraduate and graduate programs; Meriç stated that he undertakes the management of various projects and organizes scientific activities in order to enable the multi-faceted development of our students and to improve the physical infrastructure, thus contributing to science” and explained the purpose of the education program as follows; Equipped with the necessary physiotherapy and rehabilitation knowledge, skills and competencies to identify, prevent and treat movement and function disorders and improve health-related quality of life, able to modify the acquired knowledge, skills and attitudes according to the changing needs of the society, create creative and innovative solutions, able to work in terms of; To train physiotherapists who are researcher, have lifelong learning and evidence-based practice skills, are open to the use of innovative technology, adopt quality assurance behavior, manage business processes, respect ethical values, and take part in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary working models.

The education given at the university is 4 years, and during the education of the students, basic medical sciences such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, neurology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, internal medicine, rheumatology, neuroanatomy, gynecology and obstetrics, as well as heat-light-hydrotherapy, kinesiology, normal motor Meriç stated that they are taking vocational-specific theoretical and practical courses such as development, manipulative therapy, electrotherapy, basic measurement and evaluation, treatment movements, neurophysiological approaches, pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation, orthotics-prosthetics and rehabilitation, pediatric rehabilitation, athlete health and rehabilitation. He stated that summer internships are provided in the 2nd and 3rd grades of the education, and practical applications within the scope of clinical work in the 4th grade and training is given at the end of the training in a way to improve the ability of application, evaluation and analytical thinking.

Students are preparing for the profession in fully equipped laboratories

In Meriç, EUL Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department, ‘Exercise Practices and Manuplative Treatment Hall’, ‘Anatomy Laboratory’, where training of exercise and manual therapy approaches for musculoscleteal, orthopedic and cardio-pulmonary physiotherapy applications are provided, ‘Anatomy Laboratory’, where practical applications of electrophysical agents and traction devices are provided. He stated that there are the ‘Electrotherapy Units’ where practical trainings are given, the ‘Rehabilitation Unit’ where neurological physiotherapy approaches are shown and the ‘Hydrotherapy Unit’ where the training of hot-cold applications depending on light and water is provided, and that the students are prepared for the profession by practicing.

Meriç said, “In addition, graduates from the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department graduate program are being awarded, and our students receive education in our master’s and doctoral programs, and they carry out research and thesis studies.”

“Our graduates receive the title of “physiotherapist”, they can work in public and private hospitals, medical centers, exercise counseling centers, special education centers, sports clubs, gyms, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, university hospitals, and can open private exercise counseling centers. Physiotherapists working in Healthy Life Centers are able to provide quality and effective health services to both healthy and chronically ill individuals, and especially to elderly individuals, within the framework of protective and preventive approaches to public health,” said Meriç, adding that the developing technology in the world and in our country and the pandemic created by Covid-19 He added that the present and future needs of societies that have become increasingly inactive due to the fact that the physiotherapist profession is inevitable.