Physiotherapy internship in Sri Lanka

Participants have the opportunity to work on a variety of body areas. Interns will be supervised by the head physiotherapist. A senior doctor is also present on site, and consultants/doctors visit weekly to monitor patient progress. Interns can interact with and learn from all these healthcare professionals during their physiotherapy internship in Sri Lanka.

As with all our nursing and medical internship programs abroad, this project in Sri Lanka allows participants to validate their academic year while gaining hands-on experience and contributing to the United Nations’ goal of healthcare access for all.

We collaborate with the Maliban Rehabilitation Clinic (a unit of Karapitiya University Hospital), which is part of Sri Lanka’s public healthcare system. It is an intimate clinic (20 beds) specializing in physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and occupational therapy. It operates independently but is part of the larger public hospital network in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka and is affiliated with the country’s third-largest hospital.

The clinic’s hours for the physiotherapy internship are from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday, with a break for lunch. Each day is divided into two sessions—morning and afternoon. Participants have flexibility in choosing the number of hours they work, and can opt for one or both sessions per day. Physiotherapy interns are expected to work at least 15–20 hours per week, with a maximum of 35–40 hours per week.

The current capacity is three students per session. Two sessions are held daily (morning + afternoon), allowing a total of six students per day.