We began the day by traveling to a private hospital very close to Bilbao. Here, we were able to learn about their rehabilitation devices that they have developed for use in their patients. The first was a robotic exoskeleton that enables stroke patients to walk by supporting and enabling their movement. Something I found interesting is that the patients must learn to move along with the exoskeleton instead of letting it do the work for them. We also saw a kind of electrical pulse device that has shown promising improvement for those with attention deficit disorder.

After, we went to the University of the Basque Country’s main campus where we were shown various rehabilitation facilities. It was extremely interesting to see the different methods they have available and how future physical therapists are trained in Spain.

Next, we traveled back to the School of Engineering and listen to Dr. Abramowich’s presentation about his research in women’s health. I found this to be extremely interesting and engaging. It was incredibly surprising to learn how common pelvic floor disorders are but how little research and treatment there is for them. The fact that this endeavor has become so large scale and widespread to many departments gives me significant hope for the future of these possible preventions. Great job Dr. Professor!

We then continued our busy day with a trip to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. I can proudly say this is the single most beautiful place I have ever been to! The scenery was unbelievably beautiful and breathtaking. The scene’s main focus involved a hike to the top of a peninsula featuring a church. The view’s were beautiful, but the walk back to our bus was criminal…

We finished our day off by heading to the beach where some of us were brave enough to take off our shoes and dip our feet into the water. It was extremely cold to say the least, but it was so much fun to explore the beach and experience it with everyone.