A world of difference in Timor-Leste
Highlights
- A group of occupational therapy and physiotherapy students spent two weeks in Timor-Leste on a short-term international study experience.
- They worked with local healthcare professionals and organisations to experience health care from a different perspective.
- The students agree the experience changed not only how they are going to practise, but the kind of practitioners they want to become.
From early morning hikes through misty mountains to dancing in a school while a blind student played the piano, this was a learning experience like no other.
Earlier this year, a group of Australian Catholic University (ACU) physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) students travelled to Timor-Leste for a two-week short-term international study experience, immersing themselves in a new culture and a healthcare system vastly different from Australia’s.
Supported by the Australian Government through the New Colombo Plan (NCP) short-term mobility grants, the experience took students beyond the classroom and into hospitals, schools, homes and remote communities.
Working alongside healthcare professionals and local organisations, they were challenged to adapt their clinical skills, think creatively and see health care from a different perspective.
And it became an experience that would shape not only how they practise, but the kind of practitioners they want to become.
Health care through a different lens
The students travelled to remote communities, including Liquica, Baucau and Ermera, where they saw first-hand how poverty and limited resources can affect access to healthcare.
Nelson Cheng, a fourth-year Bachelor of Physiotherapy student at ACU’s North Sydney Campus, worked with children living with cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy during home visits with the Klibur Domin Foundation.
“In many cases, families were doing everything they could with very little,” he says.
“It forced me to confront some uncomfortable truths about healthcare inequality and taught me that health care is not about having access to everything, but rather about working within real constraints and finding solutions that are sustainable.
“It’s fundamentally shaped how I practice.”
For Madeline Dickie, a third-year Bachelor of Occupational Therapy student at ACU’s Brisbane Campus, the same challenge meant becoming more creative and resourceful.
“Besides the language barrier, the hardest part for me was finding ways to support clients with such limited resources,” she says.
“We wanted to do so much for every person we met, but we had to adapt and find creative ways to help without the equipment and resources we’re so privileged to have in Australia.”
“It was humbling, and it changed the way I think about my role as a future OT.”
Molly Davies, a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy student at ACU’s Ballarat Campus, says hiking to the summit of Timor-Leste’s highest mountain, introducing children to bubbles and teaching one young boy how to play the card game Uno were among her highlights.
However, it was the privilege of helping the locals that was truly memorable.
“Some of the conditions we saw were confronting, often because of limited access to health knowledge,” Molly says.
“Being able to share that knowledge and help make people's lives a little easier was an incredible privilege.”
Lessons outside the classroom
While the clinical experiences were central to the trip, some of the students’ most memorable lessons came through simply being immersed in Timor-Leste.
One of the most meaningful moments for Madeline came at Katilosa, a school for children with disabilities.
“Seeing the school in such a rural community, and the selflessness of every one of the teachers, completely blew me away,” she says.
“I'll never forget dancing for hours while one of the students, who is blind, played the piano. It was unforgettable, and it’s the moment I think about most.”
Where the future can lead
For Nelson, the trip has already influenced the direction of his future career.
Working with stroke survivors helped confirm a passion for neurological physiotherapy, while communicating with patients with limited English strengthened his communication skills.
“The placement brilliantly refined my clinical skills and solidified my passion for neurological physiotherapy,” he says.
“I developed crucial practical skills and my communication with patients with limited English improved significantly.”
Madeline says the experience has opened up another possibility: taking her profession overseas after graduation.
“It’s encouraged me to consider working in other countries after graduating, so I can support communities as much as I can,” Madeline says.
“I've become a lot more resourceful and creative in how I solve problems, and I know that will make me a better OT wherever I end up working.”
Molly says that she too wants to continue helping the people of Timor-Leste.
“The biggest skill I built was awareness: of my surroundings, of what people have, and of the struggles they face,” Molly says.
“It deepened my empathy. I’d love to support Timor-Leste’s growing telehealth programs in the future or return in person.”
A different kind of classroom
Each of the students found their time in Timor-Leste offered something that could not be replicated by lectures or textbooks alone.
It placed them in unfamiliar environments, asked them to communicate across language and cultural barriers, and challenged them to find solutions without relying on the equipment and systems they might ordinarily take for granted.
For Madeline, experiences like this are a major part of what makes studying at ACU so rewarding.
“I've been lucky enough to go on two overseas trips with ACU – Rome last year and now Timor-Leste – and both have immersed me in completely different cultures and shown me what OT can look like around the world,” she says.
“Opportunities like these are a big reason I’m so proud to be studying at ACU.”
Published 2026