Students and faculty from the Physiotherapy program, part of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cauca, participated in an academic mobility initiative at the María Cano University Foundation, Medellín campus.

From November 11 to 15, students and faculty from the Sports Specialization Elective within the Physical Activity and Sports track of the Physiotherapy program participated in a national mobility initiative at the María Cano University Foundation, Medellín campus. During their visit, students attended theoretical and practical classes delivered by professors from the host institution. Topics included sports technology applications, cardiovascular risk assessment, sudden death risk and heart rate variability, as well as sports injury prevention.

Additionally, they gained firsthand insights into sports physiotherapy processes conducted at professional soccer clubs such as Deportivo Independiente Medellín and Club Atlético Nacional.

The students Julián Camilo Fernández Salazar, Mayelin Dayana Álvarez Rosales, Juan Diego Zamora Solarte, Juan David Portela Muñoz, and Girlneanh Alexandra Nieto Ley took part in this academic mobility experience alongside professors Viviana Marcela Celis Quinayas, Jeffry Alexander Hoyos Quisobony, Isabela Torres Ramírez, and Andrés Felipe Villaquirán Hurtado.

In this context, Unicauca professors conducted various masterclasses with seventh- and eighth-semester students from the María Cano University Foundation, Medellín campus. These sessions shared academic and professional experiences on topics such as vacuum therapy in sports rehabilitation, flexibility as a therapeutic strategy, sports rehabilitation of the anterior cruciate ligament, functional assessment in chronic non-communicable diseases, and training planning applied to sports physiotherapy processes.

This mobility initiative strengthened the collaborative research efforts between the Physical Activity and Sports track, the María Cano University Foundation in Medellín, and the Universidad Mariana de Pasto through the research project “Perspectives of Sports Physiotherapists in Colombia on Injury Prevention Programs”. Registered with the University of Cauca’s Research System, this project aims to determine the perspectives and knowledge of sports physiotherapists regarding the planning, organization, and implementation of injury prevention programs for athletes in Colombia, contributing significantly to the profession at a national level.

The Physiotherapy program, through the Physical Activity and Sports track, continues to develop national mobility initiatives. These efforts facilitate access to diverse pedagogical approaches, teaching methodologies, and innovations, while expanding academic and research networks, strengthening professional profiles, and enhancing intercultural, adaptive, and communication skills. This contributes to the mobility objectives of fostering a more integrated, diverse, and competitive learning process for future Unicaucan physiotherapists.

Written by: Communications Management Center