Mitchel Fenrich is a pediatric-based physical therapist where he primarily works with children with autism. He is a 2022 graduate of the University of Minnesota Physical Therapy Program where he now regularly serves as a lab assistant in the Pediatric course series. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a certificate in Global Health from the University of Wisconsin. During his physical therapy training, Mitchel spent time working with a local clinician in Dodoma, Tanzania. In his spare time Mitchel enjoys spending time with family and in the outdoors.
Physical therapists who fulfill a clinical rotation abroad often quickly gain new cultural and medical insights. The experience can be particularly intense for students. In this soul-searching account, SPT Mitchel Fenrich describes his day-by-day enlightenments while seeking to help a child with cerebral palsy in Tanzania. He notes the new perspectives he gained on clinical assessments, treatments, cultural mores—and on himself as a practitioner.