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The Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Physiotherapy and the certificate course in CBR were informed by a number of factors including these:

• There is no centralized information about the number of Physiotherapists in the country.
• The report of a 2017 feasibility study indicated that only 12 private schools are authorized to enroll an average of 15 Physiotherapy candidates per year each and the output upon graduation falls below standards. The study also noted that there is a disparity in the number of trained physiotherapists compared to those practicing in hospitals.
• None of the schools train community-based rehabilitation workers.
• The feasibility study also found that most of the existing training programs lack practice opportunities during the training. Hands-on supervised clinical practicums and internships in well-developed hospitals is necessary in order to graduate competent professionals, but this has not always been the situation with PT training in Cameroon.

The above points motivated the CBC Health Services to apply for a grant to develop Physiotherapy and CBR trainings for a better quality and wider range of rehabilitation services in Cameroon. This is an important step towards achieving international and national rehabilitation goals.

Our goal is the prevention of disabilities as well as the effective rehabilitation and inclusion of persons with disabilities and people at risk of acquiring disabilities.

1. Skills

The trainees will acquire skills that will prepare them to;

• Improve on people’s physical activity and their quality of life
• Carry out modern practice that focuses on the patient while also working with their families and other health care professionals to support rehabilitation and wellbeing, while also developing their inter-professional and interpersonal skills

     2.The Curriculum

Standards: The curriculum is based on international standards (World Confederation of Physical Therapists) with input from qualified PT curriculum development specialists from several countries plus Cameroonian Physiotherapists, and adapted to the Cameroon context.

Approach: Our approach is holistic with blended learning used to offer opportunity for both interactive digital learning and traditional face-to-face encounter between teachers and students.  Classes will be onsite at the Baptist Institute of Health Sciences, Mbingo Baptist Hospital. Hands-on active learning and evidence-based treatment will be emphasized throughout the curriculum. 

Special attention is paid to people living with disabilities. Students will also have the experience of field education practicums with the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) and Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID).

All courses include both theory and didactic components and practical, hands-on learning. Each of the courses includes 25% – 50% active learning (hands-on practice, class discussion, case-based learning, etc.) Following the educational philosophy of the Baptist Institute, training includes three knowledge aspects: academics, clinical skills, and personal/professional growth.  The core values of the CBC Health Services Physiotherapy Departments will be both modeled by faculty and taught to students.  The core values are these: Compassion, Excellence, Respect, Holistic Care, Integrity, and Job Satisfaction.

The first year of study is primarily basic biomedical sciences, social sciences, the government-required university courses and introductions to both patient care and physiotherapy. The physiotherapy courses and clinical practicums begin the second year.

The Baptist Institute of Health Sciences at the Mbingo Baptist Hospital is in a beautiful rural setting.  There is ample space for classrooms, practice rooms, conference rooms and a library.   The well-equipped, up to date library includes both medical, social sciences, and physiotherapy and rehabilitation resources in both   soft and hard books as well as other didactic materials to facilitate teaching and learning.  The internet is accessible throughout the hospital, classrooms and library for student research.

 In addition, the Institute is strategically situated on the compound of a large teaching hospital with an active physiotherapy department. 

With respect to internship locations, six internship sites have already been approved for students’ internships.

The course duration is 4 years.  

As quality improvement is the main reason to start professional rehabilitation courses, a quality assurance system has been put in place to ensure that the quality of the training program is maintained and developed.

This system shall cover: teaching and learning, research, internships, student support services, CBR field experience, and governance and administration.

Trainees receive support from a team of national and international professional teaching staff and experienced Physiotherapists.

These professionals expose trainees to high-quality hands-on experience in the CBC Health Services renowned hospitals noted for providing some of the best Physiotherapy services in the country.

Following international standards, all courses are taught by qualified faculty or adjunct lecturers who hold Master’s degrees or higher qualifications.  Teaching assistants and laboratory assistants hold Bachelor’s degrees or above, and are always under the supervision of the faculty member or adjunct lecturer. Some courses will be through Zoom or Google Meet and taught by international faculty.

Mbingo Baptist Hospital has a range of specialist medical doctors, and other doctoral-level staff, as it is a referral teaching hospital. These will be available to teach some courses such as pathophysiology.

• A minimum of two GCE A-level papers or its equivalence including biology and one other science subject.
• O-level pass in English (or for applicants from the French educational system, English pass at the Baccalaureate level)
• Basic computer skills
• Pass the entrance exam

The course is open to anyone with the above qualifications, both young people out of high school and internal staff of the CBC health services. 

Women and people with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply.

Partial scholarships funded by the Liliane and AFAS Foundations will be provided to Physiotherapy workers of the CBC Health Services and Partner organizations who show commitment to continue serving in their organizations after the training.

Persons with disabilities will also be considered for scholarships.

The application process will be open soon.

For more information contact 676 22 12 60 or email: BaptistInstituteofHealth@gmail.com or MbingoTraining@gmail.com.