The primary purpose of this study was to examine the reasons why PTs from former British colonies decided to pursue their DPT degrees in the US but without the intention of migrating permanently to America. A secondary objective was to explore the role that post-colonial legacy had on PTFFC and their reasons for staying in their home countries.
As part of a larger study using grounded theory, this research intentionally extracted 3 in-depth interviews of PTFFC from India, Ghana, and Jamaica (all former British colonies) to examine how their PT education and practice have been influenced by post-colonialism. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews and iterative data analysis, this critical qualitative exploratory study allowed the identification of key themes related to postcolonial legacy and its influence on PT education and practice.
The impact that post-colonialism has on PT education and practice emerged as the central theme of the study. Specifically, the findings suggest how the participants perceived anything that was “made in the US” as worth pursuing such as the coveted “Doctor of Physical Therapy” degree. Consequently, this institutional cultural capital has had profound effects on establishing themselves as PT leaders in their respective countries. This study also revealed that for participants with personal and professional military ties, the decision not to migrate can be interpreted as a form of colonial resistance where patriotism appeared to be an important reason not to migrate to the US.
Based on the study findings, postcolonial legacy continues to linger within the PT profession that can be interpreted as a double-edged sword. On one hand, pursuing higher studies has been an important reason to pursue their US DPT degree. On the other hand, the sense of patriotism has been an important reason for their non-migration to the US. Further studies on how this “double-edged sword” finding applies to PTs from other former colonies is warranted given that the majority of non-US trained PTs residing in America are from India and the Philippines that were both former colonies of Great Britain and the US, respectively.
This study challenges the notion that economic reasons “push” PTs from former colonies into migrating primarily to the US. Rather, patriotism and the need to develop the PT profession locally have been critical “pull” factors that inspired them not to migrate. This finding has important implications to programs that offer DPT programs in the US and beyond.
physiotherapists from former colonies
migration
