From Brazil to Ontario: How the bridging program helped Manuel launch his career in Canada

Manuel Valle graduated from the Ontario Internationally Educated Physical Therapy Bridging Program (OIEPB) in 2019 after moving to Canada from Brazil, where he worked as a physiotherapist for several years. Since completing the bridging program, he has been working as a physiotherapist at a clinic in Collingwood, ON. We asked Manuel to share more about his experience in the program, and how it prepared him for his career in Canada. 

Tell us a bit about your work experience before enrolling in the bridging program. 

I had been working as a physiotherapist since 2007, the year I graduated from university in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Before enrolling in the bridging program in 2018, I was working as a Physiotherapy Assistant in a musculoskeletal clinic in the beautiful town of Collingwood. 

What was one of your biggest accomplishments in the bridging program? 

Before enrolling in the bridging program, I had been unsuccessful in two attempts at the written Physiotherapy Competency Exam (PCE) and only had one chance left. The program was excellent; it helped me rekindle the confidence I lost after not being successful in the written exam.  

Since completing the program, I have successfully written the PCE, passed the Ontario Clinical Exam, and am now registered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. The program played a critical role in my physiotherapy career in Canada. Without it, I’m not sure I would have been able to pass the exams. 

How did the bridging program support your professional development? 

The bridging program inspired me to do more for the profession. The program not only helped me re-kindle my passion for the profession, but also pushed me forward to achieve much more. I am passionate about advocacy and today, I am on the Ontario Physiotherapy Association’s Board of Directors. 

The program also offers opportunities for networking and making contacts in different areas of the profession. Also, the internships provided by the program are stellar! They were a great opportunity to work in the Canadian health care system and to observe differences between it and the health care system I worked in in Brazil. 

What are you doing now? How did the bridging program help to prepare you for your current role? 

Today, I am a physiotherapist working in a musculoskeletal clinic in the private sector. I am involved with multiple groups that focus on advocacy in Ontario and Canada, and I continue to collaborate with institutions to improve the credentialing system for internationally educated physiotherapists.