International allied health student placements: A meta-synthesis.

Background: Increasingly universities are offering international student placements as part of the global internationalisation movement. This review sought to synthesize the findings of studies to further understand the learning outcomes described by allied health students.

Aims/objectives: To contribute to the understanding of the learning outcomes described by allied health students who have undertaken an international placement.

Methods: A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted. From six databases, twenty-one studies were identified and critically appraised. Data were meta-aggregated, integrated and interpreted to develop new themes, with the experiences of over 259 allied health students synthesized.

Results: Themes include: the intertwined personal and professional development experienced by the students; confidence and independence, relationship building, insight into culture, service provision and differences in socio-economic and political contexts.

Conclusion: Universities offering students international placements provide their students with opportunities to achieve unique learning outcomes with significant personal and professional transformational development that cannot be replicated by local placements.