Wellness+Centers

=**__ Wellness Centers __**=

Another option for students interested in the medical field but not necessarily in practicing traditional medicine, particularly those students who are interested in living and working in Spain, is practicing in a wellness or health center. This concept is a relatively new one, and is radically different from anything found in the United States. The closest one could come in the United States would be akin to combining a spa and massage salon with a sort of mini gym, and throwing aromatherapy into the works. While a similarity between spas in the U.S. and wellness centers in Spain is that neither are covered by most insurance policies, the wellness centers in Spain actually are covered by some private policies. Most practitioners in these facilities in Spain have obtained an education in physiotherapy or osteopathy, much like some chiropractors in the United States. While spas in the United States tend to focus primarily on relaxation and pampering, and chiropractors and gyms are visited separately, the wellness centers in Spain combine all of these aspects into one location. One can find massage chairs and beds, aromatherapy stations, exercise machines such as the Galileo (see image below), nutritionists, chiropractors, and a variety of other services, all in one location. These centers, such as Vitalea Bienestar in Alicante, Spain, operate on the concept that there are a great deal of things that can go wrong with the body, and they strive to treat all aspects. If you are interested in osteopathic medicine rather than traditional medicine, then perhaps employment in such a wellness center would be the right path for you. Just be prepared to practice in Spain rather than the United States, or consider opening your own facility in the United States after perhaps working a few years in Spain.