Raul Perez Medina described his take on Auburn in one syllable. Plop.

Of course, that explanation makes a lot more sense to him than it does to the vast majority of Americans. A physical therapist from Honduras, Medina was making a reference to a cartoon character named Condorito who is very popular in Latin American countries.

Condorito is a silly bird who solves problems with his wit and often finds himself in humorous, but difficult, situations. When he is overwhelmed, Condorito falls on his back and a “plop” sound effect plays over the gag.

“That was my first impression. Wow. Plop!” Medina said while sitting in a local physical therapy office.

Earlier this month, Medina spent a week in Auburn on a sort of professional tour of the city. He was invited by Barry Moochler, an Auburn physical therapist who met Medina a few months ago at a conference.

During his stay, Medina observed and experienced the resources available here within the therapy and rehabilitation fields. He sat in and watched physical therapists interact with patients and attended a conference on ankle injuries. He also toured the local BOCES facility and observed a sleep clinic at Auburn Memorial Hospital.

The point of the trip, Medina said, was to learn about methods and technologies used by therapists in other parts of the world.

“I think the most important thing is the knowledge I am getting,” Medina, 39, said last week on the final day of his stay.

Medina works as a rehabilitation specialist at large Social Security hospital near the country's capital city, Tegucigalpa. In his country, there are only about 20 doctors who specialize in his field, Medina said. He often travels to the United States, Mexico or Brazil to attend conferences and other events to learn of the latest advancements.

“We don't have opportunities to train for this in the country,” said Medina, who studied in Mexico City to earn his credentials. “But the country needs experts in rehabilitation. ...They always have something to offer for the people who are injured or disabled.”

Born and raised in a small village in Honduras, Medina said his interest in sports was one of the factors that drove him into physical therapy. He enjoys mountain biking, and he runs a little league soccer organization in his hometown. Perhaps more impressively, he worked two seasons with the Honduran national Olympic soccer team, and he still consults the coach on occasion, Medina said.

While he has traveled through much of North America, Medina said he was impressed with his first trip to upstate New York. The machines and measuring equipment used in a private physical therapy clinic in Auburn rivals those he had seen when visiting renowned universities in Brazil, Medina said.

Such technology would be a “dream” in his hospital, where he treats soft-tissue, work-related and other injuries, as well as lower back pains and even stroke-related ailments, he said.

“Not anybody is doing these things in my country,” Medina said. “We might have one conference a year for orthopedic things, and also some for rehab. ...But (technology) is expensive, even in the United States.”

Moochler said he extended the invitation to Medina knowing that learning from other people and new experiences helps to make one a more productive clinician.

“It opens your mind to different ideas and different ways to do things,” said Moochler, who hosted Medina at his home and served as a kind of tour guide. “Knowledge is a great thing to share.

This was a working trip, but Medina was able to do some sightseeing while in town. He visited Niagara Falls, which he had only previously seen in books and post cards. He ate some barbecue, and he visited some local wineries.

Though Medina was impressed with all of the wildlife roaming around the area, he did not get to see much of the area's most available commodity - snow.

But Medina said some of the most impressive things about Auburn were its residents. People were welcoming, and their willingness to talk gave him the chance to practice his English, he said. There were even a few who talked to him in Spanish.

“I think Auburn is very, very cold,” Medina said, “but the people here are very warm.”

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net