Happy Sunday everyone! I thought it would be fitting that my first “official” post on the revamped site would be about my OT program and what the clinical structure looks like! After this, we can dive into the different practice areas that I have had my clinicals in since that is a common question that I have gotten from y’all!
So, I completed my clinical Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program at a research university in Florida where our total program length is 3.66 years (v specific!). Fun fact about our program: it’s hybrid. That means that the majority of our coursework and learning occurs online, and then we are on campus once a month for the hands-on components, practical’s, exams, etc.
I’ll be the first to admit that I was nervous about starting an online degree because your girl is a visual and kinesthetic learner. However, I was working as a rehabilitation tech at the time that I applied to OT school, so I was able to have that hands on carryover while I continued to work there during the program (not to mention the support of an awesome interdisciplinary team who quizzed me!). Also, I think our school does a fantastic job of providing additional resources outside of lectures/readings to really help the information stick – whether it be through 3D learning labs, hands on models available, or out of the classroom learning opportunities.
The curriculum structure of #OT programs varies program to program but this is how our clinicals are structured:
Starting Our Second Year:
Three Level 1 Rotations: 3 weeks, full-time
Settings: mental health, pediatrics, physical dysfunction/adults
During our Third Year:
Two Level 2 Rotations: 12 weeks, full-time
Settings: pediatrics, physical dysfunction/adults
After our Third Year (aka the .66 part of our program):
One Residency: 16 weeks, full-time
Settings: varies
The residency portion of the program is usually where I get the funny looks. In short, the purpose of the residency (some programs refer to it as capstone) is to give us the opportunity to gain additional skills and training outside of clinical practice.
The different areas you can pursue your residency in include: [specialized] clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, or theory development (Nova Southeastern University, 2019).
The best part is, YOU get to choose which area (or multiple) that you want to pursue your residency in! For mine, I will be engaging in specialized clinical practice in mental health, administration and program development! (but more on that later lol) I will stop the typing now for fear of talking your ear off – but I want to hear from you! What does your OT program look? What were/are you most excited for in your program?
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