A Historical Cross-Professional Perspective on the Fellowship in Occupational Therapy.

Health professions education is increasingly creating learning experiences after one's entry-level practice degree. Such experiences include residency and fellowship experiences for health professions practitioners. This review of residency and fellowship programs across several health professions includes the development of residency programs and the implications these developments have on occupational therapy. The analysis across health professions includes medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy. This thorough analysis can help guide the development of occupational therapy fellowships. This background provides a foundation to focus on the implications for emerging fellowships within occupational therapy. The findings can be utilized to assist in the development of new successful fellowship programs.

Impact of Participation in an Interprofessional Acute Care High-Fidelity Simulation for Occupational and Physical Therapy Graduate Students.

PURPOSE: There is insufficient evidence to support the use of interprofessional high-fidelity simulation (HFS) with occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) students. This pilot HFS aimed to provide students an opportunity to engage in interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) in the acute care environment. Researchers investigated student perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors relative to IPCP. METHODS: The HFS involved a patient following total hip replacement. Pre- and post-data were collected from surveys comprised of the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale (ISVS)-9A and 9B, Simulation Design Scale (SDS), and open-ended questions. Descriptive, inferential, and thematic analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Twenty-one second-year graduate OT and PT students were recruited through convenience sampling to participate in this study. Statistically significant differences were seen with ISVS scores for all students. Students responded favorably to all SDS questions. Qualitative data yielded three major themes: 1) interprofessional communication and collaboration, 2) scope of practice, and 3) skill acquisition. CONCLUSION: HFS is a positively perceived, experiential learning strategy capable of building essential interprofessional skills and enhancing OT and PT students' attitudes and beliefs toward IPCP.

Comparison of on-campus and hybrid student outcomes in occupational therapy doctoral education.

We compared the graduate outcomes of doctoral students in a traditional on-campus occupational therapy program with those in a hybrid program. Participants were 81 students from an on-campus program and 13 students from a hybrid program. Graduate outcomes were measured with student grade-point average (GPA) at the end of each academic year, cumulative GPA, Fieldwork Performance Exam, National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) practice exam scores, and final NBCOT pass rate. Consistent with previous research, our results revealed no significant differences on most outcome variables, suggesting that hybrid programs are an effective delivery model for postsecondary higher education. These findings may provide guidance to occupational therapy programs in curriculum design, content delivery, and program refinement and development. Replication of this study is needed with a larger sample and inclusion of qualitative data. Future studies should compare the affective domain of graduate outcomes in on-campus and online or hybrid programs.

Development of a hybrid distance occupational therapy program in Alaska.

There are shortages of health professionals in rural states. Correspondingly, health professions education programs often do not exist in these areas. Students from rural areas seeking health professions degrees frequently move out of state or to urban areas for education. To address the shortage of occupational therapists in Alaska, Creighton University, a private, Jesuit university partnered with the University of Alaska Anchorage, a public institution, to deliver a hybrid occupational therapy program to students residing near or in Anchorage, Alaska. Characteristics for a successful interorganizational partnership include effective communication, a common goal, mutual needs, and trust. This academic program was designed by applying these characteristics and using agreed-upon benchmarks for web-based programs as described by Phipps and Merisotis. The collaborative program demonstrates a model, which could be used between two disparate institutions to meet the challenges and needs of rural and underserved areas for access to health education programs.

Fostering cultural competency, clinical reasoning, and leadership through international outreach.

ABSTRACT The Centennial Vision of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has called for occupational therapy to be globally connected. Students can gain cultural competency, clinical reasoning, and leadership from attending didactic coursework and participating in discussions and clinical simulations. Immersing oneself in international settings, however, tends to have a greater impact on learning. The authors describe the outcomes of two international outreach programs: China Honors Immersion Program (CHIP) and Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC). The outcomes of these programs indicate that students believe that such international experiences greatly affect their development, both professionally and personally. Implications of the program outcomes to current professional education are discussed. Future research directions are also proposed.