Occupational Therapy

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Mission

The Department of Occupational Therapy is committed to teach, investigate and provide the very best quality health care using a unique Practitioner-Teacher-Investigator model. The department promotes excellence in service and addressing diversity in our communities. 
 

Occupational Therapy: Program Overview

Philosophy on Education
 

Occupational therapists understand that people are multifaceted individuals who engage in meaningful, complex and varied occupations within a range of environments (AOTA, 2020, AOTA, 2017). When an individual encounters challenges or when internal or external factors impact their occupational participation, occupational therapists work to support their engagement through diverse means. The field of occupational therapy encompasses persons, groups and populations, taking into consideration their unique wants, needs, strengths, contexts, limitations and occupational risks that influence their ability to perform daily activities (AOTA, 2020, AOTA, 2017). Occupational therapy interventions are designed to enhance occupational performance across the lifespan. 

Rush University Department of Occupational Therapy faculty members fulfill roles as practitioners, teachers and investigators. This combination of roles infuses the curriculum with contemporary and scholarly perspectives to prepare students to meet society’s occupational needs. Graduate courses and clinical experiences build on students’ past knowledge and skills to encourage transformative and integrative learning. The critical self-reflection of the transformative learning process encourages examining, questioning, validating and revising prior knowledge so that new perceptions and meanings may evolve (Cranton, 2016). Integrative learning expands this process by facilitating students’ ability to connect ideas, concepts and experiences to better adapt to novel and complex issues (Huber & Hutchings, 2013). The result is a learner who is intellectually flexible to meet the needs of complex clients in a continually changing society. The Rush Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program is based on transformative and integrative learning, building on students’ past, connecting to the present and anticipating a future in which they are competent and capable to respond to the ongoing needs of the profession and the clients we serve. 

The curriculum aims to foster professional leadership in order to address the evolving demands of healthcare and the occupational therapy profession. Throughout the program, self-directed learning and critical thinking, emphasizing the use of evidence-based research and practice is emphasized. Faculty mentorship, problem-solving, collaborative activities, and critical inquiry are integrated into the classroom, clinical and community experiences to enhance students’ performance at an entry-level. The individualized doctoral experience establishes a trajectory that enables students to become an emerging leader in their professional practice. Rush occupational therapy graduates are not only well-prepared to work in both traditional and emerging practice settings but are also known for their ethical standards, adaptability, creativity, autonomy and commitment to being informed practitioner-teacher-investigators. 

Curriculum Design

In today’s rapidly changing healthcare system, occupational therapy program graduates must possess adaptability, autonomy, comprehensive clinical and academic education, and leadership qualities. They should employ creative and professional reasoning effectively and efficiently to excel in delivering interprofessional client care. To meet these needs, the occupational therapy curriculum at Rush University is designed to build on and develop knowledge and skills at increasing levels of complexity, competence and integration.  The Practitioner-Teacher-Investigator (PTI) Model is the hallmark of Rush University. With this model in mind, the curriculum is encompassed by academic, clinical and community partnerships. These partnerships allow students to learn from faculty who are active in practice, clinicians in the field and service recipients as well as afford students opportunities to engage in clinical experiences throughout each semester of the curriculum. These immersive experiences empower integrative learning by applying classroom learning to occupational therapy practice (Huber & Hutchings, 2013). 

Curricular Threads:  

·       Evidence-Based Practice – Focus throughout the curriculum is placed on the use of evidence to guide evaluation and intervention. Knowledge generation and knowledge translation through scholarship activities is stressed to contribute to the knowledgebase of the profession. 

·       Practice Immersion – Meaningful engagement in traditional and emerging practice settings is key to promote client-centered care in a changing healthcare landscape. To prepare entry-level occupational therapists to be emerging leaders within the profession, they must not only have knowledge of and exposure to the variety of practice settings they can practice in but also engage in transformative learning experiences every semester of the program to best deliver skilled services to foster clients’ participation in everyday occupations and roles.     

·       Foundation of Occupation – Knowledge of occupation as both an intervention and an end goal, and the impact of occupation on health and wellness is stressed throughout the program.  

·       Professional Reasoning – In order to respond to the dynamic needs of the client (individuals, groups, communities, and populations), it is essential that the practitioner be grounded in professional reasoning. Development of this reasoning begins during the first semester of the program and continues throughout the program.  

Accreditation and Certification

The Rush University Occupational Therapy Doctorate program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at:

6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200

North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929

Phone: (301) 652-AOTA

www.acoteonline.org

Graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist that is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy or NBCOT. For information regarding the OTD program’s performance on the NBCOT exam, students can go to www.nbcot.org/EDUCATORS-FOLDER/SCHOOLPERFORMANCE 

Additional information can be obtained from:

NBCOT

One Bank St. Suite 300
Gaithersburg, MD 20878  

(301) 990-7979

www.nbcot.org

Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist, administered by the national board for certification in occupational therapy (NBCOT®). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

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