In the final lab of the semester, first year students in the Entry-Level OTD program were tasked with creating a treatment plan for a fictional patient named Gladys. Split into four groups, the students moved between four rooms, each focusing on an area important to patient care, and each led by a lab instructor, three of whom are MGH Institute alumni.
Jessie Franco (PP-OTD), Matt Boone (EL-OTD), John Paul Bonadonna (EL-OTD and MGH Institute Board member), and Jenny Quinn (OT at Spaulding) led discussions and experiential learning opportunities on edema management, body mechanics training, adaptive meal preparation, and adaptive bathing and dressing. That included practicing with some of the adaptive equipment to do things such as put on socks and pants, get into the shower, or open jars needed for cooking, all while taking into account precautions that their patients need to consider, such as avoiding hip flexion past 90 degrees.
“In the final lab, the students put together all they have done all semester,” said Kelly Spellman, the assistant professor who leads the course.