(Pronouns: she/her)
What year did you start the program?
2021
What are your prior degrees and at which institutions?
Bachelor of Science, OT, University of New Hampshire
Master of Education, Educational Technology, Framingham State University
What was your favorite course in the program?
My favorite course in this program was OT887 Health Promotion, Community, and Occupation.
What was your Innovation Project title?
The Classroom-Learning-Activities-Problem Solving (CLAPs) Framework: A Tool for Occupational Therapy Practitioners to Improve Interprofessional Collaboration Focused on Student Participation in School-Based Practice.
Tell us about your Innovation Project
For my innovation project I created a framework as a tool for school-based occupational therapy practitioners to use to provide structure and focus to the collaborative consultation that they engage in with educational staff. In addition to improving the process of consultation, the framework is structured to facilitate the collaborating teams focus on the participation of students with challenges in the classroom setting, thereby aligning it with recommended best practices for the provision of occupational therapy services in the school setting.
What do you think is special about the Post-Professional OTD program here at the MGH Institute?
From the moment I enrolled at the IHP, I knew that I had become a part of something special. This program fosters a community of learners who are fully engaged in meaningful, rich coursework that expands not only the learners’ knowledge, but also their perspectives. The opportunities to engage in interprofessional learning, both with students from other disciplines as well as instructors from other disciplines creates an environment that fosters an understanding of the bigger picture of health care, and what your role in it is and can be. Also, the encouragement and support to see yourself as an innovator in the field helps to build your professional and personal confidence and motivation.
Why did you choose to come to this program?
There were two main reasons I chose to pursue my OTD here at the IHP. The first was the structure of the program itself, with its focus on an innovation project versus the traditional capstone project. It was easy to see from its description that the IHP’s OTD program would provide an opportunity to create something tangible that would be meaningful to my own career and career development. Also, the format that each of the semesters would be focused on a portion of the development of that project seemed so practical and functional. The second reason was that the program was designed to meet the needs of a full-time working professional.
What are your goals for the future after you graduate?
I am excited to explore new opportunities that are opening up to me with the completion of my degree. While I am not fully ready to leave my school-based practice, I am hoping to expand my role to teaching at the graduate level, perhaps in an adjunct or part time role. I am also looking forward to expanding the dissemination of my innovation project to a wider audience both through presentations and possibly marketing it to school-based practitioners for their use!