Learning Beyond the Classroom
Fieldwork
Fieldwork provides an essential link between the academic program and occupational therapy clinical practice. Through fieldwork experiences, students learn to apply their knowledge in a clinical or community setting. In addition to Bay Area placements, the Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Coordinator can place students in out-of-state and international sites.
"Fieldwork was a great confidence builder as well as a powerful learning opportunity. I found that I have skills and knowledge to trust and to share with both clients and colleagues. Beyond client interaction, there were other great learning opportunities, like attending rounds in the neuroscience ICU, where we collaborated as an interdisciplinary team." Karen Whiloite, MS 2009
Fieldwork I
Fieldwork I occurs during academic studies and is associated with focused clinical courses. Students complete three level I fieldwork experiences, working with children, adults, and older adults in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, group homes, low income housing, assisted living, and community-based agencies.
Fieldwork II
Fieldwork II include a minimum of two 3-month experiences as a full time intern in a setting where occupational therapy is provided. Students are supervised by Registered Occupational Therapists (OTRs) who have completed all the academic and NBCOT requirementsto be registered and have a minimum of one year of clinical experience beyond Fieldwork. The first 3-month experience usually occurs during the summer between the student's senior and graduate year for those in the 5 year program, and between the second and third academic year for graduate students.
Community Practice Labs
In spring 2009 the Department Occupational Therapy sponsered its second annual Buckelew Employment Series. Our first year occupational therapy students and their faculty mentor, Dr. Janis Davis, are providing two 4-week spring workshops titled, “Getting Ready for Success” for our community partner, Buckelew Programs. This workshop is one of the department’s Community Practice Labs and is designed to provide individuals with psychiatric disabilities information and training related to employment. Occupational therapy students run the workshop, lead groups, and provide one on one services as needed. Consumers and students learn from each other by engaging in this unique service learning opportunity. Amy Rogers who graduated from the Occupational Therapy program in 2000, is the assistant program director at Buckelew.
Another opportunity for first year occupational therapy students to interact with community partners is through the Community Practice Lab with Senior Access Adult Day Services. Here occupational therapy students meet at a Senior Access location and work with individuals who have cognitive issues. Students are mentored by a licensed occupational therapist. In this community practice lab, students have the opportunity to assess the cognitive functioning of participants, lead socialization, exercise, and craft groups, and interact one on one with participants. Students and participants at Senior Access both enjoy the opportunity to learn from one another.
Location of Field Placements
The majority of Fieldwork sites working with Dominican University of California are in California. Dominican University OT students have completed internships throughout California as well as in Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, New York, Puerto Rico, and Hong Kong.
The purpose of fieldwork education is to provide occupational therapy students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in the classroom to practice in the clinical setting. Fieldwork experiences are designed to enrich the coursework through observation and participation in the occupational therapy process. This serves to integrate academic knowledge with practical knowledge. (Costa and Burkhardt) .
Projimo Story
On Dec 2008, Karen Pitbladdo, Domincan University of California assistant professor in OT joined Jon Batzdorf, a prosthetist in Santa Rosa for a week in a community called PROJIMO in the small Mexican town of Coyotatan. Accompanying them were, Suzanne Degen, the Dominican University of California academic OT field work coordinator, Paul Hollenbeck, MS/OTR, a recent graduate from the OT dept, and Karen Sasso, a student completing her last year of the OT program.
Jon had traveled to PROJIMO numerous times to teach Prosthetics to students and amputees and invited Dominican OT’s to join him. Following the philosophy of Prosthetika, the non-profit organization Jon founded, our group from Dominican wanted to share our OT skills with the people in PROJIMO. The trip became an opportunity for to learn about the Mexican culture; language, food and spirit of teamwork and compassion the people of this town offered.
Nearly all who provide care and live in PROJIMO have endured a disease or injury of their own and welcome all who travel there to improve their function or learn the skills to help others. The majority, who come, often from great distances, are children, accompanied by their families. One day children came in vans from an orphanage and another day a bus full of children with disabilities from a school an hour a way. Principles, parents, teachers, aides joined the children to be instructed in positioning, improving function, play and communication.
The Dominican team was overwhelmed with the outpouring of gratitude and hopes to return yearly to the town of PROJIMO. http://www.healthwrights.org/projects/projimo/projimo.htm
Dominican OT students talk about their fieldwork...
"My fieldwork educator was very approachable and supportive. She was a great match for my learning style."
"My clinical instructor was an excellent role model, who was instrumental in making fieldwork a great experience. She wasextremely knowledgeable, approachable. and always gave me great feedback. She was a fabulous supervisor."
"I am leading an OT work readiness group and I have an OT Task Group. My supervisor is really great. I couldn’t ask for a better experience. I’m learning so much and have gotten much more comfortable in my role and my ability as an OT.”
Fieldwork placement sites include:
Alta Bates Hospital
Buckelew Vocational Services
California Children's Center
Children's Hospital, Oakland
Marin General Hospital
Marindale School
Mayo Clinic
Rancho Los Amigos
San Francisco General Hospital
Stanford University Medical Center
University of California Medical Center at Davis
Veterans Administration Hospitals
