The UofA Department of OT respects and greatly appreciates the commitment and effort being demonstrated by individuals and agencies in order to provide healthcare and social services, including occupational therapy, during these unprecedented circumstances.
We continue to be in regular communication with the AHS and Covenant Health Student Placement Teams, the Saskatchewan Health Authority and many other fieldwork sites/partners throughout our catchment area (AB, SK and the NWT) regarding plans for moving forward with OT fieldwork placements where/whenever possible amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are hoping to make use of as many summer session placement offers as possible but believe that, due to attrition based on various/many reasons, we will ultimately have only ~20-40% of the 120 offers needed for OCCTH 527 (Year 2/Level 3a).
Given this likely reality, the OT fieldwork schedule for the remainder of 2020 is anticipated be as follows:
- OCCTH 527 (recruited prior to COVID-19 and confirmed as being able to proceed) (Level 3a) mid-June to beginning of Sept using various dates
- OCCTH 527 (Level 3a) Sept 8 - Oct 23 (or alternatively Sept 14 - Oct 30)
- OCCTH 528 (Level 3b) Nov 2 - Dec 18
At this point, we anticipate needing the four-month period from mid-June to the end of October for OCCTH 527 placements.
We recognize that each site has their own realities, challenges and protocols/procedures in relation to this pandemic; therefore:
- During the first 2 weeks of May, we will be connecting with all sites/preceptors that had previously offered summer placements to discuss placement viability and the protocols necessary for students to be able to enter that site.
- Starting on May 1, we will be completing a ‘call for offers’ for placements for OCCTH 527 for early fall (placement requests in HSPnet will be labelled 'OCCTH 527 COVID 19') and also for OCCTH 528 for late fall.
If you have questions/concerns, or feel your practice is ready to host an OT student again, please don’t hesitate to contact the designated fieldwork team member for your region/province or contact our Clinical Education Administrator, Danielle Vallee:
The safety of therapists and students and the safety of clients served by occupational therapy in our AB, SK and NWT communities continues to be our top priority.
Thank you in advance for your continued support of our MScOT fieldwork program!
We are in this together.
