Introductory Placements October 31-November 4

As our students are well into the fall term and we are all feeling like winter is here, the Fieldwork Team would like to take a moment to wish all of you a Happy OT Month! I know many sites will be having their own celebrations and here at Corbett the students are making a video celebrating OT -  I had my "close up" today! Here's to celebrating our great profession and the work we do!

Thank you so much for the overwhelming response to our call for offers for the Introductory Placements for our Year 1's from Oct. 31-November 4.   

The purpose of this early exposure to OT practice is three-fold: 

1. Opportunity for students to witness and participate in real, live OT practice and confirm their interest in our profession.

 2. Opportunity for students to gain basic knowledge about the OT role in a particular practice setting and create a context for OT practice that can be built on during classroom learning.

3. Opportunity for students to demonstrate professionalism, engagement and begin practicing their therapeutic use of self.

There are no 'caseload' expectations for this placement but throughout the placement students are expected to be engaged, eager learners who demonstrate basic time management skills and the ability to communicate appropriately with clients and colleagues. At some point during the placement, student must establish therapeutic rapport with at least one client and by the end of the placement they must articulate to their preceptor what occupational therapy is and explain the role for OT in this particular practice setting. 

We hope those of you who have students at your sites find them eager and engaged and that they remind you of your own excitement about Occupational Therapy. 

Happy Occupational Therapy Month!

 

Students co-author article 

on Prosper Place Clubhouse

Congratulations to MScOT students, Helen Tam and Esther Wong, who along with their fieldwork supporters, Heather Bussiere and Loraine Kolber,  and community leader, Bluma Goldberg,  were published in this month's OT Now.  The article it titled "Prosper Place Clubhouse: A mosaic of inclusion for recovery" and you can read it by clicking here.  

Prosper Place has been a key partner in providing Independent Community Placements (ICPs) to our MScOT students for a number of years and journalling and reflections are a key part of any ICP experience. Esther and Helen's journal reflections help illustrate how the principles of the recovery philosophy used in the Clubhouse model mirror Occupational Therapy values.  You can learn more about ICPs on our website [ click here ] or by contacting our Fieldwork Educator for ICPs , Loraine Kolber.  

The "Postcards" have arrived!

Back in June, we let you know we were requesting submissions from our students about their placements.  We got some great pictures that really highlight what a dynamic, creative and FUN clinical community we have in both Saskatchewan and Alberta.  Here's a what they looked like when we pulled them together. 

We had postcards from Canora, Rosetown, Cochrane, Edmonton, Bonnyville, Outlook, and Calgary!  Here's one of my favorite stories:

"This is a picture of [A], the boy I worked with this summer, and his friend. Kids at A's school don't like to play with A. because he has autism. The parents of these kids don't let their kids come to A's birthday parties. There is a stigma attached to having the label of autism but this little girl doesn't think A is different at all. She genuinely likes to be around A and plays with him like she plays with any other kid. She's patient with him and makes sure he feels included. She treats him like a typical kid while everyone else treats him differently. The world would be a better place for those with disabilities if people were all like A's friend."      Andrea

This little girls sounds like a future Occupational Therapist to me!!  Thanks to all the students who submitted!

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING THIS FALL? 

• Year One students are into their first week of classes and have already filled out their selections for their Introductory Placements from October 31-November 4.  Thanks to all our great sites and preceptors for offering to give this group their first fieldwork experience - they're pretty excited!  A reminder, students are allowed to return to their Introductory site in future placements (they only time they can repeat sites).
• Year Two students are back from summer break and buzzing about their OCCTH 525 placements in May/June (and hopefully enjoying their classmates postcards!).  They will head out in January again for OCCTH 526.
• The first "Year Three" students in the new curriculum are excited as they are completing their final placement!  Remember that feeling of no longer being the "Student", not knowing what to do with your time now there were no assignments and due dates, and the excitement and trepidation of embarking on your new career?  Many of them will be preparing to write the CAOT exam on November 19th.  
• Finally, something for YOU!  There are U of A Alumni-Student Pub Night events booked

• In Edmonton:

  Friday, September 23, 6-9 pm

  Hudson's on Whyte

  10307 82 Ave NW Edmonton

  
  

  In Calgary:

  Friday, November 4, 6-9 pm

  Last Best Brewing & Distilling

  607 11 Ave SW, Calgary 

  
  

  Appetizer buffet starts at 6 pm

  FREE drink ticket for a domestic bottle beer or hi-ball

  Please click on the link above for information and to register! 

As always, feel free to contact any member of the fieldwork team if you have any comments, questions or cudo's regarding MScOT student placements!

Welcome to our new MScOT students!

Congratulations to our newest group of MScOT students who start orientation today at Corbett Hall. One hundred and twenty strong (96 in Edmonton and 24 in Calgary), over the course of the next 26 months this bright, eager and enthusiastic group will engage in approximately 30 courses for  80 credits and hopefully have some fun along the way!  These courses include four full fieldwork courses of seven weeks:

• OCCTH 525 in May/June of year one
• OCCTH 526 in January/February of year two
• OCCTH 527 in July/ August of year two
• OCCTH 528 in September/October of year three

To kick it all off, the students will participate in a one week Introductory Placement (OCCTH 503) from October 31-November 4.  This is a great opportunity for the students to become familiar with some of the roles and diversity of Occupational Therapy in real world practice.  We are still looking for a few more placements so please let us know if you have space for a student! our contact info

Hopefully, some of you will have the chance to meet these great 'future OTs' over the course of their program and join me in wishing them luck!

MScOT Student participates in unique Summer Studentship in Cancer Care

Congratulations to MScOT student Sheena Moodie on her recent completion of the Satore Multi-disciplinary Summer Studentship Progam at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton!  Sheena is one of two health professional students to participate this year and only the second Occupational Therapy student ever.  Good work, Sheena and thank  you for representing OT so well. 

For more information on Sheena's experience, click here for the full story!  

Acting ACCE for Fieldwork Program for August 2016- July 2017

Cherie Henderson will be the Acting Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE) for the UofA MScOT Program from August 2016 - July 2017 while Cori Schmitz is on sabbatical.

We would like to welcome Cherie to the ACCE role! We are very excited for her to join our MScOT Fieldwork Team. Cherie already has a wealth of knowledge and experience with student fieldwork and clinical education from her recent years as the OT Professional Practice Leader at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton.

As ever, we encourage our OT clinical community to reach out to Cherie, or any of our team members, if they interested in being involved in student placement supervision or are needing support while working with one of our MScOT students:

cherie.henderson@ualberta.ca

In June, Cherie participated in our team's fieldwork retreat and started orienting to her new position. The retreat was generously hosted by Michele Derdall, our Saskatchewan Clinical Education Coordinator, at 'The Camp' near Outlook, Saskatchewan.

MScOT Student Plays for Canada in 2017 Rugby World Cup

One of our second year OT students, Amanda Williams, is competing for Canada at the 2017 Rugby World Cup in Ireland this summer!

Click here for the full story.