Tuesday, April 04, 2006
USI to award first Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program degrees
 The first students to complete requirements for the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program at USI will be awarded degrees May 6 at the 2006 USI Commencement. Instruction in the program is delivered primarily through Internet-based distance education. The College of Nursing and Health Professions offers a combined BS/MSOT program. A master’s degree is the minimum education requirement to take the national certification exam. Dr. Barbara Williams, acting director of the USI occupational therapy program, said the 28 students in the first MSOT class completed undergraduate degrees at USI last year. Following completion of the bachelor’s program, some students who lived on campus as undergraduates moved back to their home areas, reducing their living expenses while easily accessing instruction through Internet delivery. The first master‘s candidates studied through distance education from the Evansville area, Kentucky (Louisville, Madisonville, and Henderson), throughout Indiana, and in southern Illinois. Miriam Soots completed the graduate program online from her home in Fountain City, Indiana. “It was an adjustment in the beginning,” she said. “I was used to spending complete days with my peers and teachers, but graduate work is different from undergraduate work. You write more papers and do more reading.” The MSOT program includes two field-based practicum experiences and internship seminars that help students develop skills as an educator, researcher, and advanced practitioner. Students in the first class completed field experiences at locations in several states, including Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, Kansas, and New Mexico. Soots completed her educator experience at NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Indiana in Indianapolis and her research practicum at Community Christian School in Richmond, Indiana. Pediatric therapy was her focus area for the advanced role practicum. She has worked with Margie Benge, an occupational therapist in Eaton, Ohio, who uses animal-assisted therapy in her practice with children ages 4-16. “She has a traditional clinic and also a barn with donkeys, goats, and horses,” Soots said. “The kids love it.” Benge is a member of the American Hippotherapy Association, which promotes equine movement as a treatment strategy. Hippotherapy has been shown to improve muscle tone, balance, posture, coordination, and motor development as well as emotional well-being. Active at the national level with the American Occupational Therapy Association, Soots is secretary of the steering committee for the AOTA Assembly of Student Delegates. She has helped plan the organization’s national meeting April 25-26 in Charlotte, North Carolina. As part of the meeting preparation, she helped put together an online fieldwork survival guide for occupational therapy students. “It seems like a huge step going from a student role to a student practitioner role,” Soots said. “It can be intimidating. We compiled a basic guide that helps a student know how to prepare for fieldwork and what to expect. We want them to know that most students have positive experiences.” The second class of students in the MSOT program will begin study in the summer semester. In the fall, they will continue to study through distance education in addition to attending five on-campus sessions of two days each. During the campus-based sessions, students will participate in group discussions, hear speakers, and report on research. Williams said the job outlook for occupational therapists is excellent. “We went through a period eight or 10 years ago when there were cuts in Federal spending that affected reimbursement for occupational therapy services,” she said. “Since few were getting into the field at that time, occupational therapists are now in demand. Many facilities are offering signing bonuses. “In addition, as baby boomers progress into middle age, demand will increase for therapeutic services.” |
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