Fourth Year OTD student
Pooja Surkanti
“I wanted to implement simulation labs for my capstone project to offer students a nonthreatening environment where they can develop the skills required for fieldwork.”
In the fall semester of the second year, OTD students learn across the semester to build competence, skills, and knowledge in adult rehabilitation as preparation for fieldwork. As a capstone student in the Department of Occupational Therapy, fourth-year doctor of occupational therapy (OTD) student, Pooja Surkanti, developed three simulation labs for second-year students as her capstone project. “I wanted to implement simulation labs for my capstone project to offer students a nonthreatening environment where they can develop the skills required for fieldwork,” said Ms. Surkanti. Each lab takes place in a high-fidelity environment with standardized patients who have been trained to portray a specific diagnosis. During their simulation encounter, students are required to demonstrate specific skills such as explaining the purpose of the session, establishing rapport, administering assessments, and completing a safe transfer. Students complete a pre-test and post-test survey indicating their perceived competence with these specific skills. They are also required to participate in a debriefing session after their simulation to analyze their performance, express their feelings about the experience, and summarize what they learned. Ms. Surkanti stated, “So far, I’ve received extremely positive feedback from the students with many of them expressing how helpful these labs have been. I’m confident that using simulation encounters will increase student confidence and competence in the clinical setting, and I hope this can become a sustainable part of our curriculum.”