Doctor of Occupatonal Therapy Program
Mission and Curriculum Design
Do you know the mission of the UF OTD program?
The mission of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program is to develop clinician-scholars who translate evidence to inform occupational therapy practice, affect health care systems, and meet the occupational needs of people, organizations and populations consistent to emerging 21st century demands.
Do you know the educational philosophy of the UF OTD program?
The professional program fosters culturally sensitive and evidence-based clinical competence through the learner’s active engagement in a collaborative process between student, client and educator, that builds on prior knowledge and experience. Learners integrate academic knowledge, active learning, clinical reasoning, and self-reflection through experiences in and beyond the classroom (AOTA, 2018; Schaber, 2014). Engagement in advanced practice opportunities in health systems and communities supports professional development, opportunities for leadership and advocacy for clients and the profession. The promotion of lifelong learning, collaboration and professional judgment reinforces continual contributions to critical inquiry in evidence-based practice. Completion of a culminating capstone project and an in-depth doctoral capstone experience integrates learner understanding of advanced theory with practice and scholarship. The program facilitates understanding of the connections between philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, values, beliefs, ethics, and technical skills for broad application toward engagement in occupation to improve health, participation and quality of life.
Do you know the six curricular themes of the UF OTD program?
Curriculum design is the organizational map that a program uses to develop its course outline and content. The UF OTD program's curriculum design demonstrates how the student forms an identify of a clinician scholar within these six curricular themes:
• Human Occupation and Health
• Critical Thinking for Practice and Scholarship
• Professionalism
• Valuing of Diversity
• Collaborative Practice
• Psychomotor Skills
Why are these concepts important to clinical work and fieldwork?
Fieldwork gives students the opportunity to apply the information learned in the UF OTD program and is a critical step in the student developing into a clinician scholar. The aspects of the curriculum design are also part of fieldwork. During fieldwork, students practice their professional skills in the real world environment, collaborate with other disciplines, and apply their clinical reasoning to actual patient care.
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2018). Philosophy of occupational therapy education. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69, 6913410052p1-6913410052p2. doi:10.5014/ajot.2015.696S17
Schaber, P. (2014). Conference Proceedings—Keynote address: Searching for and identifying signature pedagogies in occupational therapy education. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, S40–S44. doi:10.5014/ajot.2014.685S08
Learn more about the OTD Curriculum Framework