Occupational Therapy Doctorate

A listing of supplemental materials for your application is shown below. All materials should be read and/or completed as part of the application process for this program. MUSC cannot access your documents through an external file sharing site. Acceptable forms of submission:

Email - oesadmis@musc.edu

Mail -

Office of Enrollment Management

45 Courtenay Drive

MSC 203

Charleston, SC 29425-2030

Fax - 843-792-6356

Letter from the Program Director

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program at the Medical University of South Carolina. We are excited that you have chosen occupational therapy as your health career, and we look forward to engaging with you during the application process. We are committed to preparing future occupational therapy professionals to promote health, well-being, and quality of life for all people, populations, and communities.

Ours is a program that integrates academic and clinical experiences throughout the curriculum. Educational processes are interactive and experiential, strengthened by an array of technologies in our new, state-of-the-art building. Throughout our graduate entry-level program, students participate in a variety of activities that build knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for the delivery of contemporary healthcare services. Another advantage for our program is the opportunity to learn and work collaboratively with students in other health professions. Teamwork and interprofessionalism are hallmarks of our student experience.

Our faculty are nationally and internationally recognized for their service, scholarship, and unique contributions to the profession. We pride ourselves on educating students who become caring and compassionate clinicians, demonstrate critical thinking and professional reasoning, engage in ethical practice, pursue lifelong learning, and seek out opportunities to serve as leaders and advocates for the profession and our clients. Graduates from our program are successful with their national certification examination and licensure applications, find employment in South Carolina and beyond, and become participating members and leaders of our profession at state and national levels. Our alumni go on to develop careers in clinical practice, education, and research. We look forward to receiving your application.

Yours sincerely,

Roxanna Bendixen, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA

Associate Professor and Division Director

Division of Occupational Therapy

Selection Process

Applicants will be evaluated on their overall and prerequisite grade point averages, references, amount and variety of volunteer experiences, and potential added value to the program and profession. Applicants will have the opportunity to describe characteristics which uniquely distinguish their potential contributions and potential added value to the program and profession. At least twelve semester hours of specific prerequisite courses should be completed at the time of application. Approximately forty-eight students will be accepted onto the program. Check prerequisite course eligibility through the MUSC Office of Enrollment Management website.

Approximately forty-eight students will be accepted onto the program.

Interview: Well qualified applicants will be selected to be interviewed.

Re-Application Process

Individuals who applied to the program for the previous admission cycle (last year) must submit the following:
Submit a new MUSC application form and a new OTCAS application.

Application Completion

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to ensure that all application materials: MUSC Supplemental Application, OTCAS Verified Application -(Official Transcripts, References should all be submitted through OTCAS), and Log of Occupational Therapy Experience received by the application deadline. Applicants should regularly check application status at: https://education.musc.edu/admissions/current-applicants/check-application-progress

The faculty & staff of the Division of Occupational Therapy look forward to the opportunity to work with each applicant. If you need any additional information, please reach out.

Steven Doerfler, MA

Division of Occupational Therapy College of Health Professions

843-792-4570

doerfler@musc.edu

Jovena Gaymon, MBA

Office of Enrollment Management

(843) 792-8712 | Fax: (843) 792-6615

mouzonej@musc.edu

Acceptance Criteria

Applicants who have submitted all application materials prior to the September 1st, early admission application deadline will be considered in the accelerated admission process, receive a full admissions committee review. Early admission offers will be made in early October.

Applicants who have submitted all application materials prior to the November 2nd, regular application deadline will receive a full application review and will be considered for an interview.

National Board Exam Eligibility

Before applying to our program, please be aware that a felony conviction may affect your ability to sit for the examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy after you graduate, and subsequently your ability to attain state licensure. The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy offers an early determination program to assess examination eligibility. Go to https://www.nbcot.org and read the Early Review section for further details.

Application Acceptance Criteria and Process

Minimum of 3.0 GPA
Minimum of 12 semester hours of prerequisites completed at the time of application.
Preference will be given to applicants who have completed the anatomy and physiology prerequisites.
Applicants receive additional profile points on their application for additional volunteering, research participation, additional education, leadership experience, scholarships, community volunteer awards, service experiences in the AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, prior military service, and other diverse life experiences.
Competitive applicants will be invited to interview as the final part of the selection process. Interview days are traditionally scheduled in January.
The acceptance selection process will be completed by March 1.
All applicants will be notified via email once decisions are made.
Offers must be accepted by payment of the matriculation fee ($500) within 2 weeks of receipt of an acceptance offer.
All acceptances are dependent upon satisfactory completion of a bachelor’s degree and any remaining prerequisites prior to entry into the program.

Early Admission Application Acceptance Criteria and Process

Minimum of 3.5 cumulative GPA
Minimum of 3.5 prerequisite GPA
B or higher in Anatomy & Physiology I (or equivalent course).
Minimum of 12 semester hours of prerequisites completed at the time of application.
Applicants receive additional profile points on their application for additional volunteering, research participation, additional education, leadership experience, scholarships, community volunteer awards, service experiences in the AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, prior military service, and other diverse life experiences.
All early admission applicants will receive a full committee review.
Interviews will NOT be a part of the early admissions review process.
Offers will be made in early October.
All applicants will be notified of their status via email once decisions are made. Offers must be accepted by payment of the matriculation fee ($500) within 2 weeks of receipt of an acceptance offer.
All acceptances are dependent upon satisfactory completion of a bachelor’s degree and any remaining prerequisites prior to entry into the program.
Early admission applicants, not accepted at this time will be included in the regular admission review process.

Essential Functions of Occupational Therapy Students

Applicants to the Occupational Therapy Program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) must possess the following general qualities: critical thinking, sound judgment, emotional stability and maturity, empathy, physical and mental stamina, and the ability to function in a wide variety of didactic and clinical settings.

Graduates must have the minimal skills, essential functions and knowledge to function in a broad variety of clinical and community settings.

The Occupational Therapy Program educates students as generalist practitioners, in accordance with the requirements of the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). Occupational Therapy is a profession that includes a number of domains of practice, e.g. hospital-based, school system, and mental health. The various domains encompass skill sets that differ according to setting and job. For this reason, occupational therapy students must have knowledge and entry-level competencies that span all domains, so that they are prepared for employment in all areas of practice.

Upon completing the academic and fieldwork components of this accredited Program, students are prepared to perform as entry-level practitioners and certification examination in order to practice occupational therapy.

The Occupational Therapy Program at MUSC is committed to the education of all qualified individuals, including persons with disabilities who, with or without reasonable accommodation, are capable of performing the essential functions of the Program. It is the policy of the Occupational Therapy Program to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In accordance with federal regulations established by the ADA, Section 504 of the Civil Rights Act of 1973, and state and local requirements regarding students and applicants with disabilities, the following standards are described to assist each candidate/student in evaluating his/her prospect for academic and clinical success.

When a student’s ability to perform is compromised, the student must demonstrate alternative means and/or abilities to perform the essential functions of the occupational therapy student described below.

Observation Skills

Students must be able to acquire a defined level of necessary information as presented through educational experiences relating to both basic arts and sciences, as well as in graduate courses.
To achieve the required competencies in the classroom setting, students must perceive, assimilate, and integrate information from a variety of sources. These sources include lectures, printed materials, visual and auditory media, laboratory experiences, and hands-on demonstrations.
Consequently, students must demonstrate adequate functional use of visual, tactile, auditory and other sensory and perceptual abilities, to enable such observations and information acquisition necessary for academic and clinical performance.

Intellectual/Conceptual Abilities

Students must demonstrate critical thinking skills so that they can problem-solve creatively, master abstract ideas, and synthesize information present in academic, laboratory and fieldwork/clinical settings which may present gray areas and ethical dilemmas.
Students must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, process, integrate, synthesize, apply and retain facts, concepts, and data related to the art and science of health care.
In addition, students must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand the spatial relationships of anatomic structures.
Students must be able to apply theoretical knowledge and current research evidence to specific client populations and diagnoses, and justify the rationale for medical and therapeutic interventions.
Students must also develop a sense of socio-medical ethics, and recognize and apply pertinent legal and ethical standards.

Cognitive Demands

The successful occupational therapy student maintains a high level of alertness and responsiveness during classroom and fieldwork situations.
The student must possess the ability to focus on a task for a prolonged period of time to allow for successful learning to take place.
In addition, the student must be able to recall information and organize information in an efficient and useful manner. This includes the ability to acquire, retain, and prioritize informational data, conceptualize and integrate abstract information, apply theoretical knowledge to specific client populations and justify a rationale for therapeutic interventions, and problem-solve to create innovative and practical solutions.

Communication Skills

Effective communication is critical for students to build relationships with faculty, advisors, fellow students, clients, clinical supervisors, other professionals, and care givers, in his/her various roles of learner, peer, student, and college/program representative.
Students must be able to gather, comprehend, utilize and disseminate information effectively, efficiently, and in accordance with professional standards. Students are required to communicate in the English language both verbally and in writing, at a level consistent with competent professional practice.
Students are expected to use grammar and vocabulary proficiently. They must be able to elicit information, gather information, and describe findings verbally and in writing (e.g. evaluation reports, treatment plans, progress notes, and discharge summaries), that are comprehensible by clients, care- givers, professionals and non-professionals.
Students must have the ability to use keyboards and accessories and computers for searching, recording, storing, and retrieving information.

Cultural Competency

Students must be able to communicate accurately, sensitively and effectively with clients and professionals from different cultural and social backgrounds. They should be able to observe, recognize and understand non-verbal behavior. They must be able to establish rapport with clients and communicate evaluation and treatment information effectively, while adhering to principles of confidentiality.

Behavioral and Social Skills

Students must demonstrate emotional stability and be capable of developing mature and effective interpersonal relationships with other students, faculty, clinical supervisors, and other professionals.
Students must be able to tolerate physically and emotionally taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress.
They must be able to adapt to changing environments, display flexibility and function in the face of real-world ambiguities.
Students must exhibit the ability and commitment to work with individuals in fast-paced, demanding settings. Students must acknowledge and manage personal biases in order to meet the needs of people from diverse cultures, age groups, and socioeconomic levels.
Students must be prepared to work with individuals who are severely medically involved, injured or disabled; be limited by cognitive, emotional and functional impairments; and exhibit extreme behavior that may elicit an aversive reaction. The ability to successfully interact with such individuals without being judgmental or prejudicial, is critical to establishing a therapeutic relationship and maintaining one’s professionalism as indicated in a profession’s code of ethics.
Students must demonstrate attributes of empathy, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation, as such qualities are assessed not only during the admissions process but throughout occupational therapy education.
Students must possess the emotional well being required for use of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients.
Candidates must be able to adapt to ever-changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties and stresses which are inherent in the educational process, as well as the clinical problems of many patients.

Professional Responsibility

Students must exhibit the ability to unpredictable challenges of health/medical situations that require a high level of alertness and readiness for immediate and appropriate response without interference of personal or medical problems. This includes training for emergencies (e.g. CPR and infection control).
Students must adhere to policies of the college, the Program, and fieldwork/clinical sites. This may include, but is not limited to, professional dress and demeanor, conforming to the academic calendar, and meeting start dates for fieldwork/clinical assignments.
Students are responsible for travel to and from classes and fieldwork/clinical sites; attendance at classes and fieldwork/clinical assignments; and maintaining organizational skills and stamina for meeting performance criteria within assigned time frames.
Students must take the initiative to self-assess their own academic progress and direct their own learning.
They must work cooperatively and collaboratively with other students on assigned projects, and participate willingly in a supervisory process involving external evaluation of their abilities and reasoning skills.
The faculty of the MUSC Division of Occupational Therapy is committed to comply with the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The faculty acknowledges its responsibility to our students and for the welfare of the clients treated or otherwise affected by students. MUSC is committed to promoting the educational welfare of its students relative to the educational programs of the university.

(Adapted from Essential Function Statements by Brenau University, the University of South Dakota, American International College, and the University of Tennessee)

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