School of Occupational TherapySchool of Occupational Therapy

Strengths of the Programs

Student working with a child client using playdoughExcellent reputation

Among clinicians, graduates, and prospective students, the Occupational Therapy Program at Puget Sound has established an excellent reputation. Contributions to this reputation include the program's

  • nationally recognized faculty dedicated to teaching excellence
  • closely supervised, on-campus clinical experience with real clients (children and adult) and off-campus mental health treatment experience
  • strong anatomy, biomechanics, and neuroscience foundations
  • principles of analysis: human movement, task performance, environment
  • theory and practice of pediatrics, gerontology, physical disabilities, and mental health
  • extensive thermoplastic splinting and assistive technology labs
  • computer-based interactive video patient simulations
  • extensive use of Internet for information and communication

On-campus clinic

Puget Sound's on-campus clinic allows students, supervised by clinical instructors, to evaluate and treat children and adults with needs amenable to occupational therapy approaches. This opportunity fosters the close integration of occupational therapy theory and occupational therapy practice and prepares students well for their future full-time fieldwork placements. 

Interactive video programs

Designed and produced by Puget Sound occupational therapy and physical therapy faculty, interactive video tutorials on the science of human movement, on infant neurodevelopmental evaluation, and patient simulations where students can experience the OT neurological assessment of an actual client. Student decision-making alone drives the video forward. Both immediate and cumulative feedback is given by the program to promote students' clinical reasoning skills.

Writing & publishing excellence

Puget Sound occupational therapy graduates are known for their writing skills. From 1990 through 2007, approximately 15 percent of the Puget Sound occupational therapy research track masters students published their theses in a refereed health care journal. The superior writing ability of graduates also is consistently recognized by clinical employers. Occupational therapy masters students who have won the national Cordelia Myers writing award for best article written by a first-time author (student, clinician or professor) in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy include:

  • Tom Steinbeck, "Purposeful Activity and Performance," 1986
  • Sally McAlonan, "Improving Sexual Rehabilitation Services: The Patient's Perspective," 1996
  • Lynne Hooley, "Circumventing Burnout in AIDS Care," 1997. 

Impressive empirical outcomes

  • In the past three years (calendar years 2005, 2006, 2007) a total of 43 students graduated from the Puget Sound occupational therapy entry-level masters program. All 43 of these students took the national certification test of NBCOT during this period, and 40 passed it on the first try (a 93 percent first time passing rate).
  • Superior clinical writing by graduates is consistently recognized by clinical supervisors.
  • Clinical readiness among Puget Sound graduates is widely recognized by clinical employers as outstanding.