Introduction / Rationale: Occupational Therapy fellowships allow for continued learning in a real world clinical environment. The benefits of mentoring, didactic coursework and other professional activities facilitate growth of the individual in many aspects, and elevates the profession by advancing practice.
Objectives: Identify the components of an occupational therapy fellowship program. Describe how OT fellowship programs can directly enhance practitioner development in 2 focused areas of practice (acute care and outpatient hands).
Methods / Approach: Using the experience of the fellowship programs at Cedars Sinai as a case study the following topics will be addressed:
- History of Fellowship Programs in OT
- Curriculum Development
- Accreditation Experience (Site Perspective)
Results / Practice Implications: Outcomes from the two fellowship programs will be discussed. Projects of past fellow graduates will be shared, as well as fellow and mentor experience. This information will be synthesized with available literature on post-graduate training programs.
Conclusion / Contribution to the occupational therapy profession: While fellowship programs are relatively new in the field of Occupational Therapy, results are promising. Continued training of practitioners in the clinical environment allows for structured mentoring and facilitates development of professionals which ultimately benefits those receiving OT services.