CHCS Perspectives Winter 2014

PERSPECTIVES • WINTER 2014 – Page 25 Occupational Therapy FORT LAUDERDALE The academic arena of occupational therapy has experienced faculty shortages nationwide for years across all educational levels. The shortages, which have been as high as 13 percent for doctor- ally trained faculty, are partially due to increasing academic cre- dential criteria to satisfy accreditation standards. The outlook for the future of occupational therapy academia is also concerning as baby-boomer educators approach retirement and depart the aca- demic workforce. The deficiency in the academic workforce will likely worsen fur- ther as more occupational therapy academic programs develop. The solution lies in the generation of doctorally prepared occupa- tional therapists at the post-professional level. NSU’s Occupational Therapy Department in Fort Lauderdale is contributing to the so- lution with two post-professional doctoral programs in occupa- tional therapy. NSU opened its first post-professional occupational therapy doctoral program in 1995, shortly after the campus transition from North Miami Beach to the newly constructed Health Pro- fessions Division buildings in Fort Lauderdale. Today, the Occu- pational Therapy Department operates two post-professional doctoral programs—a research-based program granting a Ph.D. in occupational therapy and an advanced practice program awarding a doctorate in occupational therapy. The Ph.D. pro- gram is one of only three Ph.D. in occupational therapy programs in the United States. In the late 1990s, the doctoral programs converted to a hybrid delivery model so occupational therapists from a wider range of geographic locales could benefit from the programs. The shift to a blended format, incorporating distance education and on-campus visits each semester, expanded the availability of doctoral occupa- tional therapy education to students from across the United States, the Caribbean islands, South America, and the Middle East. Since their inception, 70 occupational therapists have earned doctorates from the two programs, with 39 individuals earning a Ph.D. and 31 occupational therapists earning the Dr.OT degree. Graduates of NSU’s doctoral occupational therapy programs use their education and degrees in a variety of professional ways, including advocacy, professional leadership, policy development, program development, research, scholarly writing, consultation, clinical practice, and academia. While the doctoral programs were not initially developed with the purpose of supporting the work- force in academia, increasing the number of academics in occu- pational therapy has been one of the most valuable contributions of the doctoral programs. In fact, 92 percent of the individuals who earned a Ph.D. and 29 percent of those who earned a Dr.OT currently hold faculty positions in occupational therapy programs. The presence of NSU’s doctoral occupational therapy programs is perceptible at national conferences and was particular noticeable at the inaugural conference for occupational therapy educators; the AOTA Education Summit in Atlanta, Georgia in October 2013. Of the 300 conference attendees, eleven were directly linked to NSU as doctoral alumni, current students, or current faculty. The above photo was taken of the NSU affiliates as they congregated during one of the scholarship poster sessions at the Education Summit. NSU Occupational Therapy Post-Professional Doctoral Programs Help Fill Gap in Academia Graduates from NSU’s post-professional doctoral programs are making their mark on the profession by teaching and mentoring the occupational therapists of the future. The directors and faculty members of NSU’s doctoral occupational therapy programs look forward to providing doctoral education to occupational therapists in support of individual professional development and the profession’s academic workforce needs. By Wendy Stav, Ph.D., OTR/L, SCDCM, FAOTA, Chair and Professor, Occupational Therapy – Fort Lauderdale