As demand for occupational remedy outpaces the variety of licensed occupational therapists and 16 of South Carolina’s 46 counties have fewer than 10 working towards bodily therapists, MUSC hopes to create a bigger, extra numerous workforce with curriculum adjustments and the addition of two new hybrid academic packages.
MUSC’s nationally ranked Physician of Bodily Remedy (DPT) and Occupational Remedy Doctorate (OTD) packages are increasing with new hybrid choices. The Hybrid DPT and Hybrid OTD packages create the chance for college kids nationwide to obtain an MUSC training. Moreover, the present residential codecs of every program can be lowered to eight semesters from this system’s present nine-semester curriculum – a financial savings of $15,000 to $20,000 within the whole value of the packages.
Megan Donaldson, PT, Ph.D., chairwoman for the Division of Rehabilitation Sciences within the Faculty of Well being Professions and Hybrid DPT program director, is on the forefront of this improvement. Donaldson beforehand served because the founding program director of the Hybrid DPT program at Tufts College. She joined MUSC in 2023.
“There’s a workforce demand in PT and in OT, and also you wish to have the most effective clinicians skilled by the most effective folks. MUSC is positioned very effectively to do this as an educational medical establishment. Our packages – each PT and OT – are prime 10% in your complete nation,” stated Donaldson.
By creating these hybrid packages, Donaldson is hopeful that they’ll improve the readiness of a bigger workforce to satisfy the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ projected 17% and 14% demand improve for PT and OT, respectively. However greater than that, she hopes to develop a extra numerous workforce that represents the populations their graduates can be serving and improve entry to care in rural areas.
“We all know that some individuals are nonetheless going to do the residential format as a result of that matches them,” stated Donaldson. “However these packages have an even bigger attain that enables folks with completely different studying kinds or preferences to nonetheless get an MUSC training.”
Hybrid academic packages open doorways for a variety of scholars who in any other case wouldn’t be capable of attend, together with nontraditional college students who’re switching careers or have households. For a lot of college students, there’s a vital financial savings in housing prices, as college students can take part from any location with Wi-Fi.
Throughout Donaldson’s time at Tufts, 40% of scholar cohorts got here from numerous and underrepresented backgrounds. Not solely had been they racially and ethnically numerous, however many college students had been additionally first-generation faculty college students, and a few had been of their 40s and 50s.
“A hybrid studying atmosphere offers college students with the chance to proceed residing of their communities whereas reaching their academic aspirations. College students with household commitments can keep away from uprooting their households and keep near those that depend on them for help,” stated Zoher Kapasi, PT, Ph.D., dean of the Faculty of Well being Professions. “We consider that providing hybrid packages will enchantment to candidates from rural communities who might proceed to serve in these communities upon commencement and subsequently enhance entry to well being care.”
Donaldson and Twylla Kirchen, Ph.D., OTR/L, Hybrid OTD director, who joins MUSC from Rocky Mountain Faculty in Montana, are taking nice care to create a student-focused academic expertise within the new packages.
“We take without any consideration the day-to-day interactions and overlook how significant that in-person connection is,” stated Donaldson. “We deliberately create a way of belonging for hybrid college students to really feel related, with school performing as coaches and position fashions.”
From the time college students decide to attending MUSC, they’re paired with school coaches who information and mentor them all through their academic journeys. Every school member will coach a number of college students as a part of a training group. The teams create supportive bonds that, in Donaldson’s expertise, are sometimes stronger than what you’ll witness in a conventional program.
The academic expertise pairs on-line studying, each reside and recorded periods, with immersive, hands-on scientific labs at MUSC’s hybrid campus in downtown Charleston. After visiting Charleston twice per semester for the primary six semesters, college students start their scientific and fieldwork rotations at scientific websites all around the nation.
“As a part of this progressive program, college students are going to be uncovered to telehealth, digital applied sciences and loads of training sources,” stated Donaldson. “My hope is that they may be taught to navigate that so that they’ll be prepared to beat challenges it doesn’t matter what the longer term throws at them.”
Whereas each the hybrid and residential packages have the identical curriculum, every program could have its personal devoted school. Because of enlargement of each packages, MUSC is increasing its award-winning school, hiring prime expertise from all around the nation. Like college students, hybrid school members, lots of whom are on the prime of their professions, will deliver their experience to MUSC with out being restricted by location.
The curriculum adjustments and addition of the hybrid packages are presently being reviewed by their respective accrediting our bodies. College students who entered the residential packages this yr will proceed with the present nine-semester curriculum.
MUSC plans to welcome the primary hybrid cohorts within the fall of 2025. Because of the streamlined curriculum, the residential packages will transition from a summer time to a fall begin in 2025. Purposes for all 4 packages opened on July 1.
As she seems to be ahead to welcoming the primary cohorts, Donaldson is optimistic about what the longer term will maintain for them. “I hope they go away a mark of being a category that embraces innovation, telehealth and the necessity to serve our inhabitants in a manner that’s future-focused – it’s not nearly assembly the wants proper now; it’s about getting ready them for the way forward for well being care.”
For extra details about the brand new packages, go to chp.musc.edu.
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