Doctor of Occupational Therapy

OTD Program Philosophy

Within the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Wingate University, we believe that occupational performance is central to a healthy and satisfying life. Our distinct combinations of preferred occupations make us who we are; they form our identities. We believe in the principle of occupational justice. That is, all human beings, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, culture, or other factors, have the right to engage in meaningful occupations from birth to death (AOTA, 2017). Furthermore, we believe that humans are healthiest and happiest when they are able to participate in the activities that are most meaningful to them (AOTA, 2014). By employing critical thinking/professional reasoning skills, occupational therapists address factors including personal and contextual barriers that limit one’s occupational engagement in a client-centered manner. Occupational therapists serve as facilitators to ensuring optimal engagement in life by using occupation, the core subject of our profession, as both the therapeutic medium and the outcome of the therapeutic process (AOTA, 2017).

In alignment with the Transformative Learning Theory, we believe that adults learn best through critical reflection and dialogue that allows them to build upon existing knowledge and attain new knowledge to facilitate autonomous thinking (Mezirow, 1997). This is accomplished through a student-centered approach in which the educators design learning opportunities that consider students’ learning styles, learning needs, and learning objectives, which has been proven to elicit higher student motivation and participation (Bradford, Mowder, & Bohte, 2016; Stefaniak & Tracey, 2015). Furthermore, we value the construct of competency-based education which allows students to demonstrate proficiency in necessary skills for occupational therapy practice through real world applications and simulations (Jung et al., 2015). As such, professors do not merely lecture to students, but instead facilitate the construction of knowledge in a personal, active, engaging, and practical manner. This approach to teaching and learning builds knowledgeable evidence-based practice scholars who are committed to lifelong learning.

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy program is built upon a foundation of servant leadership. Servant leaders put followers’ needs before their own and take the time to nurture, strengthen, develop, and empower followers (Northouse, 2013). As educators, we follow these principles by assessing student needs, modeling desired behaviors, attentively listening, and demonstrating empathy and care for students. Similarly, we believe that all occupational therapists are leaders by the nature of their roles that require them to lead their clients through the process of habilitation or rehabilitation. We strive to teach our students to honor the principles of servant leadership as they serve their clients, their colleagues, and their profession.

*References available upon request by contacting OTD@Wingate.edu.

FACILITIES

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy facilities are located in the Burnside-Dalton and Hayes buildings on the Wingate, NC campus.  The Burnside-Dalton building is shared with the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The OTD program will primarily encompass the first floors of each building, and includes several labs, a classroom, private study rooms, and faculty offices. Our facilities also boast a state of the art cadaver lab and a student lounge for decompressing between or after classes. We have carefully designed every detail so that we can provide our students with the optimal environment conducive to hands-on learning experiences.