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Tell us about your Doctoral Capstone. What were your responsibilities and what did a typical day/week look like?

My responsibilities include:

• Assist with home assessments prior to discharge to home/off-site setting
• Participate in staff huddle meetings to advocate for fall prevention, support staff
• Advocate for fall prevention/recovery with residents during interactions, nursing staff when approached and during huddles, Wellness Center staff, and community-dwelling older adults that use the Wellness Center on-site
• Facilitate fall prevention and recovery courses including: fall prevention, fall recovery, exercises to promote fall prevention/recovery, home modifications/equipment, and energy conservation
• Research and create resources for the skilled nursing unit of the facility for staff to reference or provide resident/caregiver education
• Extra by choice: Assist with evaluations, treatments, discharge planning

A typical day at my capstone looks like:

• Check emails, get up-to-date on any facility/resident concerns or new admits
• Assist with a few transfers/treatments with PT
• Work on learning objectives
• Attend staff huddles
• Facilitate a fall prevention/recovery class at the Wellness Center
• Assist with any treatments throughout the day with OT when I have available time

What is your favorite thing about the Doctoral Capstone?

My favorite thing about my Doctoral Capstone is:

• Finally getting to work with older adults!
• Getting to work with a topic that has been a passion of mine for a long, long time
• Having the freedom to explore a topic/setting that I have a strong interest in, and in the way that I want to

What attracted you to Drake's OTD program?

I was attracted to Drake's OTD program because:

• I have an interest in potentially working in academia one day
• Staff interactions during the interviewing process - I loved the interactions I had and felt very comfortable and confident in my ability to strive in this program.
• In a larger city than I have had experience in - provides me with more exposure to diversity within healthcare

How has Drake helped you prepare for your future career as an occupational therapy professional?

I had been provided with the base of knowledge needed to be successful in my fieldwork experiences, which really prepared me for my capstone. With capstone being more self-directed and it having a higher expectation for independence, this has really prepared me for entering the working world. Drake offered a lot of hands-on experience and, with a smaller cohort than other schools, I was able to build relationships with my professors. Being comfortable and closer with my professors allowed me to grow out of my shell of just being a "number" and get more 1:1 attention toward my education.

What are your career goals? Have they changed at all since you started Drake's OTD program?

What is one piece of advice you would give to future occupational therapy students?

Have a good self-care routine. School can be very stressful, and fieldwork even more. With a good self-care routine, you will feel more successful and able to take on the workload. Not only that but enjoy your time!

Return to the OTD Capstone Spotlight home page here.

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