Occupational Therapy Spotlight

Meet Taylor Weetman. Taylor is a third-year student in Drake's Occupational Therpay Doctorate (OTD) program and will graduate in 2022! In her last year of the OTD program, Taylor has had the opportunity to complete a doctoral capstone experience at the Johns Hopkins Rehabilitation Network Clinic for Performing Artists at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.

Name: Taylor Weetman

Tell us about your capstone experience at the Johns Hopkins Rehabilitation Network Clinic for Performing Artists. What were your responsibilities and what did a typical day/week look like?

Mondays: Complete work on my own and have a weekly meeting with my preceptor. This includes planning for the week ahead and completing any assignments required by Drake or Peabody.

Tuesdays and Thursdays: I teach two separate classes of the Play Fit program, an instrument-specific fitness program for guitarists and bowed-string instrumentalists. This class is 5 weeks long with new material taught each week. The focus on this class is teaching stretches and strengthening exercises that target musculoskeletal imbalances common in string musicians.

Wednesdays and Fridays: Attend and help out at the Peabody Clinic, an on-campus clinic with a PT and OT available to treat students. I typically take notes during evaluation and treatment sessions as well as complete documentation.

What is your favorite thing about this Doctoral Capstone?

I really like how the Play Fit program allows me to work with students at The Peabody Institute. Their perspective and energy makes the class fun and helps me to refine each class to make the next one better.

What attracted you to Drake's OTD program?

I am a hands-on learner, and I really appreciated that Drake’s program had a strong focus on providing students with hands-on learning opportunities. I also appreciated that the program is relatively new, as this made me confident that I would be learning best practices and that the program would be receptive to feedback throughout my three years.

Have your career goals changed at all since starting Drake's OTD program? How so?

My career goals have relatively stayed the same, but I am also considering practice areas that I was not well-aware of when starting the program. I am still interested primarily in hand therapy with additional interests in ergonomics, wellness, and population health.

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

Drake prepared me by educating me on best practices in the field and by opening my eyes to the many different practice settings that occupational therapists have a role in. Drake also helped make my dream capstone happen!

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

Get to know your classmates and make friends! Your cohort will be one of your greatest assets and will be the first to celebrate your achievements and lift you up when you need it.