Occupational Therapy, DSc.O.T.
Doctor of Science in Occupational Therapy
Program Director: MAJ Carly Cooper, U.S. Army
Deputy Program Director: Elaina J. DaLomba, Ph.D., OTR/L, MSW
In the Fall of 2009, Baylor University, in affiliation with the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) established the Doctor of Science in Occupational Therapy degree (DSc.O.T.). This degree is an advanced-practice post-professional clinical doctorate designed to meet Army occupational therapists’ professional development and specialty needs. The program focuses on four pillars of foundational content: Behavioral Health, Upper Extremity Rehabilitation, Advanced Occupational Therapy Practice, and Research. Graduates of this program will be able to advance the practice of occupational therapy and expand the scope of care provided to warriors and military healthcare beneficiaries through the application of evidence-based practice and research.
Admission Requirements for the DScOT
Candidates for admission must hold a master’s degree or entry-level doctoral degree in occupational therapy from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission on Occupational Therapy Education. Applicants must present a grade point average and scores on the GRE General Exam that are predictive of success in this program. Candidates must also meet the entrance requirements of the Graduate School of Baylor University. Fully qualified candidates are competitively board-selected for a limited number of program spots.
Requirements for the Doctor of Science in Occupational Therapy (DScOT)
The 24-month curriculum totals 81 semester-credit hours of didactic study, student teaching, and clinical rotations. The program is offered at Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and Brooke Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas. The 24-month curriculum begins in June. The DScOT program requires the completion of an evidence-based research project. During the final portion of the course of study, each resident will defend their research study and submit the results in a written manuscript. The results of the project will be presented at an appropriate national conference and the manuscript will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MOT 6101 | Independent Study I | 1 |
| MOT 6102 | Independent Study II | 1 |
| MOT 6103 | Independent Study III | 1 |
| MOT 6104 | Independent Study IV | 1 |
| MOT 6105 | Independent Study V | 1 |
| MOT 6106 | Independent Study VI | 1 |
| MOT 6107 | Clinical Concentration I | 1 |
| MOT 6202 | Clinical Concentration II | 2 |
| MOT 6203 | Clinical Concentration III | 2 |
| MOT 6204 | Clinical Concentration IV | 1 |
| MOT 6205 | Clinical Concentration V | 2 |
| MOT 6206 | Clinical Concentration VI | 2 |
| MOT 6347 | Advanced Hand Surgery Outcomes for Occupational Therapists | 3 |
| MOT 6301 | Special Topics Seminar I | 3 |
| MOT 6302 | Special Topics Seminar II | 3 |
| MOT 6303 | Special Topics Seminar III | 3 |
| MOT 6304 | Special Topics Seminar IV | 3 |
| MOT 6305 | Special Topics Seminar V | 3 |
| MOT 6311 | Evaluation and Intervention: Behavioral Health | 3 |
| MOT 6312 | Critical Research Appraisal | 3 |
| MOT 6317 | Qualitative Methods | 3 |
| MOT 6322 | Differential Diagnosis in Occupational Therapy | 3 |
| MOT 6327 | Clinical Research in Occupational Therapy | 3 |
| MOT 6328 | Quantitative Methods II | 3 |
| MOT 6336 | Aspects of Pharmacology, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, & Nutrition in Occupational Therapy | 3 |
| MOT 6337 | Field Research for Occupational Therapy | 3 |
| MOT 6338 | Teaching Strategies in Occupational Therapy Education | 3 |
| MOT 6339 | Teaching Apprenticeship I | 3 |
| MOT 6340 | Research Application | 3 |
| MOT 6343 | Field Research in Occupational Therapy II | 3 |
| MOT 6344 | Advanced Professional Paper Product | 3 |
| MOT 6345 | Teaching Apprenticeship II | 3 |
| MOT 6346 | Leadership and Current Concepts in Military Occupational Therapy | 3 |
| Total Hours | 79 | |
Military Occupational Therapy (MOT)
MOT 6101 Independent Study I (1)
Independent project within the DScOT Program. Course objectives will be identified through fellow and faculty consultation. Each independent study will involve a scholarly project that includes an extensive literature review that relates to military clinical and/or research goals.
MOT 6102 Independent Study II (1)
Independent project within the DScOT Program. Course objectives will be identified through fellow and faculty consultation. Each independent study will involve a scholarly project that includes an extensive literature review that relates to military clinical and/or research goals.
MOT 6103 Independent Study III (1)
Independent project within the DScOT Program. Course objectives will be identified through fellow and faculty consultation. Each independent study will involve a scholarly project that includes an extensive literature review that relates to military clinical and/or research goals.
MOT 6104 Independent Study IV (1)
Independent project within the DScOT Program. Course objectives will be identified through fellow and faculty consultation. Each independent study will involve a scholarly project that includes an extensive literature review that relates to military clinical and/or research goals.
MOT 6105 Independent Study V (1)
Independent project within the DScOT Program. Course objectives will be identified through fellow and faculty consultation. Each independent study will involve a scholarly project that includes an extensive literature review that relates to military clinical and/or research goals.
MOT 6106 Independent Study VI (1)
Independent project within the DScOT Program. Course objectives will be identified through fellow and faculty consultation. Each independent study will involve a scholarly project that includes an extensive literature review that relates to military clinical and/or research goals.
MOT 6107 Clinical Concentration I (1)
Clinical practicum with student-identified specialization in occupational therapy emphasizing advanced upper quarter orthopedic evaluation and treatment procedures, human performance optimization strategies, and occupational therapy in behavioral health.
MOT 6202 Clinical Concentration II (2)
Clinical practicum with student-identified specialization in occupational therapy emphasizing advanced upper quarter orthopedic evaluation and treatment procedures, human performance optimization strategies, and occupational therapy in behavioral health.
MOT 6203 Clinical Concentration III (2)
Clinical practicum with student-identified specialization in occupational therapy emphasizing advanced upper quarter orthopedic evaluation and treatment procedures, human performance optimization strategies, and occupational therapy in behavioral health.
MOT 6204 Clinical Concentration IV (2)
Clinical practicum with student-identified specialization in occupational therapy emphasizing advanced upper quarter orthopedic evaluation and treatment procedures, human performance optimization strategies, and occupational therapy in behavioral health.
MOT 6205 Clinical Concentration V (2)
Clinical practicum with student-identified specialization in occupational therapy emphasizing advanced upper quarter orthopedic evaluation and treatment procedures, human performance optimization strategies, and occupational therapy in behavioral health.
MOT 6206 Clinical Concentration VI (2)
Clinical practicum with student-identified specialization in occupational therapy emphasizing advanced upper quarter orthopedic evaluation and treatment procedures, human performance optimization strategies, and occupational therapy in behavioral health.
MOT 6301 Special Topics Seminar I (3)
At least 48 hours of advanced special topics course customized to support program participant and military directed goals. This may include seminars in burn rehabilitation, military ergonomics, upper extremity neuromuscular direct access evaluation, brigade provider courses, human performance optimization programming, and combat stress control. Professional publication and presentation readiness will also be addressed through seminar.
MOT 6302 Special Topics Seminar II (3)
At least 48 hours of advanced special topics course customized to support program participant and military directed goals. This may include seminars in burn rehabilitation, military ergonomics, upper extremity neuromuscular direct access evaluation, brigade provider courses, human performance optimization programming, and combat stress control. Professional publication and presentation readiness will also be addressed through seminar.
MOT 6303 Special Topics Seminar III (3)
At least 48 hours of advanced special topics course customized to support program participant and military directed goals. This may include seminars in burn rehabilitation, military ergonomics, upper extremity neuromuscular direct access evaluation, brigade provider courses, human performance optimization programming, and combat stress control. Professional publication and presentation readiness will also be addressed through seminar.
MOT 6304 Special Topics Seminar IV (3)
At least 48 hours of advanced special topics course customized to support program participant and military directed goals. This may include seminars in burn rehabilitation, military ergonomics, upper extremity neuromuscular direct access evaluation, brigade provider courses, human performance optimization programming, and combat stress control. Professional publication and presentation readiness will also be addressed through seminar.
MOT 6305 Special Topics Seminar V (3)
At least 48 hours of advanced special topics course customized to support program participant and military directed goals. This may include seminars in burn rehabilitation, military ergonomics, upper extremity neuromuscular direct access evaluation, brigade provider courses, human performance optimization programming, and combat stress control. Professional publication and presentation readiness will also be addressed through seminar.
MOT 6311 Evaluation and Intervention: Behavioral Health (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Acceptance into the US Army Doctor of Science Program in Occupational Therapy
Emphasizes the advanced evaluation and treatment of behavioral health conditions, introducing the student to the behavioral health knowledge base and evidence-based practice to integrate critical reasoning and evidence-based practice into occupational therapy behavioral health treatment settings.
MOT 6312 Critical Research Appraisal (3)
The purpose of this course is to prepare students to use professional/scientific literature to make sound, evidence-based patient care and collaboration decisions and respond to research questions with a formal professional product. The course focuses learning and implementing the skills needed to gain access to, critically read and appraise professional literature, understanding the strengths/limitations and appropriateness of research methodologies and commonly faced obstacles in clinical research. The course will foster fellow’s critical thinking skills to communicate research plans and findings effectively and efficiently to professional colleagues in the form of scholarly paper and presentation.
MOT 6317 Qualitative Methods (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Acceptance into the US Army Doctor of Science Program in Occupational Therapy
Examines qualitative research methods used to enhance evidence-based research for occupational therapists through the analysis of published healthcare research and the employment of qualitative research methodology. Student will also select an appropriate qualitative research method to collect and analyze data associated with his or her research project.
MOT 6322 Differential Diagnosis in Occupational Therapy (3)
This Differential Diagnosis for Occupational Therapy course poses discussion of the medical history and occupational therapy examination findings of somatic and visceral disorders with reference to their influence on occupational therapy evaluation and intervention. Emphasis is placed on systems review and screening for medical diseases to identify serious pathology presenting as musculoskeletal and/or mental health symptoms resulting in occupational performance deficits. The student will learn to integrate skills in the determination of differential diagnosis during occupational therapy assessments and intervention. Methods of instruction include lecture, readings, case studies, journal article reviews, patient evaluations, and discussion groups.
MOT 6327 Clinical Research in Occupational Therapy (3)
This course is designed to introduce fellows to concepts, techniques, and technologies used in the scientific inquiry of clinical research. Research development, design, methodology, measurement, scholarly writing preparation, and introductory literature analysis are covered as a means of investigating health status and outcomes of occupational therapy intervention. This course is designed to be the initial guide the fellows in conducting and completing original clinical research as they develop a research question to facilitate literature review and data collection and analysis in subsequent courses.
MOT 6328 Quantitative Methods II (3)
Pre-requisite(s): MOT 6327 Continuation of Quantitative Methods I in which students continue their work with a Faculty Research Advisory Committee on a clinically relevant research project
Specific goals during this course include the completion of a literature review and the beginning of pilot testing and data collection. Also included is material in statistics, which develops the student's use of advanced statistical analysis techniques, including the use of SPSS.
MOT 6336 Aspects of Pharmacology, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, & Nutrition in Occupational Therapy (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Successful completion of DScOT semesters I II courses
Focuses on the role and relationship of nutrition, pharmacology, and complementary/alternative medicine in the treatment of specific populations by occupational therapists where emphasis is placed on medical indications and potential effects of drugs and alternative/complementary medicine as well as nutrition on occupational therapy interventions.
MOT 6337 Field Research for Occupational Therapy (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Successful completion of DScOT semesters I II courses
Builds upon the student's familiarity with the occupational therapy knowledge base, quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, and critical/clinical reasoning and includes the development of a clinical research question, completion of a comprehensive literature review/systematic review, and writing a research protocol that includes informed consent documents.
MOT 6338 Teaching Strategies in Occupational Therapy Education (3)
Pre-requisite(s): MOT 6322
The purpose of this course is to understand the range of responsibilities and challenges of running an adult classroom, and to have adequate opportunities to practice skills and engage in didactic and clinical instruction, coaching/mentoring, evaluation development and grading, remedial teaching for struggling students, and laboratory skills (if appropriate) alongside a cooperating mentor faculty member who is either the teacher of record for their classroom or an agreed upon SME. Course learning objectives and strategies will be developed collaborative between the teacher of record, faculty mentor, and the fellow, but are scaffolded to promote enhanced teaching/learning throughout the DScOT program.
MOT 6339 Teaching Apprenticeship I (3)
This course provides a supervised experience in teaching in occupational therapy graduate education through direct participation in a classroom situation. Each student will work closely with a program faculty mentor and will be actively engaged in instructional practices, such as the development of activities and assignments or other relevant experiences.
MOT 6340 Research Application (3)
This course will focus on organizing collected data and interpreting data to achieve a stated educational goal through mentored, but self-directed, work that enables fellows to further explore research interests, by collection and analysis of data, and communicating the results. Student will apply concepts learned in previous coursework under the guidance of the course director.
MOT 6343 Field Research in Occupational Therapy II (3)
This course builds upon the student’s familiarity with the occupational therapy knowledge base, quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, systematic review development, and critical/clinical reasoning. This course completes the development of a full research proposal including clinical research question, completion of a comprehensive literature review/systematic review, research methodology and data analysis as well as preparation of an IRB application with all necessary informed consent documents (Institutional Review Board standards). All students will have the opportunity to participate in ongoing clinical research (after IRB approval) in all phases of implementation to include project procedure development, participant enrollment, interventions, fidelity checks, data collection, project coordination, data analysis and other related tasks. This course is primarily taught in a seminar format with involvement in the ongoing research activities to be a major course activity.
MOT 6344 Advanced Professional Paper Product (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Successful completion of DScOT semesters I, II, and III courses
Focuses on the completion of the manuscript from the clinical research project with the goal of publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation to the occupational therapy community.
MOT 6345 Teaching Apprenticeship II (3)
This course provides a supervised experience in teaching in occupational therapy graduate education through direct participation in a classroom situation. Each student will work closely with a program faculty mentor and will be actively engaged in instructional practices, such as the development of activities and assignments or other relevant experiences.
MOT 6346 Leadership and Current Concepts in Military Occupational Therapy (3)
This course expands the doctoral fellow’s knowledge on the responsibilities and demands faced by military officers in a variety of clinical, educational, and operational leadership positions.
MOT 6347 Advanced Hand Surgery Outcomes for Occupational Therapists (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Successful completion of DScOT semesters I, II, and III courses
This overview of the hand surgeon's model of evaluation and treatment of musculoskeletal disease and trauma and review of outcomes in advanced surgical techniques requires the development and application of a post-operative occupational therapy protocol for treatment of a specialized case.