Pre-Occupational Therapy Summer Program to Begin in 2020

Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) has added a summer program to its growing list of opportunities designed to bolster students’ academic careers: The Pre-Occupational Therapy Program (PrOT), which will provide an in-depth introduction to the profession of occupational therapy.

The five-day program, scheduled for July 27-31, 2020, will allow participants a chance to actively explore the profession through hands-on and interactive learning. Participants will gain an understanding about the scope of practice and diverse range of practice areas within occupational therapy, including rehabilitation, pediatrics, school-based, hospital-based, mental health, wellness and prevention, and community-based practice. PrOT will also help students create a competitive application for getting occupational therapy programs.

“The Pre-Occupational Therapy Program is a great opportunity for students to see that occupational therapists have a tremendous impact on so many aspects of patient care and well-being,” said KGI School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Dean Martin Zdanowicz.

In September of 2019, Zdanowicz announced Christy Billock as the Founding Program Director of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program at KGI. Billock has taught occupational therapy for more than 20 years in a broad range of subject areas, including neuroscience, geriatrics, rehabilitation, mental health, wellness, and occupational therapy history and theory. She has a passion for curriculum design, creative pedagogy, and working with students.

“I was drawn to work at KGI by the institution’s emphasis on innovation and interdisciplinary partnerships, which fit excellently within the nature of occupational therapy as a profession,” said Billock. “I could not pass up the opportunity to help create a new occupational therapy doctorate at a young and dynamic institution where we have the latitude to imagine new possibilities for educating future occupational therapists.”

Billock will lead the accreditation process with the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education and assist in accreditation efforts with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Based on the accreditation process timeline, KGI is aiming for a 2023 launch of the OTD program.

Students interested in becoming occupational therapists can get a head start by attending PrOT.

“I am hoping that we can increase awareness of occupational therapy as an excellent professional path and that students will leave PrOT with a confident understanding and passion about the profession to make an informed career choice,” said Billock.

The Pre-Occupational Therapy Program is designed for motivated undergraduate students or high school seniors. Tuition is $495, which includes all classes, activities, lunch, and snacks for five days. Limited scholarships are available.

For more information, visit kgi.edu/prot.