Introduction


The field of occupational therapy is dedicated to empowering people of all ages to gain or maintain the skills they need for health, function, and well-being. In this field, "occupation" is defined as the tasks and activities that people do in their everyday lives to look after themselves, work and enjoy life.

The Program in Occupational Therapy is housed in Washington University School of Medicine. It is one of very few occupational therapy programs in the country that exist as an integral part of a medical school. This relationship fosters extensive collaborations with faculty from many areas of medicine, including neurology, pediatrics and otolaryngology and the social science (psychology, social work and education).

The Program provides educational opportunities organized into four areas of concentration: Productive Aging, Work and Industry, Enabling Participation, and Pediatrics. Occupational therapy students may focus their studies on one or more of these areas, according to their own personal interests and goals. Within each concentration area, students have the opportunity to work with occupational therapy faculty on leading-edge research projects, many of which are multidisciplinary in nature. In addition, students gain extensive clinical experience through participation in the Program's numerous community-based initiatives; many students even develop initiatives of their own. Please refer to the enclosed information for more detail.



A Letter from the Director

As the health system enters the 21st century, health professionals are challenged to focus on the long-term health and education needs of people of all ages. The philosophy and issues surrounding occupation have become central to helping persons with chronic illness and or disabilities live their lives. An occupational therapist uses knowledge from the basic and social sciences, coupled with an understanding of how the environment enables individuals to perform the roles, activities and tasks that are important to him or her.

If you want to make a difference in peoples lives, and are interested in applying your knowledge of biological systems and behavior, we invite you to explore how occupational therapy could offer you a personally satisfying career option. The Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University School of Medicine offers an outstanding learning environment. It offers distinct advantages, including:

 An outstanding and challenging graduate-level academic program to prepare you for the future (degrees are offered at both the masters and doctoral levels).
 The opportunity to study in one of the top Occupational Therapy and top Medical Schools in the United States
 Extensive opportunities for in-depth academic, research and practical work in an area of specialized concentration of your choice
 Personal attention from distinguished faculty who will help you identify your career interests and goals, and provide ongoing support as you begin your careers
 The opportunity to build a professional career with opportunities for practice in a clinical, community, or industrial environment
 Opportunities also exist for practice, academic or consultative careers.

After you have reviewed the enclosed materials which describe the opportunities of studying and working with our outstanding academic and clinical faculty we would invite you to visit our Program both on the world wide web (ot.wustl.edu) and in person. Our faculty would welcome the opportunity to share their work with you and answer your questions as you explore your options for graduate school.


M. Carolyn Baum, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA

Elias Michael Director
Program in Occupational Therapy


Productive Aging

Maximizing the independence of older adults and their families


The area of Productive Aging focuses on maximizing the independence of older adults and their families. As the citizens of our nation are aging, new issues are emerging related to caring for oneself, living independently in the community, finding means of transportation, gaining and maintaining access to work, finding accessible housing, and living without a burden on loved ones. Occupational therapists are trained in the biomedical and social sciences and the capacity of the person, the impact of the environment to enable performance, and the occupations or engagement in activities that define the person as an individual. This knowledge becomes central to addressing these issues and providing services to meet the health and functional needs of older adults.


Concentration Faculty: