Fieldwork Program Components

Fieldwork placements provide an opportunity to integrate theoretical and practical knowledge and to develop professional behaviours and clinical skills. MScOT students are required to complete a minimum of 1000 hours of fieldwork according to the requirements of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.

Fieldwork Course Integration

Fieldwork courses have been strategically placed within the MScOT programme amidst the academic courses. In year 1, the students have the Introductory Fieldwork Experience to further introduce and socialize them into the occupational therapy profession and to aid in the understanding of important concepts and development of key competencies. In the spring of year 1, after two terms of academic work, students have Fieldwork 1. The remaining fieldwork placements occur within the second year of the programme. Fieldwork 2 takes place in the fall after a condensed fall term of academic courses. Fieldwork 3 occurs in term 5 and Fieldwork 4 occurs in term 6, at the end of year 2. Please see the Curriculum Overview for the current year (under "Calendar and Timetables") and the Course Descriptions for a fuller understanding of the integration of academic and fieldwork courses.

Variety of Fieldwork Experiences Utilizing Placement Coding System

Students must ensure that their placements provide a variety of experiences (i.e. with respect to practice setting, age group, diagnostic group, etc). Within the requirement of 1000 hours of fieldwork, students must complete a minimum of one placement in physical health (coded P) and one placement in psychosocial health (coded M). Alternatively, two combination placements of physical health and psychosocial health (coded B) will also meet these criteria. Further information about the coding system is found within the Placement Offers Coding Sheet.

Completing the Introductory Fieldwork Experience placement counts towards the required 1000 hours; however, it does not count toward the criteria for the psychosocial health or physical health requirements.

To ensure a variety of placement types, students should independently track their fieldwork experiences using the Student Fieldwork Record in InPlace.

LEAP Placements

Students must complete at least one ‘LEAP’ placement during Year 2. LEAP stands for:

Leadership
Emerging/Enhancing
Advocacy
Program Planning and Evaluation

Fieldwork learning opportunities in Fieldwork 3 will primarily consist of LEAP placements, however, students may also have opportunity to complete a LEAP placement during Fieldwork 2 or Fieldwork 4. See definitions below.

• Role-emerging Placements: Students are placed in an organization where there is no established occupational therapy program or role. Students on these placements have two preceptors: an on-site non-OT professional and an off-site OT practitioner. Most role-emerging placements are developed by the university but there is opportunity for students to develop their own role-emerging placement in partnership with the OS&OT Role-emerging Fieldwork Coordinator if desired.

• Role-enhancing Placements: Students are placed in an organization where there is an established occupational therapy program or role but occupational therapy services could be enhanced to better serve clientele. Students on these placements have an on-site OT preceptor that is on staff at the organization.

• Leadership and Unique Role-established Placements: Students are placed in an organization where there is an established or newly established unique occupational therapy role and/or with an OT Professional Practice Leader. Role-established placements occur in ‘traditional’ fieldwork settings, international settings, private practice, and in OT associations/organizations. These placements provide learning opportunities for students to observe, demonstrate, and develop unique leadership and advocacy skills in addition to other core practice competencies. Preceptors are leaders within the profession, practice setting, or organization.

LEAP placements allow students to continue with their development of the same professional competencies as required in all fieldwork learning experiences but with increased opportunities for the development of leadership and advocacy skills.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) in Fieldwork

Interprofessional education (IPE) for students occurs when individuals from at least two different roles or professions learn about, from and with each other to collaborate effectively as team members in working towards best outcomes. As part of the U of T IPE curriculum, MScOT students develop competencies for Interprofessional collaboration through participation in specific learning activities in fieldwork settings. To fulfill their fieldwork education requirements, students must complete the following, over the span of all fieldwork placements:

Core Fieldwork IPE activities:

Students complete at minimum, either:

One Structured IPE Placement
OR Three Flexible IPE Learning Activities

Structured IPE Placement Option:

Can be completed during any fieldwork course
Offered and facilitated at specific fieldwork sites (as noted in placement descriptions)
Includes these primary elements:

Students from different professions / roles come together in a student team while on placement
Students participate in a series of weekly patient-themed tutorials
Students prepare and share the delivery of a joint presentation or project at their fieldwork site.

Flexible IPE Activities Option:

This is an alternative to completing a Structured IPE placement
Flexible IPE activities can be completed at almost any fieldwork site where there is team interaction. The activity descriptions and requirements are provided here.
Recommended schedule for completion:
- Fieldwork 1 or 2: Complete IPE Flexible activity #1
- Fieldwork 3 and/or 4: Complete IPE Flexible activities #2 and #3
- Note: This is a recommended timeline for completion, but activities can be completed at any point during your fieldwork courses, depending on the context and opportunities available at each.

Reflection papers are completed after each Flexible IPE Activity. They are reviewed and signed by the preceptor, and then submitted by the student on the assignment tab for the Fieldwork course on Quercus.

IPE related projects

Structured IPE Placement: A group project is built into the expectations of this option
Flexible IPE activities: As there is no presentation / project element built into these activities; a separate fieldwork-related project may additionally be required as part of the course expectations.
See each specific course outline for details regarding project related expectations more broadly.

Interprofessional Competence Assessment (IPCA)

The IPCA is an assessment tool used to gather feedback from team members on the development of a student's collaborative competencies.
Students collaborate with their preceptors to identify team members who can provide them with feedback. Team members can include those in clinical as well as non-clinical / administrative / support roles (e.g. project managers, equipment vendors, administrative assistants, etc.).
Completed during Fieldwork 3 OR 4
Note that while the IPCA can be completed during most placement contexts (including those that are non-traditional in nature) it is ideally completed during a client facing placement, as part of a team environment.

Note: See details and instructions for all IPE related requirements on Quercus.

Any modifications to the IPE component of fieldwork will be communicated to students via Quercus by the fieldwork team.