Occupational Therapy Graduate Education: The Scientist-Practitioner Model

The development of a scientific based practice is essential if occupational therapists are to defend their practice against scepticism and budget cuts. In order to equip the profession with the skills necessary to develop a scientific basis for practice, it is generally considered that graduate prog...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of occupational therapy (1939) 1987-06, Vol.54 (3), p.119-123
Main Authors: Polatajko, Helen, MacKinnon, Joyce
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Curricula
Education
Graduate studies
Occupational therapy
Scientists
Teaching methods
Therapy
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Summary:The development of a scientific based practice is essential if occupational therapists are to defend their practice against scepticism and budget cuts. In order to equip the profession with the skills necessary to develop a scientific basis for practice, it is generally considered that graduate programs in occupational therapy should be initiated. This paper argues that to be most effective a specific kind of graduate program is required — one based on the scientist-practitioner model. This model provides for the dual education of professionals as clinicians and researchers. In occupational therapy the undergraduate curricula already provide excellent education in clinical interventions. Thus, it is the role of the graduate curricula to provide education in methods of scientific inquiry and their application to clinical practice. The composition of such a curriculum is described.
ISSN:0008-4174
1911-9828
DOI:10.1177/000841748705400306