WINTERFEST: Jumpstart Your Career While Staying Local: AOTA-Accredited Fellowship Programs in the Buckeye State

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$10

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ON DEMAND WEBINAR

Presented by Kelly J. Tanner, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA

0.5 Contact Hours

Description:

Have you ever wished you could receive structured mentorship from experts in your preferred area of practice, while also honing your leadership skills? Then completing a Fellowship Program accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) may be a good fit for you! Fellowship Programs are 12-month post-professional positions that advance knowledge and skills in an area of practice. Receiving mentorship early in your career can reduce the chance of burn out, build confidence and resilience, improve clinical reasoning, and facilitate professional development (Jackson, Villeneuve, & Millington, 2023; Pugliese et al., 2023; Walsh & Scanlon, 2024). In addition to the required 350+ hours of clinical mentorship, Fellows participate in experiential learning opportunities such as scholarly work, leadership training, didactic opportunities, and even teaching experience. Mentors also benefit from the relationships formed during an occupational therapy fellowship, making Fellowship programs vital for addressing the need for more structured educational opportunities for OT practitioners (Bergstrom, 2024; Thacker et al., 2024).

At this session, participants will learn about the benefits of clinical mentorship along with the other components included in AOTA-Accredited Fellowship Programs. Fellowship Program Coordinators from a variety of practice areas and multiple institutions in the state of Ohio will describe their unique programs, including application timelines and requirements. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about the Fellowship programs generally, as well as connect with Coordinators in their area of interest. Participants interested in starting a Fellowship Program of their own will also benefit from networking and learning about AOTA’s requirements.

Objectives:

  • Participants will describe the benefits of clinical mentorship programs.
  • Participants will be able to describe components of an AOTA-Accredited Fellowship Program.
  • Participants will be able to compare and contrast AOTA-Accredited Fellowship Programs across practice settings.

Presenter bio:

Dr. Kelly Tanner is a Clinical Therapies Research Scientist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Associate Director of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center, and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at The Ohio State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and her Master of Occupational Therapy from The Ohio State University, and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Tanner is a board-certified pediatric specialist and a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (FAOTA), recognized for her leadership and contributions to the profession. Her research focuses on characterizing and optimizing occupational therapy interventions for children with neurodevelopmental conditions, with particular emphasis on implementation science, telehealth, quality improvement, and parent coaching. She has led and contributed to numerous federally funded studies, including NIH-supported projects on rehabilitation dosing, early intervention for cerebral palsy, and feeding disorders. Dr. Tanner has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, authored textbook chapters, and is a frequent presenter at national conferences. She also founded the Central Ohio Pediatric Occupational Therapy Interest Group and serves in leadership roles on multiple professional committees dedicated to advancing evidence-based practice and knowledge translation in pediatric rehabilitation.

Hosted by OOTA

Course Content