Occupational Therapy Clinical Education at MUSC

About the Experience

Fieldwork experiences are an integral part of the curriculum and allow opportunities for direct observation and participation in a variety of practice settings and contexts. These experiences help integrate learning from the classroom and lab and enhance capacity for becoming a proficient occupational therapist.

After completion of foundational learning and pre-clinical coursework, the curriculum culminates in two semesters of full-time fieldwork at facilities throughout the United States. All fieldwork must be completed within 12 months of the academic coursework.

Where do students go?

The program’s Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and faculty consult with each student to identify available fieldwork sites that best fit each student. Selecting sites requires careful consideration of many factors including personal attributes, clinical abilities, interest in areas of practice, financial resources, housing availability, and preferences for geographic location.

Due to the limited availability of fieldwork sites and fieldwork educators qualified to supervise students, there is no guarantee that students will receive their preferred choice of fieldwork placements. Students should be prepared to complete fieldwork in geographic locations other than where they live and should anticipate traveling to other locations across the U.S. including South Carolina during both the didactic coursework (Level I Fieldwork) and clinical practicum (Level II Fieldwork) portions of the curriculum.

Read our fieldwork FAQs

For Residential OTD Students

Residential students in the OTD program must have one adult acute care experience, and the remaining placement(s) are assigned based on the student's interests. The program follows a lottery process for clinical site selection. Students make their top selections and will be matched to one of their ten picks. Some of the more competitive sites require an application process.

For Hybrid OTD Students

Because Hybrid OTD students reside nationwide, our clinical education team works with individual students to determine the locations they prefer for clinical placements. There is still a lottery system. However, our clinical education team works with each student to ensure they get the required time within diverse settings required by accreditation to gain relevant practice, feedback, and skills to become an entry-level therapist.

For Fieldwork Educators

Become a Fieldwork Educator

You can help prepare future occupational therapists and make an impact on our profession. The Division of Occupational Therapy at MUSC is always looking for new opportunities to provide clinical education for our students.

Fieldwork Educator Toolbox

Fieldwork Educator of the Year

Kaitlyn McLaughlin, OTD | Charleston Occupational Therapy (Charleston, SC)