Coursework & Fieldwork Fieldwork II

[OT.OT]

Hi!

I'm a pre-ot student graduating from undergrad this semester. I was wondering if any current OT students had some insight on placement for Level II fieldwork. I will be attending school on the East Coast but would love to do my fieldwork on the West Coast or somewhere different from where I've grown up. I'm sure this varies a lot by program, but generally, how feasible is it to get placement out-of-state and do you need to have family/friends living in that state to be considered for placement out-of-state?

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[slpOT]

Your accommodations definitely plays a role in your ability to get placements. However, it really depends on the school. I know that North Carolina doesn't really accept out of state placements because they're reserved for NC students, for example. I would suggest trying to find upperclassmen at your school to ask them what the process is like!

 

[sngot]

It's possible but not guaranteed. I went to school in the east coast but was able to do my placement back home on the west coast. Fieldwork placement varies from school to school. This is a good question to ask when selecting schools. A contract is formed between the OT school and OT facility. If the school already has a relationship with the facility, then they can reuse preexisting contracts. If not, then a completely new one has to be draft. It truly depends on the school and fieldwork coordinator. It takes a lot more work on everyone for the student to practice out of state. I was fortunate to have fieldwork coordinators that were willing to advocate for their students and put in the extra work.

 

[OT.OT]

Your accommodations definitely plays a role in your ability to get placements. However, it really depends on the school. I know that North Carolina doesn't really accept out of state placements because they're reserved for NC students, for example. I would suggest trying to find upperclassmen at your school to ask them what the process is like!

Thanks for your response! It's really interesting you say this as NC was one of the places I was looking into!

 

[OT.OT]

It's possible but not guaranteed. I went to school in the east coast but was able to do my placement back home on the west coast. Fieldwork placement varies from school to school. This is a good question to ask when selecting schools. A contract is formed between the OT school and OT facility. If the school already has a relationship with the facility, then they can reuse preexisting contracts. If not, then a completely new one has to be draft. It truly depends on the school and fieldwork coordinator. It takes a lot more work on everyone for the student to practice out of state. I was fortunate to have fieldwork coordinators that were willing to advocate for their students and put in the extra work.

This is the vibe I was getting from programs when I would communicate with them. Thats great you had a helpful fieldwork coordinator, I never thought about the work put in on their end to place a student out-of-state. Do many/most students get offers to work after graduation where they did their Fieldwork II? At least in your program.

 

[sngot]

I believe there is a one person in my class that got an immediate job offer (no questions asked). There are a handful of people that secured jobs prior to graduation though it was not necessarily with their fieldwork placements. I do not have anything secured but I think job placement is insignificant if you cannot pass the board exam. As a pre-OT student, I wouldn't be concern about it right now. For you, I recommend exposing yourself to different aspect of occupational therapy and find the school that fits you.

 

[WMUOT]

Hello I am currently in OT school and I'm trying to schedule my placements. Which level 2 placement would best prepare for the NBCOT one in acute care or one in peds? Or does it not matter?

 

[Marie12]

Hello I am currently in OT school and I'm trying to schedule my placements. Which level 2 placement would best prepare for the NBCOT one in acute care or one in peds? Or does it not matter?

I am also currently in OT school. I heard from the students ahead of my class that acute and SNF may be good placements to help prepare people for the NBCOT. In acute care you can learn a lot about various diagnoses, and I heard if you can work in a SNF you can work in almost any setting because the documentation and productivity standards can be difficult to manage. The students ahead of my class also said that Peds is just one portion of the exam, and not to do a level 2 in that setting unless you are interested working in or learning about peds. Honestly, I would choose settings that you can see yourself working in, or that you are interested in learning more about. People placed in all types of settings pass the NBCOT. There is a good chance that you can make connections at your level 2 site, and sometimes students are offered a job after they graduate, so go with what you are interested in. I hope I was able to help!

 

[jackimac888]

Hello to my fellow OT students,

I was wondering if anyone has any information about doing fieldwork abroad. I am currently in my 2nd year at USC.

I just finished my first level II in Adult Rehab. Next summer, I will be doing my fieldwork in peds or mental health. I would love to go abroad, maybe to the U.K. or Australia since it has to be in an English speaking setting. Does anyone have any info or know anyone who has done this? I have emailed a few sites so far but none of them take students. Many thanks!!

 

[OT.OT]

Hello to my fellow OT students,

I was wondering if anyone has any information about doing fieldwork abroad. I am currently in my 2nd year at USC.

I just finished my first level II in Adult Rehab. Next summer, I will be doing my fieldwork in peds or mental health. I would love to go abroad, maybe to the U.K. or Australia since it has to be in an English speaking setting. Does anyone have any info or know anyone who has done this? I have emailed a few sites so far but none of them take students. Many thanks!!

This is from the AOTA site!

Can You Do a Level II Fieldwork Outside of the U.S.?
Yes, depending on the policies of your academic program, you can do fieldwork outside the U.S., as long as the criteria listed in the Standards are followed. This is the criteria that must be met: "Ensure that the student completing Level II fieldwork outside the U.S. is supervised by an occupational therapist who has graduated from a program approved by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) and has 1 year of experience in practice. Such fieldwork shall not exceed 12 weeks."