At a key transition point in their studies, occupational therapy students across all USAHS campuses participate in a meaningful ritual, witnessed by family and friends. The OT pinning ceremony marks the end of the classroom portion of their studies and the beginning of their fieldwork. For Residential MOT and OTD students, this happens in their fourth term, and for Flex, in the seventh term.
A longstanding tradition in OT practice, the pin celebrates the diversity of practice areas, the client-centered nature of our practice and the values of our profession.
“It’s an opportunity for faculty to acknowledge our students’ transition from classroom learning to clinical learning,” says Mary Zadnik, ScD, MEd, OTR/L, director of the entry-level OT programs on Read more
OTD, Thomas Jefferson University
Certificate in Teaching in the Digital Age, Thomas Jefferson University
MS in Occupational Therapy, Tufts University
BA in Modern Languages, McGill University
Research Interests
Children’s Behavioral Health - Childhood Trauma and Adversity
Therapeutic Relationships in Occupational Therapy
Teaching/Learning in the Health Professions
Areas of Expertise
Sensory Processing and IntegrationAutism Spectrum DisordersChildhood Trauma and AdversityEarly Intervention and School-Based PracticeTeaching and Learning in the Digital Age
Dr. Michelle Gorenberg joined the faculty at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in August 2017. Dr. Gorenberg has been a practicing occupational therapist for more than 30 years, with experience in a variety of clinical settings and specializing in work with children and families.
Prior to coming to the university, Dr. Gorenberg taught in the MS and OTD programs at Philadelphia University and in the Occupational Therapy program at Thomas Jefferson University. She completed her OTD and Advanced Practice Certificate in Teaching in the Digital Age from Thomas Jefferson University in 2012, and her MS in Occupational Therapy at Tufts University in 1985.
Her clinical practice focuses upon the occupational lives of children living with behavioral health concerns and includes the treatment of children living with sensory processing disorders, autism, and the effects of childhood trauma and adversity. Her research interests include therapeutic relationships in OT practice, children’s behavioral health, and teaching/learning in the health professions.
Dr. Gorenberg is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) as well as the Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC) and the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA). She holds licenses to practice OT in both California and Pennsylvania. Dr. Gorenberg serves on the AOTA School Mental Health workgroup and on the editorial board of OT in Healthcare.
