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
There is no better way to learn clinical skills than through hands-on application. At our Centers for Innovative Clinical Practice (CICPs), you will practice clinical skills in realistic scenarios in simulated hospital and home environments. USAHS is one of the few higher education institutions in the country with simulation labs dedicated to the rehabilitative sciences. We have CICPs on all campuses.
About the CICP
Students in our physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology programs practice using state-of-the-art technology with mock patients in our Centers for Innovative Clinical Practice. Located on four USAHS campuses, our CICPs are immersive learning laboratories that mimic a variety of clinical spaces and home settings.
ADL Simulation Lab
Watch students in our occupational therapy programs use assistive devices tailored to each scenario as they work with mock patients on daily living skills, such as getting in and out of a bathtub and brushing their teeth.
SafeGait 360
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students practice using the SafeGait machine, which helps patients with neurological injuries relearn how to walk while supported while supported by a harness system.
Driving Simulator
Our driving simulators are built with actual car parts, including a six-speed transmission and a force-feedback steering wheel. Video monitors play simulations, so the user feels like they’re really driving. Our OT students use this tool to assess patients’ reaction speeds and visual perception, and to help patients build or rebuild their driving skills.
Get Hands-on Practice
The CICPs are state-of-the-art learning centers that are designed to simulate clinical and home settings, with real medical equipment and realistic, interprofessional environments. As a USAHS student, you will have the opportunity to practice clinical skills and techniques in a simulated environment in courses across your curriculum.
Guided by expert faculty and CICP staff, you will practice assessment, diagnostics, and treatment with standardized patients and, in some cases and programs, with high-fidelity simulators. Each CICP has video-recording capabilities for students and faculty to review and debrief what students do well, and to reinforce key concepts to improve future practice.
USAHS is proud to be among the first universities to have simulation education centers dedicated to the rehabilitative sciences. The CICPs serve students across modalities and programs, including the physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and speech-language pathology programs. Students in different programs can participate in complex scenarios together, engaging in interprofessional education and collaboration. Students in our Flex DPT, OTD, and MOT programs learn through recorded videos of the simulations and work in the CICPs during their on-campus lab weekends and intensives.
The capabilities of the CICPs enable your instructors to translate and apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to clinical settings. This experience prepares you for your first clinical role, whether in an ICU, an in-patient rehab facility, a mental health clinic, or another setting. Our CICPs are a safe place for you to develop and improve your professionalism, bedside manner, patient safety, and patient care skills.
Students in our Flex DPT, OTD, and MOT programs learn through recorded videos of the simulations and work in the CICPs during their on-campus lab weekends and intensives.*
*Note that the Dallas campus has a simulation learning lab, but not a full CICP.
