Clinical Educators in Occupational Therapy
Clinical Education is an essential learning path for future therapists. Mentoring and educating students have many benefits and rewards including expanding your own practice knowledge. Clinical Education is now also a professional responsibility within the new 2022 practice competencies (Domain F).
"For me, supervising students is not only about giving back to the profession, and enabling future OTs to be the best they can be but also about taking in lessons from them! They come in with a fresh new perspective!
I find it is one of the most enriching and meaningful things to engage in as an OT."
Yuqing (Mary) Zhao, erg.
8 Benefits of being a Clinical Educator
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Being a main contributor to the future of our profession!
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Collect formal hours of continuing education. Every week of supervision counts as 1 hour of formal continuing education (HFC) for your professional order (PT: 5 hours maximum, OT: 6-8 hours depending on the clinical course)
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Participate in the Spring Clinical Day Awards Recognition ceremony where excellence is celebrated through awards honoring individuals and sites.
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Gain Visibility, networking, and experience within the McGill teaching community. This can lead to further teaching positions within the faculty.
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Contribute to the Clinical Advisory Committee (your feedback leads to important curricular changes)
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Receive personalized training and support from the Academic Coordinators of Clinical Education (see supervision training聽for details).
- Secure a site stipend paid to host site to recognize the invaluable contribution you make to the education and development of future therapists
Frequently Asked Questions:聽
How many years of experience do I need to supervise/teach occupational therapy students?
National accreditation guidelines expect that clinical educators will have a minimum of 1-year working experience. This can be on different sites.
Can I take a student if I am new to a program or service?聽
If you have at least one year's experience as a clinician, you are an excellent teacher for a student. No teacher is expected to have all the answers but should be willing to ask questions and share their own clinical reasoning process
How do I become a supervisor?
Please contact us and we will be in touch with you or see How to Apply below.
Faculty Lecturer (Nil Salary)聽
In recognition of exceptional dedication to the clinical education of students of McGill鈥檚 School of Physical and Occupational Therapy (SPOT), the School would like to offer clinical supervisors a formal appointment at McGill University entitled Faculty Lecturer (nil salary). This position is for a duration of three years, and, although not remunerated, it gives access to the electronic system of McGill Libraries free of charge!
To be eligible for this appointment, clinical supervisors must commit to supervising a minimum of five (5) students over the three-year term of the appointment.聽 In addition, Faculty Lecturers are strongly encouraged to contribute at least once per year to an instructional activity. This could include, for example, either providing a lecture within a course; practical instruction or facilitation within a lab; facilitating a small group teaching session or clinical reasoning workshop; participation as an OSCE examiner; or as an interprofessional education (IPE) facilitator.聽 Additional information is described within the following document.听听听
How to apply:
Send a letter of intent and an updated CV to clinicaleducation.spot [at] mcgill.ca. You will receive a series of administrative steps to follow. New applications will be reviewed twice a year on the following dates:聽 June 1 and November 15.听听There may be a 6-8-week turnaround for administration and finalizing the appointment.
Once the appointment has been granted, the clinician will have access to McGill鈥檚 library system, which can have benefits to your practice and your clinical research interest.聽
Examples of documents:
