Occupational Therapy Internship (Minnesota)

Program Description
Mayo School of Health Sciences (MSHS) partners with academic affiliates to offer a 12-week Occupational Therapy Internship. The internship is arranged by the academic fieldwork coordinator from your college or university and is provided after you complete the academic portion of your degree program.

Occupational therapy offers two levels of practice — an occupational therapist and an occupational therapy assistant.

To prepare for a career as an occupational therapist, you must complete an education program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). A list of accredited programs is available from the American Occupational TherapyAssociation, Inc. upon request.

To become an occupational therapy assistant, you must complete either a two-year associate's degree or an accredited certificate educational program.

All courses of study require a period of supervised clinical experience (i.e., fieldwork) and successful completion of a national certification examination.

The Occupational Therapy Internship at Mayo Clinic provides the high-quality didactic and clinical fieldwork needed to create a well-rounded, fully competent occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant.

Throughout your internship, you will be exposed to adaptive training activities, equipment, videos and resources. These will prepare the student for treating individuals with medical diagnoses typically seen in the rehabilitative clinical setting: stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, cancer, cardiac conditions and neurological impairments.

Accreditation
Mayo Foundation is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher Learning Commission.

Higher Learning Commission
30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400
Chicago, IL 60602-2504
(800) 621-7440
(312) 263-0456
Fax: (312) 263-7462
www.ncacihe.org

Facilities
The Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation offers comprehensive physical medicine and rehabilitation care for both inpatients and outpatients. At Mayo Clinic, physician evaluations, as well as physical and occupational therapy services, are available. Inpatient rehabilitation care is provided at Saint Marys Hospital, part of Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

The Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester comprises an extensive outpatient complex, two hospitals, and research and education facilities. It is among the largest, most advanced medical centers in the world.

Graduation and Certification
Occupational Therapy interns graduate from their respective college or university upon successful completion of their fieldwork. They are then responsible for scheduling and completing their certification tests through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.

Those who pass the test are awarded the title of registered occupational therapist or certified occupational therapy assistant. Individual states may also require licensure.

Hours
For the majority of the internship, your learning schedule will include eight-hour days, five days per week. While the regular workweek is usually 40 hours, additional projects, patient activities and homework may be assigned.

Class Size
Mayo School of Health Sciences admits many students in each of its four internships. The numbers admitted are based on school and clinic needs. In our rehabilitation unit and the acute care hospital unit, the student will be in a collaborative model, where one clinical instructor supervises more than one student. In other areas, a one-on-one model of clinical instruction is provided.

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