Students in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences recently won the Promote OT Challenge for the state of Iowa.
The challenge, hosted by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, involved more than 700 occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students across the nation who spent the 2025–26 academic year introducing new audiences to the profession. Participants conducted outreach visits to discuss career pathways and the impact occupational therapy practitioners have on the lives of people of all ages.
DMU was recognized as the winning school in Iowa based on the percentage of eligible students who completed a Promote OT Challenge visit during the academic year.
“Winning the challenge in Iowa shows that our students and faculty are committed to increasing awareness about occupational therapy and trying to grow our profession,” says Jordan Bell, OTD, MOT, OTR/L, BCP, assistant professor of occupational therapy. “It’s also exciting to get our name out there on a national level so people can see that we’re an invested program.”
Participation was made possible by the OTD program’s decision to incorporate the challenge requirements into one of its courses, allowing students to fulfill challenge requirements while also observing the behavior of middle and high school students.
Twenty-four second-year OTD students — along with some first-year observers — visited 24 middle and high schools across Iowa to share what occupational therapy is and why it makes a great career.
“I think it’s a really cool campaign because a lot of people don’t know what OT is,” Bell says. “It’s very rare that you run into a high schooler or middle schooler who says, ‘I want to be an OT.’ Trying to capture them at an earlier age is our goal.”
Bell says the experience was impactful for DMU OTD students.
“A lot of them chose to go back to their hometown schools, and I think they really enjoyed sharing what they’ve been learning and doing with a younger generation,” she says. “Advocacy is important to us, and being able to demonstrate that through action, even at those early ages, is helpful.”
One student participant was Stephanie Magner, OTD’27, who presented at Earlham High School in Earlham, Iowa.
“By introducing the profession when students are younger, we’re able to inspire future practitioners and strengthen our workforce, while also making long-lasting impressions and building connections with our surrounding communities,” she says. “I’m ecstatic that DMU won. I think this is a true testament to how great our program, faculty and students are that we were able to represent in this way with a program that is still very new.”
DMU plans to participate in the Promote OT Challenge again next year.
“As a whole, I think this challenge is a really good example of the hands-on and active approach we take within our program,” Bell says. “We try to make the most of students’ time in their learning. We know they’re only with us for a short window, so we want to make it as impactful as possible while they’re here, so they can go out and be the best OTs.”
For more information about the OTD program at DMU, visit dmu.edu/ot.
Applications are open for DMU’s next OTD class. Click here to learn more and apply.