Fieldwork Education

At Des Moines University, learning is transformative, integrative and active. Because of this, fieldwork education is an essential part of the DMU O.T.D. curriculum, where students develop as an occupational therapist. Fieldwork opportunities allow students to integrate and apply knowledge and skills in occupation, professional reasoning, professional practice and scholarship to build experience in collaborative and innovative occupational therapy practice. Fieldwork is designed to provide students with opportunities to participate in immersive experiences within traditional, non-traditional and emerging practice settings across multiple areas of occupational therapy practice.

Both Level I and Level II fieldwork rotations are designed to provide students experience within the occupational therapy process of evaluation, intervention and outcomes. The progression of expectations and objectives for each fieldwork experience is designed to promote entry-level competence by the end of Level II fieldwork and to meet defined DMU O.T.D. student learning outcomes by the end of the curriculum. Each student is expected to complete five Level I fieldwork rotations and two Level II rotations.

Student Fieldwork

What Is Unique About DMU O.T.D. Fieldwork?

Fieldwork at Des Moines University has several features that are unique:

The spiral design of the curriculum allows for topics to be revisited throughout coursework to ensure students are prepared for fieldwork.
Students engage in five Level I fieldworks, which is more than many programs design.
Level I experiences are integrated within a course. Students attend their fieldwork site at multiple designated times to directly apply their knowledge and skills from the course to real-life occupational therapy practice.
Intentional relationships are built with Level I and II fieldwork educators to ensure alignment of fieldwork experiences with the program’s didactic curriculum.
Extensive support is provided to fieldwork educators to enhance student experiences.
Fieldwork opportunities include diverse traditional, nontraditional and emerging practice settings to expand exploration of the scope of occupational therapy practice and allow students to find their perfect fit.
National and international opportunities are available for Level II fieldwork rotations.

What Is the Difference Between Level I and Level II Fieldwork?

Level I Fieldwork

The aim of Level I fieldwork experiences is for students to transfer their learning to real-life occupational therapy practice and to gain exposure to various practice areas and settings. Throughout the didactic curriculum, students engage in integrated Level I fieldwork experiences. Integrated means that the Level I fieldworks are housed within a didactic course. This allows students to connect and directly apply the knowledge and skills from didactic courses to practice. Across Level I experiences, topics increase in level of difficulty and complexity to improve students’ understanding, skills and expertise. These Level I experiences allow checkpoints of competence to ensure students are successfully progressing toward Level II fieldwork and beyond. Within the first two years of the DMU O.T.D. program, Level I fieldwork allows students to develop and build skills in a variety of practice areas. These areas include diverse and non-traditional practice settings to better understand and explore the scope of occupational therapy.

Level II Fieldwork

Following successful completion of their didactic coursework, students will progress to their two Level II fieldwork experiences. The aim of these rotations is to integrate and apply knowledge and skills in occupation, professional reasoning, professional practice and scholarship to build experience in collaborative and innovative occupational therapy practice. Students experientially engage as a professional, participating in the delivery of occupational therapy services to diverse individuals, communities and populations. These are typically full-time 12-week placements under the direct supervision of a qualified occupational therapist. Students will be evaluated on expected entry-level performance for their practice setting.

When Do Level I and Level II Fieldwork Experiences Occur?

How Are Fieldwork Sites Selected?

How Will I Be Assigned to Fieldwork Experiences?

Students are not responsible for locating their own fieldwork placements. The program will provide placements through a collaborative process of selection and assignment.

For Level I placements, students will be assigned to their sites by the Director of Clinical Education and the course instructors based on their match to the fieldwork objectives and course goals. All sites will be within a 2-hour drive from the DMU campus, and students should be prepared to commute a drivable distance for their Level I placements.

For Level II fieldwork placements, students will have an opportunity to rank their choices of fieldwork sites from a provided list approved by the Director of Clinical Education. This process will be under the guidance of the Director of Clinical Education and the student’s Clinical Plan of Study advisor. Students should be prepared that they may not be placed in or around the Des Moines area. Student context and hardship may be considered for placing students at available local sites.

Are There Opportunities for Me To Do Fieldwork Outside of the U.S.?

What Will Fieldwork Experiences Cost?

Fieldwork Educators

Our fieldwork partners are a crucial aspect of the student’s development as an occupational therapist. With the guidance of fieldwork educators, our students become effective clinicians by gaining hands-on experience in the provision of occupational therapy services within various practice areas and settings.

Fieldwork at Des Moines University has several features that are unique:

Every course focuses on active application to help students connect coursework to occupational therapy practice.
The spiral design of the curriculum allows for topics to be revisited throughout coursework to ensure students are prepared for fieldwork.
Students engage in five Level I fieldworks, which is more than many programs design. This is in effort to expose students to multiple practice areas and to allow them more opportunities to connect their learning to practice, ultimately preparing them for success on their Level II fieldwork experiences.
Level I experiences are intentionally and thoughtfully integrated within courses. Students attend their fieldwork site at multiple designated times to directly apply their knowledge and skills from the course to real-life occupational therapy practice.
Relationships are built with Level I and II fieldwork educators to provide support and ensure alignment of f experiences with the program’s didactic curriculum.
Fieldwork opportunities include diverse traditional, nontraditional, and emerging practice settings to expand exploration of the scope of occupational therapy practice and allow students to find their perfect fit.
National and international opportunities are available for Level II fieldwork rotations.

Level I fieldwork experiences

The goal of the Level I fieldwork is for students to transfer and apply the knowledge and skills learned within the classroom to real-world situations. At Des Moines University students complete integrated fieldworks in a variety of traditional, nontraditional, and emerging settings. This means the fieldwork experience is embedded within a specific didactic course. Students attend their fieldwork site multiple times throughout the semester to engage in immersive experiences related to that course content. Level I fieldwork experiences are supervised by a qualified professional at the site, who may or may not be an occupational therapist.

Am I qualified to be a fieldwork educator?

Level I fieldwork educators are not required to be an occupational therapist.
Level I fieldwork educators are required to be knowledgeable of the goals and objectives of the fieldwork experience and how they can support those goals.
Level II fieldwork educators are required to be a currently licensed occupational therapist with a minimum of 1-year full-time practice experience.
If the Level II fieldwork is in a setting where no O.T. services exist, the supervising occupational therapist must have at least 3 years of full-time professional experience.

What is the benefit of working with DMU O.T.D. fieldwork students?

Working with students can enhance a fieldwork educator’s clinical knowledge and professional development.
Fieldwork educator’s can gain experience in leadership, teaching, mentorship and supervision.
Our students are taught to be evidence-based, innovative, and collaborative. They will add value to the fieldwork educator student relationship.
Student mentorship expands the reach of occupational therapy services and improves the outcomes of clients while also preparing the next generation of occupational therapists.
Fieldwork educators may be eligible to earn continuing education credits.
Upon request, DMU Library access may be granted to fieldwork educators who meet eligibility requirements.
Fieldwork educator’s develop direct relationships with Des Moines University faculty and staff.
Training fieldwork students within your organization provides the opportunity to recruit top students for O.T.D. positions upon their graduation.
Fieldwork educators have opportunities to collaborate with their student to present an interdisciplinary topic or case study at Des Moines University Grand Rounds.
Your organization may benefit from discovery, enhancement, or expansion of services for the needs of those you serve.

What support will DMU provide me as a fieldwork educator?

We understand that the fieldwork educator is an essential part of developing our students into occupational therapists. To do this effectively, we know that frequent communication is imperative. The Clinical Education team, under the oversight of the Director of Clinical Education, will provide fieldwork educators the essential tools and resources to support their mentorship and supervision of DMU OTD students. Our fieldwork educators will never feel that they are working alone. Our team works alongside the fieldwork educator to address any needs, concerns, or questions that may arise throughout the experience.

Interested in Becoming a Fieldwork Partner?

We are excited to hear of your interest and look forward to creating a relationship with you! To learn more about our fieldwork education or to explore becoming a fieldwork educator, please complete our questionnaire.

Once we receive your information, we will be in contact with you. Alternatively, you may also contact us at DMUOTD.ClinEd@dmu.edu.