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1. What is the Capstone Experience?

A unique feature of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) is the Capstone Experience. The Capstone Experience consists of the totality of student involvement in planning for and conducting the Capstone Semester which is the last semester in the program. The planning starts in the first semester of the program; continues in structured ways through coursework and individualized mentorship; and culminates in the Capstone Semester. It is critical to recognize that the Capstone Experience is much longer than a single semester.

2. What is the Capstone Semester?

The Capstone Semester is the culmination of the structured planning that has taken place over several semesters. It consists of three concurrent, individualized, and student planned modules taken after completion of all other academic requirements, with the possible exception of research. These modules include the Capstone Practicum, Mentored Studies in Capstone Area, and Mentored Capstone Dissemination.

3. What is the Capstone Practicum?

The Capstone Practicum is experiential, on-site learning under the mentorship of a site mentor and a faculty mentor. Current options for this kind of hands-on learning include traditional and non-traditional clinical practice sites for occupational therapy, sites that have future potential to become practice locales for occupational therapy, occupational therapy education settings, and professional organizations. The Capstone Practicum provides the OTD student with the opportunity to practice and develop contemporary skills in clinical practice, clinical administration, advocacy, teaching, and/or research.

4. What is the role of the faculty mentor?

The faculty mentor is a member of the Occupational Therapy Program at The University of Toledo who has agreed to provide individualized guidance to the student for the Capstone Experience and who has the responsibility for assigning grades across the three modules within the Capstone Semester. In some cases, the student might have more than one faculty mentor, depending on each mentor’s expertise and resources.

5. What is the role of the site mentor?

The site mentor is a professional person often, but not always an occupational therapist, who guides the student and evaluates the students’ performance at a particular setting. The site mentor facilitates student access to clinical and/ or educational populations so that the student can conduct the Capstone Practicum. The site mentor provides input into the Mentored Studies in Capstone Area and Mentored Capstone Dissemination modules, particularly the written product. In some cases, the student might have more than one site mentor, depending on each mentor’s expertise and resources.

6. What are the advantages to being a site mentor?

Flexible Capstone Semester Schedule

Each student must complete at least 600 hours on the three modules making up the Capstone Semester. A minimum of 448 hours must be spent on the Capstone Practicum during the 15-week spring semester.

Student Brings Clinical Experience

The Capstone Practicum takes place after the successful completion of two Level II fieldwork placements. The Capstone student should not need as much supervision for entry level clinical skills as a Level II fieldwork student.

Multiple Mentoring Possibilities

The Capstone Practicum involves a multiple mentoring experience. More than one person at the Capstone site may serve as a site mentor. The student will also have a faculty mentor who will stay in regular contact with the student via email, meetings, site visits, and/or phone calls.

Exposure to OT Resources

Concurrent with the Capstone Practicum, the student takes the Mentored Studies in Capstone Area module. In this module the student masters literature leading to in-depth knowledge of an area within occupational therapy through systematic exploration of library, electronic, and clinical resources.

The student will often share these resources with the site mentor.

Professional Manuscript and Presentation

Concurrent with the Capstone Practicum, the students take the Mentored Capstone Dissemination module where they complete a scholarly professional paper and presentation describing a focus of study in the Capstone Experience. Possible formats for the paper include a case study, program development plan, program modification plan, advocacy project, research study, or course development plan. The site mentor would provide feedback to the student on the paper and serve as an author if the mentors and student chose to submit the paper to a journal for publication.

Fiscal Benefits

Revenue may be generated for your facility from the experienced Capstone student intervening with patients. Recruitment costs may be saved from potentially hiring the Capstone student to become a staff therapist at your site.

Development of Mentoring Skills

Site mentors will develop teaching skills as they share specialized knowledge and model occupational therapy skills for the student. Mentoring a student will stimulate your clinical reasoning skills and will expose you to the latest theories, evidences, and practices in a specific area of occupational therapy. Site mentors will receive personal satisfaction from sharing knowledge and skills with the student and supporting the student’s professional career growth.

Earn CEU Credits

In Ohio, a mentor who supervises a student completing a Capstone Practicum is eligible to receive continuing education credit from the state licensing board. This may apply in other states as well.

For more information about the Capstone Experience contact:

Kelly Gelske, OTD, OTR/L
Clinical Assistant Professor
419.530.6674
Kelly.Gelske@ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú´«Ã½ÎÄ»¯×÷Æ·.edu