A lthough we think of occupational therapy as a professiOn. persons outside our field sometimes clo not ThIrd-p:lrty payers may treal us as lhough we are> techni clans dependenl on the> ludgme>nt of rde>rring physICians or other professlon;1Is [n many states nccu pationaJ therapy IS nOI licensed due to the clifhcullies we have had convinCing IegIslalOrs thai we proVide a unique profeSSional service Til\.'> is espe>Clallv problematiC during lobbyllig activities when other professional groups who are alre>ady Iicensed view us as C0111· petItors wah lower statu.'>. Is occupational therapy really a professlol1' It should he, tor we :ld dress an aspect of human functlon111g that is central to the well-being 01' so· ciety. an aspeCl that is not thee focus of any other dlsciplme We arc cun cerned with understanding tile> occu pat Ion of human hemgs, the ways In whIch people organlie the aLtivitjcs tllJt fill tl,elr lives Jlld give their lives meJl1lng Furthermore. we appl)' thiS understanding of occu patlun to pro· mote the heJlth and well-helng of the people we serve Regardless of how important our Idea.'> andl)Ur ..,ervice mighl he, however, we fall shurt in twO attrihutes thai are vttal to :JI1Y rna ture profeSSion autonomy and responSibility WI thou I aUlOnomy, we are de, pendent on other profeSSionals for prescriptions, for lhe accreditation of our educational programs, for dOing the baSIC research that supports our praClice, and even for the settings 111 whIch we provide our serVKes. Thl.'" lack of autonomy makes II difficult lor us to shape our own future . c con· tlnually find ourselve~ in (he posmon of waltlng for approval or support that origll13tes from outSIde uf our field. Diane Parham

Toward professionalism: the reflective therapist.

Two hundred and seventy occupational therapy clinicians, whose primary or secondary employment function was in direct patient service, were surveyed to determine their perceived roles and attitudes regarding research. Results showed a strong belief in the importance of research in the profession, yet minimal involvement in research due to limited time, money, and skill. The role of collaborator with experienced researchers was rated as highly desirable. Few clinicians indicated no interest in research. Implications of the results and suggestions for strategies to increase clinicians' involvement and satisfaction in research through mutual experiences and continuing education are given.

Research attitudes and activities of occupational therapy clinicians.

A review of studies examining differences between graduate and undergraduate occupational therapy students and therapists educated at these levels suggests that while students are frequently found to be similar in their values and learning styles, therapists with graduate and undergraduate degrees may differ in their professional contributions and attitudes. Secondary analyses of two studies completed by the present authors, however, find evidence of differences in students' values and learning preferences, as well as a relationship between psychosocial occupational therapists' level of education and the degree of eclecticism in their theoretical orientation, the degree of consistency between their practices and beliefs, and their movement from staff into senior level positions. Implications of the literature and these studies are that an evolution toward master's level entry along with an increased emphasis on graduate education of all therapists are important strategies for knowledge development in occu...

Generating and Using Knowledge in Occupational Therapy: Implications for Professional Education

Most health care professions are reviewing issues related to the
changing nature of professional education and practice. Social work, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, audiology, and recently occupational therapy, have raised the entry-level training requirements to the graduate level to enhance formal education programs. Purpose and Scope. In the past few years, this trend has generated considerable debate and discussion within the occupational therapy profession both in Canada and internationally. In November, 2001 the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) announced that Canadian universities must convert to entry-level Master?s programs by 2008 to receive re-accreditation (CAOT, 2002a). This paper describes the historical evolution of Canadian occupational therapy education, outlines several issues within occupational therapy that are impacting the move, and discusses benefits and challenges to Master?s level training. Practice Implications. Recommendations are presented for the development of Master?s entry-level occupational therapy training programs in Canada.

Changing times: trials and tribulations of the move to Master's entry-level education in Canada.

Trends in occupational therapy education worldwide are towards the increasing educational preparation of graduates. Initially, entry into the occupational therapy profession was gained via a brief course, followed by a diploma, and then later with a bachelor's degree. Most recently, graduate-entry master's degree programmes have been introduced as an alternative entry into the profession. With the introduction of four graduate-entry master's degree programmes in Canada and Australia and one in the United Kingdom since September 1998, and the planned introduction of other programmes in these countries, it is timely to review the history and context of the graduate-entry programmes. The imperatives leading to the introduction of graduate-entry master's degree programmes include the increased qualification base of applicants, the need for practitioners to be evidence based and the concurrent so-called qualification creep of other health professions. The data from the first two cohorts of Australian students who commenced the graduate-entry Master of Occupational Therapy Studies programme at the University of Queensland are presented. Some similarities between these Australian students and the Canadian students are noted. The benefit of master's degree entry programmes to the profession is seen as an increased pool of highly skilled practitioners who will contribute to the research base of the profession.

Graduate-Entry Master's Degrees: Launchpad for Occupational Therapy in this millennium?

This article presents an account of the evolutionary changes in occupational therapy graduate education at the University of Southern California (USC) in response to the increasing professional demands and the expanding knowledge base of the field. The contention that undergraduate and graduate education represented by these changes would result in different student products was tested. A questionnaire survey was used to assess the responses of 189 former undergraduate and graduate occupational therapy students of USC on issues relating to professionalism, leadership, attitudes, and scholarly contributions. Results of this study support the theory that graduate education of a specific kind and quality enhances the professionalization of occupational therapy more so than does undergraduate education.

Gerald Sharrot

Papers

A Comparison of Impact of Undergraduate and Graduate Occupational Therapy Education on Professional Productivity