The Rocky Mountain College Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program faculty and staff hosted an interactive education session for students participating in the MedStart Camp-RiverStone Health. The students who were selected to participate in the MedStart Camp are high school juniors and seniors from all over the state of Montana, who are interested in pursuing a medical profession.

“We were so impressed with how many of the students knew about occupational therapy” Dr. Briggs, Director of Academic Fieldwork commented.

The educational session included an overview of the occupational therapy scope of practice and provided students with the opportunity to role play being an occupational therapist and a patient who had physical limitations.  Students carried a large water balloon in their dominant hand to understand the lived experience of a patient who had sustained a stroke and was unable to use their dominant hand. Other students wore vision impairment goggles and earplugs to simulate vision and hearing deficits, attempted to keep a beanbag on their head to promote awareness of balance deficits and walked with almonds in their shoes to mirror neuropathy, which can be caused by diabetes and other health conditions.  Several of the students accessed campus via a wheelchair and walkers.  At the conclusion of the session, students discussed the challenges of performing a basic campus navigation course with the limitations mentioned above and then brainstormed ways in which occupational therapists could assist patients be more functional and safe.

Dr. Kirchen, the Founding RMC OTD Program Director, stated that one of the goals of the RMC OTD Program is to increase the understanding of the unique value of occupational therapy and the opportunity to interact with the MedStart Camp was a wonderful way to promote OT in the state of Montana.