BSWIR OT Fellowship in Physical Rehabilitation

Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation (BSWIR) OT Fellowship in Physical Rehabilitation is dedicated to advancing the knowledge and skills of our fellows by providing practical learning experiences that prioritize transdisciplinary, client-centered care through evidence-based practice and advanced clinical reasoning skills in order to promote excellence in the provision of occupational therapy services.

• Program goals:
  The program will facilitate the fellow’s ability to:
  • Become an advanced occupational therapy practitioner in the field of physical rehabilitation
  • Successfully meet all expectations and qualifications to sit for the AOTA Board Certification in Physical Rehabilitation exam
  • Contribute to the field of rehabilitation occupational therapy through participation in advanced-level professional activities
• Program length: 12 months, runs each year from May to May
• Applications open: Early January of each year (Applications for the program start date of 2024 are now closed)
• Locations:
  • Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation - Dallas (Primary site)
  • Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation - Neuro hub
  • Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation - Neuro Transitional Center
  • Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health (bswhealth.com)
  • Texas Woman’s University - School of Occupational Therapy - Dallas Campus (Didactic work)
• Responsibilities: The one-year fellowship program is designed to enhance a therapist’s skills in advanced-level practice as well as to sit for the AOTA Board Certification in Physical Rehabilitation (BCPR) exam at the completion of the fellowship program in order to achieve the status of AOTA board-certified in Physical rehabilitation. The program at Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation - Dallas is designed to maximize your experience with a wide range of physical rehabilitation diagnoses across the continuum of care through four, 12-week-long rotations with each of the clinical teams at our inpatient rehabilitation facility, and four, one-week-long observational rotations through various settings across the care continuum including acute care, Neuro Transitional Center and Day Neuro facilities. This fellowship position involves practical learning experiences that prioritize transdisciplinary client-centered care through evidence-based practice and advanced clinical reasoning skills in order to promote excellence in the provision of occupational therapy services. This fellowship will also require the completion of a minimum of one course (three credit hours) from the Ph.D. curriculum at the School of Occupational Therapy at Texas Women’s University, a co–sponsor of our program. Each fellow is responsible for enrollment as a non-degree-seeking student, their application and their tuition.
• Qualifications: The fellow must be a:
  • A graduate of an occupational therapy educational program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) Required
  • Valid TX Occupational Therapy License Required
  • American Heart Association BLS CPR Required (within the first 30 days of employment)
  • Six months of prior OT experience strongly preferred; relevant fieldwork experience may be considered
• Salary: Fellows will receive a salary as an employee of Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation equivalent to new graduate full-time occupational therapists.
• Curriculum: The Curriculum for BSWIR OT Fellowship in Physical Rehabilitation is designed to fulfill the AOTA Fellowship Program criteria and the Fellowship Program Learning Objectives (FPLOs) that are based on the AOTA Standards of Continuing Competence developed by the AOTA Commission on Continuing Competence and Professional Development (CCCPD). The fellows will see patients with varying physical and neurological diagnoses across the continuum of care with emphasis on inpatient rehabilitation. The fellow will work as part of the interdisciplinary team including physicians, case managers, nursing, neuropsychologists, aquatics therapists, speech therapists, physical therapists, recreational therapists, respiratory therapists, pharmacists and dieticians. Having gone through the BSWIR fellowship in Physical Rehabilitation, the fellow would gain a deeper and comprehensive understanding of physical rehabilitation, best evidence-based practice, scholarly activities, clinical reasoning skills, client-centered approach and various aspects of service delivery thus setting them up for success in the Board Certification for Physical Rehabilitation and further career advancement as specialized clinicians.
  
  Didactic Learning at Texas Woman’s University-School of Occupational Therapy: The fellow will be required to complete didactic work of one, three-credit-hour course from the PhD curriculum as a non-degree seeking candidate. The available course options to choose from are: Learning Designs of OT Knowledge, Neuroscience Applications: OT & Adaptation, Applied Research Design & Methods, Scholarly Writing in OT, or Grant Writing.
• Benefits: Fellows are eligible for benefits as an employee of Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation. This includes but is not limited to, employer-supported health insurance and paid time off.
• Fees: There is no fee to attend the program. The fellows are expected to pay tuition for TWU courses, seminars and travel expenses. Prices will vary per year and whether the fellow is in-state or out-of-state for tuition.

Application requirements:

• Online application through Select Medical Job Posting
• Essay (Contact program director for the form)
• Two letters of recommendation (Contact the program director for the form)
• CV 

About the program director:

Priyanka Kapoor received her Bachelor of Science in 2000, a Master of Arts in Psychology in 2002, and a Postgraduate diploma in developmental therapy in 2003. She then started to practice as a licensed rehabilitation therapist in India for four and a half years. Priyanka moved to the United States in 2008 to pursue a Master's in Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University and graduated with honors in 2010. Priyanka has worked with adults with various physical and neurological diagnoses in various settings including inpatient rehabilitation and skilled nursing. Priyanka holds a Board Certification in Physical Rehabilitation from AOTA. She has completed multiple advanced certifications related to the treatment of patients with a stroke or brain injury including Neuro-IFRAH, Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist, and Non-violent Crisis Prevention Intervention Instructor. Currently, Priyanka is employed at Baylor Scott and White Institute for Rehabilitation as an advanced clinical specialist. Priyanka is actively engaged in clinical research and has published articles in peer-reviewed journals. Her research poster was presented at the ACRM international conference. She has been a peer-reviewed journal articles as well as conference proposals for AOTA conferences. She has played an active role in program development and has been an integral part of the JACHO and CARF accreditation processes at BSWIR-Dallas. She enjoys teaching and has offered multiple state-approved virtual and live continuing education courses for occupational and physical therapists. In the last few years, she has also taught courses at the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Texas Woman’s University as a guest lecturer. She serves as a clinical mentor for several new graduate and mid-senior level therapists and acts as the mentorship coordinator for the site. She additionally, is the continuing education coordinator for the BSWIR division. As a program director of the BSWIR-OT Fellowship in Physical Rehabilitation, she aims to bolster the advancement of knowledge and skills of other occupational therapist practitioners and influence patient outcomes by strengthening the workforce.