Establishment of Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy Program At UoG
Through the UoG/Queens/Mastercard Foundation Project the first School of Occupational Therapy in Ethiopia is being established at UoG with an admittance of first students in fall of 2021 in the Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy Program.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is a dynamic, growing, and internationally-recognized health profession which has been helping to improve the lives and daily experience of children, adults, and communities by focusing on what is fundamental to us all – the daily occupations (or activities) that give life meaning. As humans we engage in occupation to be productive, to learn, to recreate, and to take care of our most basic needs. Occupation is what gives purpose to our daily lives and connects us to our communities. Occupational therapists are specialists in the use of occupation to prevent disability, restore health, and ensure that all individuals and populations, regardless of health status, can experience full and meaningful lives. Occupational therapy is a diverse profession, providing opportunities to work with many different populations, in a variety of work environments. The career prospects for occupational therapists globally are exciting. Visit the website of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (www.wfot.org) to gain an understanding about the profession from a global perspective and more specifically the Regional African OT group (http://www.otarg.org.za/) for an African focus. The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy (www.caot.ca) also has valuable information about the practice of OT in Canada.
Current Progress in Establishment of Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Gondar
Ongoing since 2016
- Completion of sensitization workshops on occupational therapy.
2019
- October
- Completion of needs assessment dissemination workshop.
- Curriculum development workshop #1.
- November:
- Letter of approval obtained from quality assurance office.
- Academic vice president sent a letter to the chief academic director of UoG stating the relevance of the BScOT program to UoG and the commitment of the institution to pioneer occupational therapy nationally and regionally.
- Letter ensured it was clear the occupational therapy department would be situated under the school of medicine.
2020
- March:
- Completion and submission of structural organigram and proposal for academic commission’s meeting.
- March/April: curriculum development workshop #2 & #3.
- May 18:
- Request letter sent to chief academic director of the college of medicine and health science to start the process of occupational therapy department establishment.
- June:
- Establishment of occupational therapy department and appointment of the head of occupational therapy department.
- August:
- Occupational therapy Cohort 1 Fellows completed Level 3 and Community Development Placements, and returned to the UoG OT Department.
- Completion of internal workshop to obtain feedback on the BScOT curriculum draft from UoG stakeholders.
- September
- OT Scope of Practice sent to Ministry of Health in Ethiopia to be included in all health science scope descriptions
- OT program coordinator at Queen’s conducted a virtual external workshop for the Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy at UoG
- November:
Completion of external workshop to obtain feedback on the BScOT curriculum draft from Ethiopian and international stakeholders.
2021
- January:
- OT clinical space obtained at the UoG
- February:
- OT Fellow Alumni (Cohort 1) at the UoG is first in Ethiopia to receive license in OT with Master of Science Degree!
- August
- OT Cohort 2 Fellows completed Level 3 and Community Development Placements, and returned to the UoG Occupational Therapy Department.
- OT program coordinator at Queen’s conducted a virtual internal workshop for the Bachelor of Science in occupational therapy at UoG
- September
- First group of 16 UoG students began the BScOT Program
- December:
- OT Cohort 3 Completed Year 1 Semester 1 coursework and Level 1 Placement.
2022
- August:
- Ethiopia becomes a member of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists
- September
- Second group of 16 UoG students began the BScOT Program
- The UoG occupational therapy Department Head, an occupational therapy faculty member, and Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Staff member attended the World Federation of Occupational Therapy Congress in Paris, France.
- UoG occupational therapy Department presented at the World Federation of Occupational Therapy Congress 2022 in Paris, France. Their presentation was titled “Towards comprehensive rehabilitation services in Ethiopia: Establishing the first university-level occupational therapy education program”
- December:
- Launch of the Ethiopian Association of Occupational Therapists (EAOT). Present were international partners, government officials from the civil service commission and ministry of health, interdisciplinary representatives from physiotherapy and others to support the launch of the program. Strategic objectives and priorities were identified.
2023
- March:
- Higher officials from UoG and FDRE visited Queen’s University, Kingston for understanding the profession of occupational therapy, the wide scope of practice, understanding occupational therapy regulation and policy, and discussing sustainability for the profession in Ethiopia.
- August:
- OT Cohort 3 Fellow completed Level 3 and Community Development Placements and returned to the UoG occupational therapy Department.
- OT Cohort 3 Fellow conducted a needs assessment to identify the potential to implement occupational therapy services at the University of Gondar Student Clinic.
- 3 UoG occupational therapy faculty members and 1 project staff member attended the Occupational Therapy African Regional Group (OTARG) Congress to present on the progress of the project.
- OT coordinators submitted a document titled “Mapping Future Opportunities – Occupational Therapy Practice Settings Job Projection for 2024-2028” to the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and Education
- October:
- International occupational therapy service provider hired and employed for 1 year contract. Duties included ongoing work to establish occupational therapy clinical services at UoG and liaise with government on interventions and partnerships to include occupational therapy in health interventions.
- December
- Establishment of the Disaster Management Working Group, to support Part A Scholars, facilitated by the Queen’s occupational therapy Program Coordinator in collaboration with PhD Fellows.
- External Sensitization with Amhara regional rehabilitation bureau in Bahir Dar
- Annual General Meeting of the Ethiopian Association of Occupational Therapists
- Ongoing:
- Establishment of the occupational therapy skills lab
- Disaster Management working group.
- Supporting MScOT fellows in placement planning and navigating the occupational therapy Program
- Anticipated:
- 2024:
- Establishment of occupational therapy services at the UoG Student Clinic
- Registration of MScOT graduates with the Ministry of Health
- Development of Occupational Therapy Practice Settings Job Project
- April-May: Arrival of the final cohort of occupational therapy fellows in Kingston.
- July: Graduation of the first BScOT class from UoG
- November: Convocation of 3 MScOT fellows at Queens University
- 2025
- November: Convocation of 5 MScOT fellows at Queens University
- 2026
- November: Convocation of 3 MScOT fellows at Queens University
- 2024:
