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
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- ONGOING SINCE 2016: Completion of Sensitization Workshops on Occupational Therapy.
- DECEMBER 2018: International OT Service Provider Hired and Employed for 1 year contract.
- Duties included ongoing work to establish OT clinical services at UoG and liaise with government on interventions and partnerships to include OT in health interventions.
- OCTOBER 18 2019: Completion of Needs Assessment Dissemination Workshop.
- OCTOBER 18 2019: Completion of Needs Assessment Dissemination Workshop.
- NOVEMBER 2019: Letter of approval obtained from Quality Assurance Office.
- NOVEMBER 28 2019: 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 OT nationally and regionally.
- Letter ensured it was clear the OT Department would be situated under the School of Medicine.
- OCTOBER 2019: Curriculum Development Workshop #1.
- MARCH 2020: Completion and submission of Structural Organigram and Proposal for Academic Commission’s meeting.
- MARCH/APRIL 2020: Curriculum Development Workshop #2 & #3.
- MAY 18 2020: Request letter sent to Chief Academic Director of the College of Medicine and Health Science to start the process of OT Department Establishment.
- JUNE 2020: Establishment of Occupational Therapy Department and Appointment of the Head of Occupational Therapy Department.
- AUGUST 2020:
- Completion of Internal Workshop to obtain feedback on the BScOT Curriculum draft from UoG stakeholders.
- Two Faculty of the UoG BScOT Program complete MScOT Degree at Queen’s University in Canada.
- First Faculty of the UoG BScOT Program return to UoG.
- NOVEMBER 2020: Completion of External Workshop to obtain feedback on the BScOT Curriculum draft from Ethiopian and international stakeholders.
- JANUARY 2021:
- Second Faculty of the UoG BScOT Program return to UoG.
- OT Clinical Space obtained at the UoG.
- ONGOING: Establishment of the OT Skills Lab