The School initiated a post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program in the fall of 1995. This program is one of the first clinical Occupational Therapy doctorate programs of its kind in the country and is designed to provide occupational therapists with advanced clinical, practice management, teaching, and administrative skills. With the expertise and credentials gained by completing this program graduates should qualify for upper-level management positions in a diverse range of practice environments and will be poised to lead the profession into the 21st century.
Practitioners who wish to advance their bachelor’s or master’s degrees in Occupational Therapy to the OTD degree may do so in distance format (length of program depends on how many courses a student takes each semester). The clinical doctorate program is poised to become a standard for the field because of trends that have broadened career opportunities in the field. The post-professional program is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills that practitioners bring from clinical practice and life experiences. It emphasizes integrating the theoretical understanding of occupational science and neuro-occupation with practical applications for patient care and professional development. It provides students with advanced skills in management and administration because increasingly, successful occupational therapy practice depends on ability to plan and deliver high quality, cost-effective interventions.
At the Creighton University Medical Center 2006 Commencement, Fr. John P. Schlegel, S.J., Creighton University President stated, "Your professors have challenged you to be leaders in your professions. As a student, you were expected to go beyond the ordinary to achieve the extraordinary. Your patients will expect no less of you. Do not disappoint them. Ethics, service, and excellence: These three words have been consistent across the 127 years of Creighton's existence; they serve as the foundation for what we do today. You will carry these with you; they are marks of a Creighton health care professional."
Heather Goertz, OTD, assistant professor, collaborated with the Omaha Street School (OSS) and received a $1,000 grant from the Omaha Community Foundation's Youth in Philanthropy award to implement a program - Tea for Teens: Women in Leadership - to develop leadership skills in young women attending the OSS.
