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Health Sciences
192
The Freshman years
The courses studied in the Freshman (first two) years include
the study of occupation, occupational therapy theories and
interventions with people from children to older adults, anatomy,
physiology, psychology, disability studies, research methods and
statistics. You will be encouraged to ‘learn by doing’ in subjects
related to personal development such as communications
and creative problem solving and in courses that teach the
professional and technical skills of practice such as assistive
technology. You will be required to engage in service learning
through voluntary work and will use experiential learning and
group work to develop knowledge and skills in an activity of
your choice.
During the first two years, there are a total of
11 weeks in supervised professional practice
in a variety of
health and community care facilities around the country.
The Sophister years
During the Sophister (third and fourth) years you will further
develop your knowledge of the theories, principles and practice
of occupational therapy; gain an understanding of health/social
care systems and policies and of the importance of practicing in
an evidenced-based manner. Service learning is continued and
incorporates a peer education methodology. Additionally, you
will be expected to complete a
group research project.
You will
have opportunities to develop important self-directed learning
and research skills, which are key areas for practice. Over the
course of these two years, you will spend a total of
20 weeks
in supervised professional practice.
Assessment
Assessment includes written examinations, essays, project
work, presentations, a research project, and competency based
assessment while on supervised practice education.
Study abroad
Students may elect to spend one or more of their professional
practice training blocks abroad. To date students have studied/
trained in Belgium, Scotland, Australia, and Canada.
Career opportunities
As a qualified occupational therapist from Trinity College, Dublin,
you will be well equipped to pursue a very rewarding career
working with people of all age groups in a wide range of service
settings. The course is approved by the World Federation of
Occupational Therapists
)
, which means as
soon as you complete your degree you are qualified to work as
an occupational therapist in Ireland as well as abroad. Many
graduates from the Trinity College course are working in all parts
of the world. Most occupational therapists, over time, develop
specialised expertise in areas such as physical rehabilitation,
mental health, hand therapy, intellectual disability, paediatrics,
services for the elderly and community occupational therapy.
Work opportunities in Ireland are expanding, particularly in
school settings and in primary care community practices areas.
Other examples include work in schools and in private practice,
and work with people who are homeless and people who are in
prison; others run healthy living and stress management clinics.
A number of occupational therapists move into management –
managing occupational therapy departments or other health/
social care related services. Additionally, the course offers many
opportunities for further study.
Did you know?
n
The course is the longest established university-
based occupational therapy course in Ireland and
has an excellent track record of employment in
Ireland and abroad. It uses many innovative teaching
methodologies, e.g. peer education, problem-based
learning, as well as more traditional methods. Students
and staff collaborate on projects that involve both
research and service delivery in new areas of practice.
For example, students facilitate a staff-led advocacy
project for people with intellectual disabilities and are
involved in leisure-based groups for residents of a
nursing home and occupation-focused services for
students with mental health difficulties.
Further information
E-mail:
Tel: +353 1 896 3210
