Abstract
Abstract
The United States (US) is projected to become an increasingly diverse nation over the decades ahead, but there is a lack of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in occupational therapy (OT). While the job outlook for occupational therapy practitioners continues to be strong and is expected to rise, OT education programs are facing enrollment crises nationally. It is crucial for academic programs to develop and implement innovative and methodical strategies to recruit and retain a diverse student body to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity within the profession. To promote diversity, inclusion, and equity in occupational therapy, a university partnership was developed with a high school to establish an internship program with the OT education program. A logic model was used to outline the program development process, which includes a review of inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Two internship structures were created and implemented in partnership with an occupational therapy department and local magnet school. The internship program provided an opportunity to advocate for the profession, educate high school (HS) students on the OT profession, and engage HS students in career exploration through participating in the on-campus pro-bono OT clinic. Embedding an internship model within health care education programs may be a viable and feasible strategic method in recruiting and educating a diverse population of students who may someday make up the healthcare workforce.
Plain Language Summary
The US is becoming more diverse, but occupational therapy (OT) lacks racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. Despite a positive employment outlook, OT education programs continue to encounter enrollment challenges. To address this, a university partnered with a high school (HS) to create internship programs within its OT department. These internships aimed to educate and engage diverse HS students in the OT profession through participation in an on-campus pro-bono clinic. This approach may be an effective strategy for recruiting a more diverse healthcare workforce, promoting inclusion and equity within OT. By exposing students to the field early, these programs could help increase diversity in OT education and ultimately in the profession itself.
DOI
10.32873/unmc.dc.tso.2.2.04
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Morin, A. M., Adams, B., & Gomez, V. (2025). Enhancing Diversity in Occupational Therapy Through a High School Internship Program. Translational Science in Occupation, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.32873/unmc.dc.tso.2.2.04