Post-Professional Doctorate (OTD)
of Occupational Therapy
About OTD Residencies

Post-Professional OTD students complete a residency in one of our four leadership tracks:

Advanced Clinical Practice
Clinical Research
Policy and Administration
Education

There are:

residency opportunities within the USC Chan Division;
external residency opportunities that students coordinate on their own; and
external residency opportunities shared directly with the OTD Program Director.

Seasoned practitioners in the program often choose to complete their residency at their current site of employment.

View the Residency Outreach and Selection Process

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USC Chan Residencies

All information, including details regarding financial support, is updated every August and subject to change each year.

Advanced Clinical Practice Track (Chan Residencies)

Clinical Research Track (Chan Residencies)

The Clinical Research Track is designed to prepare residents to participate in evidence-based studies in clinical settings and to collect outcomes data as part of practice. Applicants for the Clinical Research Track of the OTD program participate in an interview to determine their acceptance into the Track.

Why would I consider the OTD Clinical Research Track?
This track equips the OTD graduate with a subset of skills to participate in evidence-based studies in clinical settings, collect outcomes data as part of practice, lead quality improvement initiatives at a clinical site, and/or participate as a clinical/project manager of a research team.

What is involved in the OTD Clinical Research Track?
Applicants for the Clinical Research Track of the OTD program will participate in an interview process to determine acceptance into the Track. Once accepted into the Clinical Research Track, the resident completes his or her residency in one of the Division’s research labs, typically with a faculty member who has an actively-funded research project.

What are the current Clinical Research Track opportunities?
Open Clinical Research Track residency positions vary from year to year, based on individual research lab needs, actively-funded projects, and the availability of research grant funding to support an OTD resident. Residencies within actively-funded projects in the Division are preferred, as these projects will provide greatest opportunity for the resident to be fully immersed in the research process, while also providing a means for maximum financial support for the resident. Individuals interested in the Clinical Research Track should review the list of actively-funded research projects listed on the Division’s website.

What if none of the actively-funded projects match my interests?
There may be additional projects that are not currently listed as ‘actively-funded,’ but have been approved for future funding that may match with your planned OTD residency start. In addition, some faculty may have other resources to support OTD residents on preliminary projects that are not funded by grants. When appropriate and with approval of the OTD Program Director and Association Chair of Research, individual, voluntary (i.e., no financial support) residencies may also be developed.

Who are the faculty conducting research in the Division?
A summary of all Chan Division faculty who are actively conducting research is shown below. These summaries are meant to provide interested applicants with an overview of various research being conducted and should be used to investigate potential residency options. In addition to this list, more information for each faculty member can be found on the individual faculty member’s page, and at chan.usc.edu/research/core.

Policy and Administration Track (Chan Residencies)

Education Track (Chan Residencies)

External Residencies

External residencies are typically found in one of two ways:

You coordinate your residency yourself. Most sites hire residents at a competitive OTR/L rate, or offer financial support in the form of a stipend or scholarship. You have the flexibility to negotiate your compensation at your external residency site if you are coordinating your placement. It is possible to use your workplace as your residency site and your site can be out of area.
You apply for and are offered a residency placement at a site that is communicated through the OTD Program Director. Please note that the same sites do not provide a residency placement each year, and the timing of their availability and interview protocol also changes. We are able to provide a representative list of previous sites for your reference, but if you are interested in a residency at one of these sites, please wait for information to be communicated from the Program Director as it becomes available. The Program Director will forward all opportunities to current Master’s students as soon as they are received.

Previous external residency sites communicated through USC Chan, include:

Advanced Clinical Practice Track (External Residencies)

Policy and Administration Track (External Residencies)

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Find out more about the Post-Professional OTD program

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Post-Professional Doctorate (OTD)of Occupational TherapyAbout OTD Residencies

USC Chan Residencies

External Residencies

Post-Professional Doctorate (OTD)
of Occupational Therapy
About OTD Residencies