Keck Medical Center of USC

OT Physical Rehabilitation Fellowship Program

According to the U.S. News & World Report, the hospitals of Keck Medicine of USC rank among the nation’s “Best Hospitals,” which recognizes hospitals that do the best job treating the most challenging cases.

The Keck Medical Center of USC includes Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Care Medical Group Inc. and affiliated satellite clinics throughout the community. Clinical faculty members from the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy currently practice throughout the hospitals and clinics of Keck Medical Center of USC, providing cutting-edge quality care to patients, and serve as mentors within the fellowship, providing curated and mentored learning experiences.

The Keck Medical Center of USC OT Physical Rehabilitation Fellowship Program is an intensive 12-month program with the goal of creating expert clinicians and transformative leaders who impact healthcare delivery, policy, education, and research to meet society’s needs. The fellowship program includes close mentoring from experienced clinicians, mentored service delivery in a variety of complex acute/critical care and outpatient service lines, didactic training modules, and opportunities for projects/research.

This Fellowship program is offered in a variety of locations across Keck Medical Center of USC, spanning the continuum of care:

• Acute and Critical Care Floors at Keck Hospital of USC
  Clients served include those receiving care from approximately 50 specialty and subspecialty service lines, such as Cardiothoracic Surgery, Hematology/Oncology, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Hepatobiliary/Transplant Surgery, Palliative Medicine, Urology, and more. The faculty and staff clinicians OT department provide intensive, evidence-based therapy along the care continuum from early mobilization and early engagement in the critical care units to preparation for community reintegration on the medical-surgical floors.
• Acute and Critical Care Floors at Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
  Clients served include those receiving oncologic-focused care at 60-bed hospital. USC Norris provides personalized services for hematologic and oncologic diagnoses, including sub-types of cancer diagnoses across the care continuum. The faculty and staff clinicians specializing in oncology provide evidence-based and client-centered occupational therapy services to promote quality of life and functional participation in patients across the cancer trajectory of care.

The KMC USC OT Physical Rehabilitation Fellowship Program focuses on clinical expertise, leadership, and innovation, and provides an environment conducive to the cultivation of highly skilled Occupational Therapy practitioners. This is accomplished through mentored practice (≥200 hours of total 1400 hours) and a comprehensive curriculum (≥150 hours) that covers topics including major body systems with associated diagnoses, clinical reasoning and performance skills as related to occupation-based and evidence-based practice, ethical practice skills, interpersonal skills, and professional engagement.

For more details including application information, selection process, eligibility, program information and deadlines, view the Fellowship Description (PDF).

Application Eligibility and Requirements

The KMC USC OT Physical Rehabilitation Fellowship Program is open to new graduates and practicing clinicians who are current AOTA members and have:

• Bachelor of Science, Master’s, or Doctoral Degree from an accredited occupational therapy academic program
• License from the California Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (or qualified to obtain one)
• AHA BLS certification
• Previous hospital-based experience is preferred

Applications are accepted via the USC Careers website and must be received by June 12th, 2027*. The selection process includes an interview with a panel of clinical faculty members. Most fellows will start in the Fall and end 12 months later**. Fellows are hired in as fixed-term benefits-eligible staff members and are paid a market-rate salary. There is no program application fee.

* Deadlines subject to change based on availability of University positions. Please check back frequently for the most up-to-date information
**  Exceptions for alternative schedule will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will be dependent on departmental need and at the discretion of program leadership.

Program Requirements

Successful fellows must complete all didactic training modules and their associated mentored service delivery requirements. Those who complete the requirements for the KMC USC OT Physical Rehabilitation Fellowship Program will receive a designation as having completed an AOTA-approved fellowship and may apply to sit for the Physical Rehabilitation Board Certification at an earlier date.

Contact Us

For additional information, or if you are interested in applying for this fellowship opportunity, please contact:

Fellowship Coordinator
John Margetis OTD, OTR/L, BCPR
Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
(323) 442-5370

Department Administrator
Lucy Hosoda, OTD, OTR/L, CBIS, CSRS, CLT
Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
(323) 442-8835

USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is in Accreditation–Inactive status by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org.

Professional program graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. Program results from the NBCOT can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.