Scotty Orr OTD ’15

Why did you decide to return for your OTD after practicing?
I wanted to have a solid foundation of practice before returning to pursue my OTD. I understood that a clinical doctorate is important for the field and wanted to play a role in furthering the profession. The ability to return to school part-time while continuing to work full-time was a key component for my decision to complete my OTD.

Where did you complete your OTD Residency?
Keck Medical Center of USC (where I was employed full-time as a clinical OT). I gained further clinical experience working in the ICU setting as well as updating and streamlining our electronic medical record system.

How has your OTD aided you in your career goals post-graduation?
Because I had gained experience working as an OT, my OTD has given me better insight into how to effectively address gaps I keep noticing within a hospital setting, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of inter-professional communication. In addition to chairing the hospital-wide Clinical Informatics Council, presenting at several AOTA Conferences, and mentoring colleagues on providing OT services in a critical care setting, I served a two-year term as President of the Alaska Occupational Therapy Association.

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ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited 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 apply for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. All states require licensure to practice; a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® OTR certification examination or attain state licensure. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.