Perceived Value & Usefulness of the Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone

Abstract

The doctoral capstone is the culminating experiential learning component of the entry-level occupational therapy doctorate degree, however there is limited literature regarding its usefulness or value as perceived by graduates. This qualitative descriptive study used focus groups with a semi-structured interview guide to ask participants about the value and usefulness of their doctoral capstones. A total of 200 recent occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) graduates from three OTD programs in the Midwest and Southwest were contacted and 21 consented to participate. Researchers identified several themes that were relevant to both occupational therapy practitioners and occupational therapy programs. The four themes that emerged were (1) Becoming a Professional: Recognition of Professional Skill Development, (2) An Essential Skill to Be a Life-long Learner: Self-directed Learning, (3) Finding Employment: Impacts on Career Trajectory, and (4) Shifting from Student to Professional: Impacts of Mentorship. Barriers and disadvantages were also tracked and reported. Despite differences between occupational therapy programs, graduates reported many similar experiences indicating the value and usefulness of the doctoral capstone. Understanding perceptions held by recent graduates regarding the value and usefulness of the doctoral capstone may enhance program faculty members’ abilities to design capstone curriculum, support the need to develop mentors, and to continue education regarding the doctoral capstone to the profession at large.

Keywords

• doctoral capstone
• value
• occupational therapy