OTD Newsroom

In December, a team of occupational therapy practitioners and students was invited to tour Raleigh's new King’s Ridge community ahead of its completion and opening. The property, developed and operated by CASA, is designed to provide affordable housing and support to help people exit homelessness. CASA’s mission is to offer stable housing in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh, and King’s Ridge follows a permanent supportive housing model that ensures long-term stability for its residents.

Over 60 million Americans live in rural areas, yet only 12% of physicians practice in these communities. Rural families face significant barriers to healthcare, increasing the risk of chronic disease mortality from conditions like heart disease, cancer, trauma, lung disease, and stroke. Many patients in these areas also contend with comorbid conditions that require regular monitoring by qualified healthcare teams.

During their third year in Duke’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, students participate in two full-time, 12-week fieldwork experiences. My rotations included working in acute care at Novant Presbyterian Medical Center and in outpatient pediatrics at Integration Station, both located in Charlotte, NC.

Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) students complete a culminating capstone project and 14-week experience during their third and final year of the program. The capstone aims to draw on Duke OTD courses and experiences to collaborate with and support a community partner and gain in-depth knowledge in a specific practice area. Third-year student Maddie Lira shares how her project is progressing.

How can assistive technology turn barriers into bridges? In OTD 601: Occupation and Technology, students examine this essential question while gaining a thorough understanding of the complex relationship between technology, occupation, and well-being. This innovative course teaches future occupational therapists (OTs) how technological solutions can either improve or hinder daily activities, directly affecting their clients' health and quality of life.

When students have questions about technology, they have a reliable expert to consult. Khalil Barnett, IT analyst, has recently joined our Doctor of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Doctorate programs to support student needs.

Duke recently hosted Dustin Grooms, PhD, ATC, a professor from Ohio University, for an insightful presentation on the role of neuroplasticity in rehabilitation following ACL injury.

My Level II Fieldwork occurred at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, where I worked in the adult burn ICU and outpatient burn therapy. 

I am working for Fox Rehab in Northern Virginia as a home and community health occupational therapist. My focus is on providing individualized care to clients within their home environments, which allows me to address their unique needs in meaningful, everyday contexts. I have the opportunity to request and carry out home modifications—something I find to be very rewarding.

Omar Mohiuddin, OTR/L, MS, MPH, CLVT, is an occupational therapist at the Duke Eye Center specializing in low-vision rehabilitation. He also teaches in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Low-Vision Certificate program.