Fieldwork Educators

• Fieldwork Quick Guide
• Fieldwork Site Manual
• Becoming a Fieldwork Educator
• Becoming an Accredited Fieldwork Site
• Canadian Guidelines for Fieldwork Education in Occupational Therapy

The 2024 UBC MOT placement dates are listed below.

• MOT 1: Level 1 – January 2 – February 2, 2024
• MOT 1: Level 2A – May 13 – June 14, 2024

• MOT 2: Level 3A – February 5 – March 15, 2024
• MOT 2: Level 3B – March 25 – May 10, 2024
• MOT 2: Level 2B – November 4 – December 13, 2024

The 2025 UBC MOT placement dates are listed below.

• MOT 1: Level 1 – January 6 – February 7, 2025 (5 weeks)
• MOT 1: Level 2A – May 19 – June 20, 2025 (5 weeks)

• MOT 2: Level 3A – February 10 – March 21, 2025 (6 weeks)
• MOT 2: Level 3B – March 31 – May 16, 2025 (7 weeks)
• MOT 2: Level 2B – November 3 – December 12, 2025 (6 weeks)

We have a responsibility to ensure that all of our UBC MOT students are matched before we offer BC placements to OT schools nationwide. Once our students are matched, we work with sites to confirm which unmatched placements can be offered to students wanting to return to BC.

A comprehensive manual to provide students and fieldwork educators with detailed information on fieldwork policies, expectations of roles and responsibilities, and fieldwork evaluation. Educators will find useful sections on communicating with students, preparing for the placement, and HR policies and procedures (e.g., dress code, sickness).

Download the Fieldwork Site Manual

You will be sent the Competency-Based Fieldwork Evaluation form when you are matched with a student. The evaluation form is to be completed by the fieldwork educator and the student at the midterm and final stages of the placement.

This form should be emailed back to the fieldwork office at the end of the placement. 

A description of the five levels of placement that are part of the Master of Occupational Therapy program.

Download Recommended Activities for Placements

Outlines private practice placements and includes suggested templates, UBC curriculum details, Worksafe BC policy, preceptor training and resources.

Download the Private Practice Placement Package

Outlines the role emerging placement and includes guidelines for sites with no occupational therapist on site, and suggested objectives provided by the student’s program.

Download the Role Emerging Placement Package

LEAPP stands for Leadership, Emerging Role, Advocacy and Professional Practice. The LEAPP initiative looks to highlight the diverse employment opportunities available to Occupational Therapists outside of a clinical setting. The initiative aims to equip students with confidence, enhanced communication skills, performance management skills (efficiency, time management).

Does the placement offer process change for LEAPP?

No, the placement offer process does not change. If you are a HSPnet user, please continue to use HSPnet to offer your placements, if you don’t see the call for offer placement request on HSPnet, please get in touch with us via email (osot.fieldwork@ubc.ca).

If you are not a HSPnet user, please offer a placement using the online form above. Please provide as much information as you can about the placement this will help us to categorize the placement, and will be made available to the students when they are making their placement preferences.

Click here to review the LEAPP Infographic

We recognize two preceptors each year with formal, student-nominated Excellences Awards:

• The Chris Courtney Award for Excellence in Fieldwork Education is presented annually every July.
• The CAOT Excellence in Fieldwork Award is announced yearly at the March CAOT AGM. The UBC recipient must be a CAOT member. The winner receives formal recognition in the OT Now journal and at the annual CAOT conference.
• The Regional Fieldwork Educator Awards are an annual award that recognizes OT preceptors from the 5 BC health regions.

Each preceptor will receive a recognition certificate for their contribution to student fieldwork, sent with utmost gratitude.

As a fieldwork educator, you are eligible to apply to become a Clinical Instructor and Clinical Faculty Member. You will become a key part of our clinical community and the Faculty of Medicine.

Benefits include:

• UBC card and access to the UBC library
• UBC email address
• Travel discounts and more

Find out more about how to Become a Clinical Faculty Member, or if you are already appointed, check your contact details in our Clinical Faculty Directory.

The Master of Occupational Therapy program is a two-year full time program for students studying to become Occupational Therapists. Students coming into the program have already completed a Bachelor’s degree and pre-requisite courses prior to starting the program.

As of September 2023 we have 73 students enrolled in year 2 (16 of which are based in Prince George) and 91 students enrolled in year 1 (16 in Prince George and 16 in Surrey).

With our increase in numbers the need for Fieldwork Educators has never been greater!

During the two year’s of the MOT program, students complete a total of 29 weeks of fieldwork education in over five fieldwork placements (two in year one and three in year two) in varied practice settings such as acute, outpatient, rehab, community, school, home, private practice, long term care, transitional care, complex care, etc. As a fieldwork educator you will work in collaboration with the student, design a learning experience, and provide overall supervision and evaluation of their learning.

Prior to your first placement you will be invited to a Zoom session with the Fieldwork Team where you will be able to ask any questions that you may have.

To become a Fieldwork Educator, you must be a qualified Occupational Therapist who has full registration with the College of Occupational Therapists of BC. You do not need to have a Master’s degree to supervise a student. Site accreditation involves completing a site profile and a signed agreement with UBC. For further details, contact the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.

There are many benefits!

• Personal satisfaction
• Opportunity for Professional Development
• Exposure to new ideas and evidence-based practice
• The potential to become a Clinical Faculty Member and develop increased linkage with the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and the UBC community
• Increased recognition and student nominated award streams
• Giving back to the profession

Not necessarily, although it may be recommended in some fieldwork situations. Some facilities have their own policies. We recommend that you have some experience in the fieldwork area that you will be supervising in, but it is not a UBC requirement that you have one year’s experience. Often some of the best educators are new graduates as they have a better understanding of the challenges of being a student.

The length of placements vary throughout the program, as follows:

Yes, it is possible for students to have more than one supervisor. Students can complete a combination of experience in different fieldwork areas or with more than one supervisor. This may be the case when supervisors work part-time.

This will depend on many factors, but generally, Fieldwork Educators are expected to give students adequate orientation to the site and practice setting, set regular (usually weekly) meetings to check-in with the student and discuss casework, and provide adequate opportunities for learning and evaluation.

Although this may seem like a lot of additional work, becoming a Fieldwork Educator is meant to be an enriching experience, both for the student and for the Educator. For more information on the roles and responsibilities of the Educator, see the Fieldwork Site Manual, and/or contact the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.

In short: Yes!
Students from other countries wishing to come to BC for a fieldwork placement should have their university’s fieldwork coordinator connect directly with clinicians to set up their placements. UBC is not involved in placing international students.

Out-of-province students, however, cannot directly arrange their own fieldwork placements. Instead, UBC works with other Canadian institutions to place out-of-province students, in keeping with the process established by the Canadian University Fieldwork Educators Committee.

Yes. However, it is important that the student is aware of the alternate hours prior to starting their placement. Please indicate the working hours on the placement offer.

Of course! We encourage our students to have opportunities in every facet of occupational therapy practice including research, administration, community development and cooperative placements.

If you would like to discuss any of these options, please email the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.