Information for Students

Exemptions for missing placement are rarely granted, and only under certain limited circumstances. The student must submit reasons in writing and each case is considered individually by the University Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.

Students are responsible for all costs associated with the fieldwork program, including travel, accommodation and living expenses when completing placements. Exemptions are not granted for financial hardship reasons.

You do not get a copy of your CRC, we can’t share the clearance letter with you. You will hear back from the office if there are any issues with it – otherwise, you are safe to assume it is done.

If you would like to share your criminal records check with another organization you can share a clearance for free, instead of completing a new check. Please see the Gov BC website for more information on sharing your clearance.

The Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program is divided into six terms over two years (three terms each), with two fieldwork placements in the first year, and three in the second year.

Please review our sample MOT curriculum map for a visual overview.  

A mental health placement in occupational therapy involves working with individuals across the lifespan who experience psychiatric conditions—including severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI) such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. These placements focus on supporting psychosocial well-being, recovery-oriented care, and promoting equity for individuals and communities impacted by acute or chronic mental health conditions.

We will indicate which placements fulfil the MH requirement when you submit your placement selections.

To ensure well-rounded clinical preparation, students are required to complete a physical health fieldwork placement in a high-volume setting such as acute care or long-term care. These environments offer essential exposure to the 4 “S” skills—seating, safety, swallowing, and skin—while also providing valuable experience in team-based care. Students gain insight into the broader health care system, including the continuum of care, and develop practical skills in managing complex physical health needs within fast-paced, collaborative settings.

We will indicate which placements fulfil the acute/long-term care requirement when you submit your placement selections.

Exemptions can be granted if there are exceptional circumstances, such as care giving. Please speak to the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for more information.  

Yes, many! Accommodation, sustenance, travel, car insurance (if required), gas etc. 

No – this is not allowed and can result in placements getting cancelled. What you can do, is notify one of the FW team members with the site name and a contact person and we can verify if they are already in our database. If not then we contact them to see if they meet the requirements to become a FW site.

Reminder, not all sites offer placements all the time or for each block so most likely the site you bring to us is already in our database.

All fieldwork placements are unpaid, there are no exceptions to this rule.

As long as you did not volunteer specifically with an OT or within an OT department it usually is not an issue.

This needs careful consideration and most times the student will not be placed at that site to ensure that there is no perceived or real biases.

No

You can apply to go out of province, there is no guarantee that we can secure you an out of province placement. Each province priorities students from their specific catchment area. Further details can be found on Canvas 528, 538 and 558.

As per recent Faculty of Medicine directive all international placements are on hold.

International placements are on hold.

All BC Occupational Therapy placements are managed using HSPnet, the Health Sciences Placement Network.

Students find out where they are matched 8 weeks before the placement starts.

The FW team do their best to provide students’ placements that are in keeping with their preferences and also ensure that students are meeting their fieldwork requirements.

We try to give minimum 8 weeks notice before the start of each placement. We are often able to provide even greater notice depending if we have enough offers. 

You are notified of your placement match via Canvas. Placements are discussed in preparation classes. You can also refer to HSPnet or the internet (health authority website/clinic website) and you can ask your OT questions once they connect with you after you have sent your letter of introduction.

Please note that we often receive limited information about the placement when it is offered. Your preceptor will provide you with more detailed information about the placement.

We base the hours on a 37.5-hour work week, some placements are 4 x 10-hour days (4 on/4 off). Statutory holidays are typically given to students but need to be confirmed by your preceptor. They do not need to be made up.

If you are sick, don’t go to placement! If you are sick for more than three consecutive days, please notify the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator. Students may be required to make up lost time in the placement or subsequent placements.

If you are presenting at the annual CAOT conference, you may be permitted to miss placement to attend. A maximum of two (2) days of conference time may be counted toward your placement hours. Travel time is not eligible for placement hour credit. You must discuss any planned absence with both your preceptor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator before booking or committing to the event.

Appointments should take place outside of placement hours however, we know that sometimes this is unavoidable. The Academic Fieldwork Coordinator will review each situation on a case by case basis.

There is no expectation for you to work overtime, but perhaps if you arrive late, you will stay a bit later to make up the time. Some students prefer to arrive early and leave a bit later in order to feel prepared and have more quiet time for prep and charting at the end of the day- again- NOT AN EXPECTATION.

Dress code varies depending on placement site, please use your professional judgment and check in with your OT.

The dress code is covered in more detail in OSOT 528 preparation classes and in the MOT Student Handbook.

Only indicate that you have a car if you are able and willing to use it during placement. Don’t select a placement listing a vehicle as a requirement if you do not have one.

Stat holidays are not counted toward a student’s total required placement hours because the student is not actively engaged in supervised occupational therapy practice on that day. The extra hours provided by the program (e.g. 1087.5 hours) are a built-in mechanism to accommodate these and other absences without jeopardizing the student’s ability to meet the 1000-hour minimum.

Please refer to the workplace safety lecture in Canvas OSOT 528 and REDI website.

You will need to buy a replacement badge via the Program Fees page. You will be notified when the badge has been delivered.

They must be a qualified OT with full registration with the College of Occupational Therapists of BC. There is no requirement for the OT to have a Master’s degree.

If an OT is interested in becoming an OT Fieldwork Educator they first speak with their supervisor/manager to obtain support for their role as a Fieldwork Educator. The contact person who liaises with the UBC Fieldwork Education team can assist in submitting the placement offer.

If the OT is working for one of the BC health authorities the placement offer is submitted to HSPnet. If the OT is working sole charge or if the facility has not taken a student they can contact the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.

You must access Learning Hub training via the relevant health authority profile . For example, if you are trying to access Island Health training, please ensure that your profile is set to Island Health prior to searching for the course. You may need to add the Health Authority to your Learning Hub account.

Not sure how to do this? Please see the Learning Hub support page listed below for details:

https://learninghubhelp.phsa.ca/my-profile/manage-my-profile#5465