Information for Students

Exemptions 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.

Please see the PHO for up-to-date details regarding COVID vaccination requirements.

Excerpt below is taken from the HEALTH PROFESSIONALS COVID-19 VACCINATION STATUS INFORMATION – JUNE 10, 2022 order:

“vaccinated” means to have received, at least 7 days previously, all doses of a vaccine or a combination of vaccines, but not including a booster dose.

You do not get a copy of your CRC. It is held in your student file ready to be sent out if/when it is required. You will hear back from the office if there are any issues with it – otherwise, you are safe to assume it is done.

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.

Yes, as long as the entire cohort has been matched to at least one MH and there are unmatched MH, then you can absolutely bid on additional MH options 

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

Out of Province is on hold for 2023. If this changes at any time we will update this area.

Yes, UBC has an extensive network of Occupational Therapy sites across the world and provides its students with ample opportunity to practice abroad.

Answer to both questions: Currently the Canadian placement mobility program is on “hold”, that is no other school is accepting out of province applications from any other school. I anticipate it will stay this way through 2023 and perhaps things will change for 2024. There is a very dedicated and hardworking Canadian group working on this so stay tuned. If the system is up and running in 2024 you could try for an out of province (there is never a guarantee they can secure a placement) and you could also go out of country.

International placements: you are only eligible for one of either Level 3A or 3B. The whole process is explained in May.

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

For the senior level placements (Level 3A & 3B) students are given access to HSPnet and are able to make 8 placement preferences from the placement offers that we have received.

Students provide 4 location preferences for Level 1, 2A and 2B.

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.

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

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 given to students and do not need to be made up.

If you are sick don’t go to placement! If you are sick more than 3 consecutive days you need to provide the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator with a doctor’s note. In order to write the NOTCE students must have completed a minimum of 1000 placement hours.

If you are presenting at an annual meeting/conference you can miss placement to attend. Usually, 2 days max and you do not need to make up the missed placement time.

Appointments should take place outside of placement hours however, we know that sometimes this is unavoidable. While on fieldwork, students are permitted a cumulative loss of 5 days throughout the two-year program for medical, compassionate, or pre-approved reasons (this includes sick time).

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. Hope that helps.

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 (Page 29).

You will be aware from the placement offer if a car is required. Do not select placement that lists a car as a requirement if you do not have a car.

Please refer to the workplace safety lecture in Canvas OSOT 528 (Nick Steel) 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