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Occupational Therapy Fellowship

The Pediatric Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program at Children’s helps fellows, teaching them how to enhance the lives of children by providing expertise in occupational therapy.

Pediatric Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program

The Pediatric Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is an approved Fellowship Program determined to be in substantial compliance with the AOTA Fellowship Program Criteria. The program lasts 12 to 13 months and begins in August of each year.

Mission and Goals

Pediatric fellowship mission

To enhance the lives of children through excellence in patient care by providing expertise in pediatric occupational therapy in a comprehensive learning environment in multiple medical settings.

This is completed through a comprehensive program in which the fellow is mentored and educated well in specialized and skilled areas of hospital-based occupational therapy. Evidence-based practice, research skills, completion of advanced specialty skills and development of mentoring and leadership skills forms the core of our program.

Pediatric fellowship goals

  • To meet the needs of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the community by developing advanced practitioners of pediatric occupational therapy.
  • To prepare a comprehensive pediatric occupational therapy fellowship curriculum incorporating pediatric hospital-based environments.
  • To provide training in all areas of pediatric specialty practice and prepare the fellow for the pediatric board certification examination and modalities certification.
  • To promote participation in evidence-based practice and use clinical research tools to contribute to the body of knowledge in pediatric occupational therapy.
  • To develop competent leaders and mentors in the field of pediatric occupational therapy.
  • To prepare the occupational therapy fellow to become an advanced practitioner.

Curriculum

Our program incorporates in depth mentored practice, coupled with clinical caseloads. The Fellowship Program Learning Objectives (FPLOs) are based on the AOTA Standards of Continuing Competence developed by the AOTA Commission on Continuing Competence and Professional Development (CCCPD).

The FPLOs outline four key areas of knowledge and skills to be acquired by the fellow:

  • Body of knowledge
  • Reasoning and Performance Skills
  • Ethical Practice Skills
  • Scholarly and/or professional activities

The Pediatric Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program addresses criteria for occupational therapy pediatric board certification and prepares fellows for their pediatric board certification exam.

Fellows rotate through a variety of clinical settings:

Didactic time is embedded throughout the program. The didactic experiences—which may include participation in multidisciplinary clinics, literature review, case studies, classroom instruction, observation, directed study and more—are designed to directly relate to the patient population the fellow is currently treating in that clinical setting. This congruency between didactic and clinical experiences provides the fellow excellent learning opportunities to put knowledge into immediate clinical practice.

Program benefits

  • Fellows are hired as Level 1 occupational therapists at Children’s and receive the appropriate privileges and benefits.
  • Continuing education opportunities may be available.
  • Fellowship rotations will be tailored to each individual fellow’s need based on previous experience and comfort level.

How to apply

Applicants are required to meet the following criteria at the time of application:

  • Minimum of two years of pediatric experience with knowledge of pediatric theory and practice
  • Valid Georgia occupational therapy license
  • Current NBCOT Certification
  • Basic life support (BLS) certification
  • Valid bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited occupational therapy program or school
  • Submission of three letters of reference, limited to one page
  • Submission of a letter of intent, limited to one page
  • Valid AOTA membership
  • Successful completion of application and interview
  • A score of “meets expectations” in all areas of performance evaluations and must not be under disciplinary action or have history of such at Children’s (only applicable if currently employed as an occupational therapist at Children’s)
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills for effective communication of information as evidenced by written application essays, letters of recommendation and the interview process
  • Positive interpersonal skills and ability to function in an interdisciplinary environment as evidenced by letters of recommendation and interview

Applications open each December and will be accepted until January 31 of the following year. Interviews will typically be held in early April, with a decision made by May.

Fellows will begin the program the second or third week in August.

In addition to applying on the website, please email madeline.valenzuela@choa.org the following:

  • Resume
  • Three letters of reference, limited to one page
  • Letter of Intent, limited to one page emphasizing why you want the fellowship

Apply online

OT Fellow Alumni Comments

“I am honored to have been the first Occupational Therapy Fellow here at CHOA, as they have such a unique approach to an OT Fellowship Program. I loved the flow of the program, moving through the continuum of care from acute care to outpatient. There are so many wonderful therapy offerings within CHOA with a wide range of patients and conditions. Through the Fellowship Program, I had the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge in specialty skill areas including: critical care, cardiac, neonatal intensive care, functional electrical stimulation, casting, feeding, and training on various standardized assessments. The opportunity to work with mentors across the system vastly increased my clinical knowledge and application to practice. I am currently working at CHOA in the acute care setting as well as training to become a certified driver rehabilitation specialist." 

- Stephanie Scheppmann, MS, OTR/L, BCP, CPAM, CBIS, DRS

“I am a graduate of the OT fellowship program in 2019. I graduated from The Medical College of Georgia in 2011 and began my career in community outpatient. I was at a point in my career where I was ready for research and deep dives into specialty areas of pediatrics, a modalities certification, and work with more high need patients. I am currently working at CHOA in the Aquatics program as primary OT and in Acute care regularly. I also work as needed in the Advanced Technology and Robotics Center. I compile all the knowledge I learned in my fellowship on a daily basis and truly feel like a pediatric specialist as I do so.”

- Kelley Todd, OTR/L, BCP, CPAM

“Growing up in Georgia, I always hoped to work for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta one day. When I started my career as an occupational therapist, it was my goal to further my knowledge in the field of pediatrics and to land my dream job at Children’s. The Fellowship program truly gave me both. I genuinely enjoyed the opportunity to learn from a variety of mentors, but also have access to practice areas such as the NICU, Robotics, and Hands. The Fellowship brought forth not only career development but personal growth as well. It was the absolute best thing that could have happened for my career! Upon completion of my fellowship, I started working at the CHOA Acute Care Rehabilitation."

- Jillian Bredwell, MS, OTR/L, CPAM

“I chose to complete my OT fellowship at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta because their program offers advanced specialty skill training in all hospital-based areas of pediatric practice and encourages participation in research. Throughout the program my supervisor and mentors invested their time, energy, and effort in my growth as a therapist. They demonstrated consideration of my career interests and passions while preparing me to sit for the AOTA board certification exam in pediatrics. CHOA’s program takes into account the prior knowledge and skill sets the fellow possesses upon entering the program and tailors the learning experience accordingly. I accepted a position with the Day Rehabilitation program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta following completion of my fellowship. I am looking forward to continuing to serve our patients and families in this setting and continuing my career with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.”

- Alexandra David, MOT, OTR/L, CPAM

Contact Us 

Tricia Easley, OTR/L
Rehabilitation Manager Rehab at Egleston
AOTA Fellowship Coordinator for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric
Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program
404-785-1503
tricia.easley@choa.org

Jyotika Mistry, OTR/L
AOTA Fellowship Co-Coordinator for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program
jyotika.mistry@choa.org

Learn more about the Children's Rehabilitation Program