For students in the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program, one of the most anticipated moments of their educational journey arrived Friday, Nov. 6, as the Class of 2028 celebrated its annual DRAFT Day.
DRAFT, which stands for Designated Reveal of Academic Field Training, is a special tradition at ACHE that marks the transition from classroom instruction to hands-on clinical experience. During the event, 21 OTD students learned where they will complete their Level II Fieldwork Experiences, an important step toward becoming occupational therapists.
Level II Fieldwork consists of full-time clinical experiences where students apply their classroom knowledge, develop practical skills and gain hands-on experience providing occupational therapy services to patients. Each Level II Fieldwork experience lasts three months.
Held at the ACHE Research Institute Health & Wellness Center (RIHWC) in Fort Smith, the celebration brought students, faculty and staff together for the highly anticipated reveal. Students opened ornately wrapped boxes to discover their assigned fieldwork locations, where they will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and develop practical skills in real-world healthcare settings.
This year’s placements include a variety of clinical settings in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, offering students opportunities to work with diverse patient populations across the life span.
“DRAFT Day is an exciting milestone for our students as they prepare to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and apply it in the real world,” said Jennifer Moore, PhD, dean of the ACHE School of Occupational Therapy. “Our students have worked incredibly hard to reach this point, and these fieldwork experiences will give them the opportunity to build their confidence, strengthen their clinical skills and continue growing as future occupational therapists. We’re proud of their accomplishments and look forward to seeing all they achieve in this next chapter.”
As students take this next step toward their professional careers, ACHE’s School of Occupational Therapy remains committed to providing meaningful educational experiences that prepare graduates to make a lasting difference in the lives of their future patients and communities.