EXPERIENCE OF THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ABOUT THE COURSE CURRICULUM OF UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL TO PREPARE THEM FOR PRACTICING IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

Occupational Therapy undergraduate academic programs prepare a student for practice through developing their knowledge and skills. The knowledge and skill gained during the undergraduate course and the requirement in the work place both have to match to ensure the quality of graduate as well as the quality of the undergraduate education programmes. Occupational Therapists (OTs) have experienced about their undergraduate curriculum as well as their practice and they know how much their undergraduate learning can prepare them to meet the needs of their workplace. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of the OTs about how course curriculum of undergraduate Occupational Therapy program prepared them to work in Bangladesh through exploring the strengths and gaps of the recent curriculum. To conduct this study researcher had used qualitative methodology and the design of this study is Qualitative Content Analysis. The participants for this study were the Occupational Therapists who were graduates from the Bangladesh Health Professions Institute (BHPI) and now practicing in Bangladesh. From this study it was found that participants' show positive attitude about their curriculum. Most of the OTs thinks that clinical placement is the most important strength of the under graduate course curriculum that facilitate OTs to work in Bangladesh and most of the graduate OTs feel there is a gap in pharmacology and radiology subject in the undergraduate course curriculum for this they feel limitations during their practice in Bangladesh. Most of the OTs think that the OT B.Sc course curriculum is good enough to practice in Bangladesh and there is no need to remove anything in recent curriculum but it will be better if the identified gaps will include in the curriculum.This information will help to guide the development of the curriculum.