Hand Therapy Fellowship for Occupational Therapists

Whether you are a recent occupational therapy graduate or an experienced clinician, our Hand Therapy Fellowship in the mountains of Colorado gives you advanced skills and hands-on experience in the management of hand and upper extremity orthopedic conditions and orthosis fabrication through application of evidenced based practice and clinical reasoning.

Curriculum & Training

Our rigorous fellowship curriculum uses a combination of formal and informal educational, clinical and academic activities, as well as mentored direct care of patients at affiliated clinics, including The Steadman Clinic and Vail Summit Orthopaedics and Neurology.

A Fellow’s typical week includes:

  • 30 hours of independent patient care
  • Minimum 10 hours of 1:1 mentored clinical practice in hand therapy
  • Physician clinic and surgery observation
  • Discussion in theory, technique and literature reviews and other didactic areas
  • Teaching responsibilities

This salaried hand therapy fellowship begins in July and lasts for 10 months. Requirements for successful completion include passing practical and written exams at 80% or better.

Program Outcomes

Through mentoring and training with our clinical specialists, in addition to hands on clinical practice, our program is designed to:

  • Provide a systematic curriculum to achieve advanced clinical competency to sit for the Hand Therapy Certification Examination and obtain employment within a hand therapy setting.
  • Develop advanced manual therapy skills and ability to excel in custom orthosis fabrication for upper extremity conditions.
  • Provide a framework of didactic and experiential learning to become premier healthcare providers using a patient centered approach, innovative ideas and evidence-based diagnosis.
  • Provide fellows opportunities to advance clinical knowledge through interaction with other specialists within and outside of hand and upper extremity rehabilitation.
  • Provide fellows with independent patient care opportunities that allow direct application of experiences and research.

Admissions Requirements

In fellowship candidates, we are looking for highly skilled OT’s; a desire to advance clinical knowledge in Hand Therapy, strong communication skills, initiative, adaptability, and responsibility.

To qualify for the Hand Therapy Fellowship Program, you must be a graduate of an occupational therapy educational program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®), and licensed, or be eligible for licensure, in Colorado

Current American Red Cross Basic Life Support certification or documentation demonstrating intent to obtain the certification prior the start of the program.

How to Apply

All fellows must have a Colorado State License prior to beginning the fellowship in July.

Application submissions will need to contain the following information to be considered for a position:

  • Evidence of graduation from an ACOTE accredited occupational therapy program or the equivalent.
  • Copy of current CV
  • Proof of Occupational Therapy licensure OR documentation demonstrating your intent to sit for licensure prior to the program start in July (a copy of your registration to sit for the April NBCOT exam).
  • Current Basic Life Support Certification OR documentation demonstrating intent to obtain prior to the program start.
  • Letter of intent
  • Essay Response
  • 3 Letters of recommendation with at least one from a licensed occupational therapist who can comment on your skills, proficiency, and professionalism in a clinic environment.

Applications are accepted from October 15 to January 1 of the program year. Interviews will be held in early February for the upcoming class.

Contáctanos

Please contact Andrea Granzin, OTR, CHT, CMLDT and Hand Therapy Fellowship Coordinator at andrea.granzin@vailhealth.org or (970) 569-7770 for application instructions, essay and additional questions.