I'm interested in hearing from people who have attended UW OT program. Any pros and cons about their program? Or why did you choose it if you plan to attend? Thank you! I'm just checking for my daughter, actually.
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Program-Specific Info / Q's What do you like or not like about University of Washington-Seattle?
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i've visited the campus. it's very lovely and the surrounding seattle neighborhood is fantastic as well. there's a great vibe there. but i have never attended UW and didn't visit the OT facilities so i can't really be of help. i was just on vacation. 
if UW was an option to me though i would heavily consider it based on the atmosphere of the campus and city alone. someone else will have to fill you in on program specifics.
if UW was an option to me though i would heavily consider it based on the atmosphere of the campus and city alone. someone else will have to fill you in on program specifics.Thank you. I'm really hoping to know more about the actual OT program and facilities, though. Is there someplace here or on the web where we can see reviews or feedback of the different OT programs from students or alumni?
i've visited the campus. it's very lovely and the surrounding seattle neighborhood is fantastic as well. there's a great vibe there. but i have never attended UW and didn't visit the OT facilities so i can't really be of help. i was just on vacation.
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Hello! I'm wondering the same thing. I was accepted into the program last Wednesday, and seeing as how they didn't interview I've got a lot of questions! I'm heading there for my Spring Break on my way to Portland in about a week and a half to see my brother, so I'm going to swing by the campus and take a quick peek at the facilities. I've been to UW's campus before, and I've been to Seattle a number of times and the campus is beautiful. Seattle is pretty pricy to live in, but I feel like with it's program rankings (#15 for OT school, #4 for School of Rehabilitative Sciences) it's worth it. I've been jotting down some questions I would like to ask, let me know if you have anything you want me to check out particularly and I can fill you in! As for information that I already know, their one of the top medical schools, right up with all of the Ivy Leagues, so in terms of facilities I'm sure it's pretty top notch. I'm guessing the program works within it's own hospital (not sure on that one, I just know OHSU in Portland works in the school's own hospital). But if not, that might mean Peds rotations might be at Seattle Children's, at least I'm hoping so! They're also on the quarter system, starting in late September. They have a 100% rate of hires within the first month of graduation too. In terms of tuition, it's not cheap but in comparison to other programs of it's caliber I'd say it's not bad. You can also gain residency after your first year if you're out of state and tuition goes down from around $27,000 to like $14,000 (just in case you're not a WA resident).
Has anyone heard if they have been considering the accreditation process for becoming an OTD program?
Thank you, gocoug. I had read somewhere that UW doesn't use its own clinics and medical center. I'm not sure if that's the case or not. I also heard that in order to become a resident there a lot of hoops to jump through, including submitting your parents' tax returns if you're under 25.
I would be interested to see how you like the facilities! And looking forward to your report back.
I would be interested to see how you like the facilities! And looking forward to your report back.
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I suggest that if you both have logistical or specific-program questions, that you call or email the Academic Counselor for the UW's MOT program, Mary Garcia (phone: 206.598.5764; email: [email protected]). In the past she has also emailed current students to see if they would be willing to answer questions for perspective students, so this way you might be able to hear from several current students. I know this is a big decision, so it helps to have as much information as possible!
I'm just about to start my third academic quarter at the UW as an OT student. In response to the initial post, I chose to go the the UW because I'm a Washington state resident, so the low tuition for such a high-caliber program was a bit of a no-brainer for me. Our current class also has people from CA and OR though, so obviously their rationale would be different. Seattle is also an awesome city with so many great clinical opportunities for fieldwork, so that was another draw for me. I also appreciated that the UW's program is pretty hands on - you have a practical skills course throughout the first three quarters when you're taking a lot of your foundational Anatomy and Physiology and Neurobiology courses, and from the very first quarter they have you doing observations. I'm also excited to start working on our Master's Project, where you get to work with members in the community to implement an OT "project." I went to the symposium last year, and students get to do some amazing stuff, like creating a sensory guide for children with ASD visiting the Pacific Science Center: https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/Education/Programs/autism-resources.
I also adore my classmates, who are all such kind, smart, and committed people. And I like the fact that several of our courses are with physical therapy and prosthetics and orthotics students, although I think more could be done to encourage interdisciplinary cooperation. It is helpful though, since you'll likely be working with PTs and prosthetists/orthotists in the field. In short, it's a reasonably-priced high-quality program in a great location, that will prepare me for passing the NBCOT and a job in the field. On the con side, I did have one class last quarter that could have been better-organized and constructed in a way to better facilitate my learning, but most of the courses I've taken thus far have been challenging and rewarding. The department is also trying to hire another faculty person, so is a little short-staffed at the moment. But I haven't really felt the impact of that very much, as many of our courses are taught by PT faculty.
Also - I have heard that it can be difficult to establish residency your second year, but am not the best person to comment on that as I'm not an out-of-state student. And in terms of not using the UW Medical Center that definitely isn't the case - I've already had one observation there, and we've had several clinicians who work there come and help out with our Practical Skills classes. And for three-month fieldworks, students can certainly pick the UW Medical Center and other area hospitals as a top choice for the clinical experience component of the program.
Hope some of that was helpful! Congratulations and best of luck in deciding on a grad school!
I'm just about to start my third academic quarter at the UW as an OT student. In response to the initial post, I chose to go the the UW because I'm a Washington state resident, so the low tuition for such a high-caliber program was a bit of a no-brainer for me. Our current class also has people from CA and OR though, so obviously their rationale would be different. Seattle is also an awesome city with so many great clinical opportunities for fieldwork, so that was another draw for me. I also appreciated that the UW's program is pretty hands on - you have a practical skills course throughout the first three quarters when you're taking a lot of your foundational Anatomy and Physiology and Neurobiology courses, and from the very first quarter they have you doing observations. I'm also excited to start working on our Master's Project, where you get to work with members in the community to implement an OT "project." I went to the symposium last year, and students get to do some amazing stuff, like creating a sensory guide for children with ASD visiting the Pacific Science Center: https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/Education/Programs/autism-resources.
I also adore my classmates, who are all such kind, smart, and committed people. And I like the fact that several of our courses are with physical therapy and prosthetics and orthotics students, although I think more could be done to encourage interdisciplinary cooperation. It is helpful though, since you'll likely be working with PTs and prosthetists/orthotists in the field. In short, it's a reasonably-priced high-quality program in a great location, that will prepare me for passing the NBCOT and a job in the field. On the con side, I did have one class last quarter that could have been better-organized and constructed in a way to better facilitate my learning, but most of the courses I've taken thus far have been challenging and rewarding. The department is also trying to hire another faculty person, so is a little short-staffed at the moment. But I haven't really felt the impact of that very much, as many of our courses are taught by PT faculty.
Also - I have heard that it can be difficult to establish residency your second year, but am not the best person to comment on that as I'm not an out-of-state student. And in terms of not using the UW Medical Center that definitely isn't the case - I've already had one observation there, and we've had several clinicians who work there come and help out with our Practical Skills classes. And for three-month fieldworks, students can certainly pick the UW Medical Center and other area hospitals as a top choice for the clinical experience component of the program.
Hope some of that was helpful! Congratulations and best of luck in deciding on a grad school!
@OT_student: Thank you so much for all of your helpful information! It's so nice to read the opinions, both pros and cons, from a current student. Once again, thank you for sharing. By the way, what's the weather like in the winter? A lot of rain? Any snow? And how convenient is it to get to downtown Seattle? What about renting a room not too far from the OT school? What do most people pay for a single room in a house or apt.? Do you feel that having classes with PT students only adds to the overall experience? Lots of questions!
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Hi! I'm another current UW OT student - if anyone would like to get in touch with one of us on the phone/through email - please contact Mary Garcia at (phone: 206.598.5764; email: [email protected]). I let her know that people may be asking to get in contact with us.
If you would like to sit in on a class, feel free to ask Mary about that! I did this before starting the program - which was an awesome way to talk to current students and check out the program.
@YayOT - weather gets pretty chilly in the winter time (maybe around 20-30degrees), but we don't get much snow (sometimes a little, sometimes none at all). Lots of rain, but it's not super hardcore rain - mostly a lot of drizzle all the time. It's VERY convenient to get to different parts of Seattle. There are a ton of buses that go all over the place! Your student ID works as a bus pass. As long as you're registered for classes you don't have to pay anything to use the buses.
I don't know about renting close to school, as I'm a bit far away.
About half of our classes are with the PT + prosthetics and orthotics students. It's very cool to see how we all think differently! The majority of our classes so far have been alongside the other disciplines, but not really working together (except in cadaver lab - we got to work with P&O's [prosthetics and orthotics students]). This upcoming quarter we take kinesiology, where we'll have a good chance to work with PT's and P&O's.
If you would like to sit in on a class, feel free to ask Mary about that! I did this before starting the program - which was an awesome way to talk to current students and check out the program.
@YayOT - weather gets pretty chilly in the winter time (maybe around 20-30degrees), but we don't get much snow (sometimes a little, sometimes none at all). Lots of rain, but it's not super hardcore rain - mostly a lot of drizzle all the time. It's VERY convenient to get to different parts of Seattle. There are a ton of buses that go all over the place! Your student ID works as a bus pass. As long as you're registered for classes you don't have to pay anything to use the buses.
I don't know about renting close to school, as I'm a bit far away.
About half of our classes are with the PT + prosthetics and orthotics students. It's very cool to see how we all think differently! The majority of our classes so far have been alongside the other disciplines, but not really working together (except in cadaver lab - we got to work with P&O's [prosthetics and orthotics students]). This upcoming quarter we take kinesiology, where we'll have a good chance to work with PT's and P&O's.
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@OT_student: Thank you so much for all of your helpful information! It's so nice to read the opinions, both pros and cons, from a current student. Once again, thank you for sharing. By the way, what's the weather like in the winter? A lot of rain? Any snow? And how convenient is it to get to downtown Seattle? What about renting a room not too far from the OT school? What do most people pay for a single room in a house or apt.? Do you feel that having classes with PT students only adds to the overall experience? Lots of questions!
Weather in the winter is ok. It does tend to be overcast, usually with on and off light rain. Although it does vary - we had a pretty mild winter this year with more sunny days and higher temperatures. Usually when it does get in the 20s though that's an overnight low - during the day the temperature is more likely to be in the 30s, 40s, or even the 50s. Snow in the city is pretty rare, although sometimes it happens once or twice a year. We only had a dusting this year, and that melted within a couple of hours.
Like my classmate said, getting downtown from the university is super easy. There are multiple buses lines, and you can get downtown within 20-30 minutes. An unlimited bus pass is rolled into your tuition, so there's no added expense.
In terms of rent, if you're willing to have a couple of roommates and live in a nearby neighborhood you can find places between $400-$600 a month. You'd be looking at maybe about a 30 minute commute (one bus) or an even shorter commute if you bike. There's a bike path that runs to the university, so I choose to bike most days. Places in the u-district (within walking distance of the UW) tend to be more around the $600+ mark.
I do feel like having classes with the PTs and P&Os adds to the experience, because it helps us all understand rehab disciplines and how they work together better. Sadly we've only had one interactive class with P&O students thus far, but as was mentioned, we'll all be in a kinesiology lab together next quarter which I'm excited about. But most of the interdisciplinary classes thus far have been a lecture format, which makes it a bit harder to get to know people in other rehab programs. It can be done though, and some OT students are certainly friends (and roommates!) with P&O and PT students.
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Pros: This is the first school I've attended where all the professors seem passionate about teaching. They love what they do and they want us to become great OT's. The professors are also very skilled in their respective fields! It's humbling to learn about the research some professors are working on.
During the first quarter of this program, I really learned the details of OT's scope of practice: what we do and how we do it. (We had a Foundations of OT class taught by the department head - Janet Powell). She is an awesome professor and I feel incredibly lucky to have taken that course. I love our practice skills classes - we practice manual muscle testing, range of motion, and use OT equipment to get used to what we will do as OTs. This class is fantastic as I feel like I'm really becoming an OT by learning these skills.
As far as experience goes, we've had multiple assigned shadowing sessions! So far I've shadowed at a pediatrics hospital and in two acute care settings. This helped me decide where I'll want to go for my two 3 month fieldworks (which start after we graduate).
Our first quarter had a schedule that was VERY manageable. Classes went from roughly 8am-1pm at the latest, so we had tons of time to get acclimated to grad school life. Cohorts are usually ~25 people, which has been amazing for me to meet and gain friends who care so much about others. The 2nd quarter had a more funky schedule, but it gave me more time to go to the gym and study in between classes. As far as anatomy goes- during the first quarter, the focus is on arms/legs. In addition to new material, I really liked that we went over arms/legs again in the 2nd quarter. I feel like I have a good grasp of musculoskeletal anatomy.
Self care! The IMA (gym) is about 5-10 minutes walking distance away from the hospital. (Many of our classes are in the hospital on the floor directly above the OT/PT clinic! - pretty cool!)
The IMA offers lots of classes if you're interested in trying something new. I'm taking hip hop next quarter!
The Ave: a street filled with TONS of awesome restaurants is also about 10 minutes away. Meany Hall has show tickets for $10 for students. There's a waterfront activities center about 5minutes away from the hospital where you can rent canoes / rowboats (~$5/hour for students). Grad school may leave little time for self care, so it's great to have relaxing things to do near the school.
I haven't analyzed other grad schools, so I don't really have any cons to give. But, I'm confident that I'll be ready for my fieldworks by the end of this program.
I love UW's OT program and I feel incredibly fortunate to be here!
During the first quarter of this program, I really learned the details of OT's scope of practice: what we do and how we do it. (We had a Foundations of OT class taught by the department head - Janet Powell). She is an awesome professor and I feel incredibly lucky to have taken that course. I love our practice skills classes - we practice manual muscle testing, range of motion, and use OT equipment to get used to what we will do as OTs. This class is fantastic as I feel like I'm really becoming an OT by learning these skills.
As far as experience goes, we've had multiple assigned shadowing sessions! So far I've shadowed at a pediatrics hospital and in two acute care settings. This helped me decide where I'll want to go for my two 3 month fieldworks (which start after we graduate).
Our first quarter had a schedule that was VERY manageable. Classes went from roughly 8am-1pm at the latest, so we had tons of time to get acclimated to grad school life. Cohorts are usually ~25 people, which has been amazing for me to meet and gain friends who care so much about others. The 2nd quarter had a more funky schedule, but it gave me more time to go to the gym and study in between classes. As far as anatomy goes- during the first quarter, the focus is on arms/legs. In addition to new material, I really liked that we went over arms/legs again in the 2nd quarter. I feel like I have a good grasp of musculoskeletal anatomy.
Self care! The IMA (gym) is about 5-10 minutes walking distance away from the hospital. (Many of our classes are in the hospital on the floor directly above the OT/PT clinic! - pretty cool!)
The IMA offers lots of classes if you're interested in trying something new. I'm taking hip hop next quarter!
The Ave: a street filled with TONS of awesome restaurants is also about 10 minutes away. Meany Hall has show tickets for $10 for students. There's a waterfront activities center about 5minutes away from the hospital where you can rent canoes / rowboats (~$5/hour for students). Grad school may leave little time for self care, so it's great to have relaxing things to do near the school.
I haven't analyzed other grad schools, so I don't really have any cons to give. But, I'm confident that I'll be ready for my fieldworks by the end of this program.
I love UW's OT program and I feel incredibly fortunate to be here!
Thank you to UW_MOT_student, as well. And, again to OT_student. You both shared a wealth of information. As I mentioned, it's helpful to hear thoughts from students who are there now or have graduated from the program recently. Tell me about the facilities. I had read a negative review from a student awhile back...maybe even referring to a few years ago...and she said she was disappointed in the facilities and expected it to be more "state-of-the-art" for such a highly ranked program and medical school. Again, I'm not sure how old the review was. And, everybody has their own standards. Someone was also comparing it to Puget Sound and felt it wasn't as nice. It's all relative, I guess. I mean, isn't the actual teaching program more important than the building?
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You're welcome for the replies! I'm very happy to help.
Hmm, the facilities... From what I've seen, we definitely don't have a ton of expensive equipment. (Please remember, I've only been here for two quarters, so I haven't seen everything yet!)
Our main OT room has a kitchen, bathroom, and bed, all used to practice with. We occasionally use crutches, walkers, canes, and wheelchairs as well. I think we start to use more equipment in our later classes which focus more on treatment based on age/condition. A few years ago, the UW MOT program didn't have any practice skills courses (where students get a chance to work with equipment every quarter) - maybe this is why that student had a negative review.
I feel like this program is geared towards being practical and realistic versus being cutting edge. There are so many areas and settings that OT covers: psychiatric care, pediatrics, geriatrics, hospice care, addiction facilities, hand therapy facilities, and many, many more... I think the focus is to serve populations as best we can with our general knowledge, rather than getting used to gadgets which we may never use. We only have 7 actual quarters of classes - which is just enough time to instill the basics in us.
New technology might be fascinating, but instead of learning detailed information about new equipment, our time is spent on how to think as OTs no matter what equipment we are given.
Some specific fields of OT might benefit from a deeper understanding of technology: (ex: people with spinal cord injuries). So, I guess it depends on the population you would like to work with. UW seems more generalized towards working with everyone, but other schools may be more focused in specific areas.
Hmm, the facilities... From what I've seen, we definitely don't have a ton of expensive equipment. (Please remember, I've only been here for two quarters, so I haven't seen everything yet!)
Our main OT room has a kitchen, bathroom, and bed, all used to practice with. We occasionally use crutches, walkers, canes, and wheelchairs as well. I think we start to use more equipment in our later classes which focus more on treatment based on age/condition. A few years ago, the UW MOT program didn't have any practice skills courses (where students get a chance to work with equipment every quarter) - maybe this is why that student had a negative review.
I feel like this program is geared towards being practical and realistic versus being cutting edge. There are so many areas and settings that OT covers: psychiatric care, pediatrics, geriatrics, hospice care, addiction facilities, hand therapy facilities, and many, many more... I think the focus is to serve populations as best we can with our general knowledge, rather than getting used to gadgets which we may never use. We only have 7 actual quarters of classes - which is just enough time to instill the basics in us.
New technology might be fascinating, but instead of learning detailed information about new equipment, our time is spent on how to think as OTs no matter what equipment we are given.
Some specific fields of OT might benefit from a deeper understanding of technology: (ex: people with spinal cord injuries). So, I guess it depends on the population you would like to work with. UW seems more generalized towards working with everyone, but other schools may be more focused in specific areas.
I have to agree about not needing expensive, fancy equipment to be able to have a successful program. Being practical and realistic makes perfect sense. Many people in the real world make do with what they have and certainly can't afford high-end equipment that might not be that beneficial in the long run. So, again, any reviews that aren't as favorable could be just their personal take on it and not really an overall look at the whole program. If you look at Tufts, another top rated program, they have their program in what used to be an old, Victorian type house! Nothing high tech about that! Thanks again!
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Another 1st year student here... We've created a joint account to help answer questions.
In response to the question about the facilities. I agree with what's been posted prior. The facilities are older than other programs but perfectly fine. I was accepted to UPS in Tacoma Wa as well. When I visited, I was blown away by their facilities because they were brand new. However, I wouldn't worry about that being an issue at UW. It was not a deciding factor for me when making the decision.
Some things to consider...
1. If you are at all interested in possibly pursuing a PhD in the future or are interested in teaching, UW is really a fantastic choice. I was accepted into both UW and UPS and even had faculty from UPS suggest that I attend UW if I had any thought of pursuing a PhD in the future. UW offers a PhD program for Rehabilitation Sciences. Attending UW is a great way to get to know faculty you may end up working with as a PhD student.
2. If you want a strong science foundation, UW is a no brainer. The science coursework is rigorous but incredible. The faculty that teach the science core courses are among some of the most knowledgeable professionals in the field and are really passionate about teaching. Many of the professors also continue to work in the field and perform research. Fantastic resources.
Overall, I am thrilled with my choice to attend the UW program. I feel very supported by the faculty and especially my cohort. The challenge is getting accepted and selecting the program that fits your needs. After that, the focus shifts to you learning as much as you can to become the best OT that you can be. You will have the opportunity to work side by side some of the most caring and encouraging people you will ever meet. Our class shares study guides and teach one another on a daily basis. The faculty meets with the our class every quarter to ask about how they can improve the program for their students.
Hope this helps. Congratulations on your acceptance!
In response to the question about the facilities. I agree with what's been posted prior. The facilities are older than other programs but perfectly fine. I was accepted to UPS in Tacoma Wa as well. When I visited, I was blown away by their facilities because they were brand new. However, I wouldn't worry about that being an issue at UW. It was not a deciding factor for me when making the decision.
Some things to consider...
1. If you are at all interested in possibly pursuing a PhD in the future or are interested in teaching, UW is really a fantastic choice. I was accepted into both UW and UPS and even had faculty from UPS suggest that I attend UW if I had any thought of pursuing a PhD in the future. UW offers a PhD program for Rehabilitation Sciences. Attending UW is a great way to get to know faculty you may end up working with as a PhD student.
2. If you want a strong science foundation, UW is a no brainer. The science coursework is rigorous but incredible. The faculty that teach the science core courses are among some of the most knowledgeable professionals in the field and are really passionate about teaching. Many of the professors also continue to work in the field and perform research. Fantastic resources.
Overall, I am thrilled with my choice to attend the UW program. I feel very supported by the faculty and especially my cohort. The challenge is getting accepted and selecting the program that fits your needs. After that, the focus shifts to you learning as much as you can to become the best OT that you can be. You will have the opportunity to work side by side some of the most caring and encouraging people you will ever meet. Our class shares study guides and teach one another on a daily basis. The faculty meets with the our class every quarter to ask about how they can improve the program for their students.
Hope this helps. Congratulations on your acceptance!
Thank you so much for taking time to answer all my questions and adding some advice of your own! This is such good information to know.
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Wow, thank you so much for taking time to answer all my questions and adding some advice of your own! This is such good information to know. I'm definitely going to keep UW at the top of my list! Thanks for replying.Feel free to add anything else you might think is important to know.
Hi YayOt,
I myself was accepted into the program, and have actually just accepted the offer. Reading your post and the posts of the current first-year students have really calmed my nerves. I will actually be moving from the East Coast to Seattle for the program, and before finding this forum, I was extremely nervous about the decision. I was also accepted to another program (on the east coast), but after comparing both programs, UW was an OBVIOUSLY better choice. Even though I'm crazy excited about it, moving so far from home (I know no one in Seattle! Or on the West Coast for that matter) has left me feeling really anxious. After finding your post, I know I'm making the right choice. Thank you for posting, and thanks to the current students for your thoughtful, insightful responses.
YayOT, update me on your decision! It would be great to know a future classmate ahead of time. I am actually heading to Seattle next week to get a better feel for the city, and plan to visit UW!
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Thank you for all the feedback about UW. I was accepted to USC and UIC, but decided on UW for various reasons. I'm from the Midwest and have only been to Seattle once before. This is all very good info to read about and makes me feel confident about my choice to attend UW next Fall.
Hi MaQQi3,
I am also attending UW in the fall. I myself am from out of state (New Jersey) and would really love to maybe connect with some classmates ahead of time so that I could know some people going out there (I currently know no one). Email me! [email protected]
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Hi MaQQi3 and anddvo,
I am also attending UW this fall. I'm from out of state too (California) and really want to connect with classmates as well. Email me [email protected] . Should I start a facebook group for our class?
I am also attending UW this fall. I'm from out of state too (California) and really want to connect with classmates as well. Email me [email protected] . Should I start a facebook group for our class?
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I created a facebook group for accepted students in the program so we can start to get to know one another!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/770281559678628/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/770281559678628/
Maybe someone will answer this post, even though I'm two years later? I'm in the 2019 DPT class and I'm out-of-state. In other words, I'm going to be paying LOADS. but aside from that I'm worried about housing. Does anyone know how out-of-staters at UW can find housing without being in Seattle to explore apartments/ find roommates? I'm hesitant to get on campus housing due to the price, and would much rather live with PT/OT students. but I'm worried since I can't actually be there to look for housing.
