Other OT-Related Information Dismissal from MOT program

[sweetnubia1]

Hello to everyone! I have a question...... I was recently dismissed from a Masters of Science Occupational Therapy Program. I needed a 3.0 but i ended up with a 2.9 gpa at the end of last semester and they dismissed me from the program. I completed a year and a half of the program ( 2 summers and 3 semesters) before i was dismissed. I've been calling around to other MOT programs and found out they do not take transfer students. Does anyone know of any schools that are willing to take transfer students under consideration? And is it a good idea, in my situation, to email program directors of different MOT programs a letter explaining my dismissal before i apply to their institution, in hopes that i would not have to start all over again? Should i apply to other MOT programs and not include my graduate school transcripts? Should i consider attending a COTA program even-though I've already been through a MOT program? Im pretty lost on what my next step should be. My dismissal just happened this month......

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[AL1114]

Hello to everyone! I have a question...... I was recently dismissed from a Masters of Science Occupational Therapy Program. I needed a 3.0 but i ended up with a 2.9 gpa at the end of last semester and they dismissed me from the program. I completed a year and a half of the program ( 2 summers and 3 semesters) before i was dismissed. I've been calling around to other MOT programs and found out they do not take transfer students. Does anyone know of any schools that are willing to take transfer students under consideration? And is it a good idea, in my situation, to email program directors of different MOT programs a letter explaining my dismissal before i apply to their institution, in hopes that i would not have to start all over again? Should i apply to other MOT programs and not include my graduate school transcripts? Should i consider attending a COTA program even-though I've already been through a MOT program? Im pretty lost on what my next step should be. My dismissal just happened this month......

 

[AL1114]

Feel free not to answer but I am curious to what are the circumstances surrounding your dismissal from school. Family issues, study habits?

Just hoping you can offer some us advice on succeeding in school

 

[gialuan]

Someone from my class was dismissed from the program last year. I'm not sure what his circumstances were, but I heard he had moved on to a COTA program. I haven't spoken to him, so I can't say where he is with that.

 

[Johann00]

I know it would be an uncomfortable conversation, but I might consider talking to the director of the program where you got dismissed. Ask them for suggestions on where to go from here. They might know of COTA programs where some of your credits might transfer. If you're on good terms with them they might even be willing to give you a letter of recommendation to wherever you decide to go...

 

[hafsarah]

I have also been recently dismissed for an OT program. I was terminated from my first fieldwork 2 placement at 8 weeks. The program's policy is to appeal the grade to return. So far the associate dean has denied the appeal. I am not appealing to the dean. I have the same questions as you. I have no idea what to do if the appeal doesn't pass.

 

[beestrng]

Scary stuff.

 

[hafsarah]

I meant to type I am appealing to the dean now.

 

[Shannon**]

So it was your fieldwork that you were earning a bad grade in?

 

[hafsarah]

Yeah I received an unsatisfactory. My supervisors said even if I stayed for 12 weeks there was no way I was going to pass but apparently I was improving at a slow rate so they terminated the placement at 8 weeks. I did well on my fieldwork 1 placement and have a high GPA. I think I didn't do well because of the setting, it was inpatient adult and geriatric psychiatric hospital. I've spent 2 years dedicated to this program and just want another placement.

 

[Shannon**]

oh my gosh I can only imagine how that feels. Surely with such a great background things will go your way. I'm preparing to enter an MOT program and I've been coming across a lot of horror stories in LIIFW. I will certainly pray for your situation and please let us know on here if things work out.

 

[hafsarah]

Looks like a really nice program. They have better equipment than the program I was in.

 

[Cat217]

[QUOTE="sweetnubia1, post: 14801308, member: Does anyone know of any schools that are willing to take transfer students under consideration? And is it a good idea, in my situation, to email program directors of different MOT programs a letter explaining my dismissal before i apply to their institution, in hopes that i would not have to start all over again? Should i apply to other MOT programs and not include my graduate school transcripts? Should i consider attending a COTA program even-though I've already been through a MOT program? Im pretty lost on what my next step should be. My dismissal just happened this month......[/QUOTE]
hi

Hi Sweetnubia: I wish I had seen your post in January. I also was dismissed from an MS OT program. my situation was different, I only was in the program for 1 year, in the last semester I failed two courses , which happened because I have learning disabilities and they wouldn't let me go part time it was too much for me to have taken on. In any event since then I decided to apply to multiple OT programs , I also was lost and didn't know what to do but I'm determined to become an Ot. In any event I now will be transferring to a new program where they will be taking some of my credits from my old school . I know Bay Path college will take transfer students, same with Sacred Heart University, and Dominican College in NY will take transfer students as well (although they are a weekend program ). You have to include your graduate transcripts - it's technically illegal not to. And plus they will most likely find out you attended another program , especially if you plan on taking out financial aid/ loans. If I were you I would add an addendum to your application and explain what happened and why you were dismissed, but try to put a positive light on it and explain you put in your hardest efforts. Convince them that you will succeed in their program. I wouldn't go the COTA route because you are too qualified. I thought it was a waste of my time, it will take you much longer to get your masters.
Also, you can try New England university in Maine, Midwestern University in AZ and in Illinois, they considered me but I was on their waiting list. Good luck, let me know if you need any more advise ! Stay strong !

Additionally, did you go through the full appeal process at your school and or hire a lawyer ? That's so strange they wouldn't let you graduate when you were so close to being done.

 

[Cat217]

Yeah I received an unsatisfactory. My supervisors said even if I stayed for 12 weeks there was no way I was going to pass but apparently I was improving at a slow rate so they terminated the placement at 8 weeks. I did well on my fieldwork 1 placement and have a high GPA. I think I didn't do well because of the setting, it was inpatient adult and geriatric psychiatric hospital. I've spent 2 years dedicated to this program and just want another placement.

hafSarah please see my response below to sweetnubia1, hope it helps, take care.

 

[GradSchoolz]

Cat217
I'd you appeal? What was it like if so?

 

[GradStudentOT]

I'm in the same situation. The only difference is that I was kicked out due to failing level I fieldwork rather than for having a low GPA. I am also interested in knowing if you appealed and if it worked. I was given the option to appeal to the dean in my program, but I have not done that. From everything that I have been told, appealing in my situation would not make any difference. I'm curious to know if appealing has worked for other people.

 

[GradStudentOT]

It was bad. I did my best in every possible way. Several of the therapists at the clinic told me that I was doing a good job. However it seemed like the CI had made up her mind from the start that she was going to fail me regardless of what kind of job I did. I was given no feedback from the CI even when I asked her how I was doing. I honestly thought I would get a passing grade until she surprised me by failing me in everything at the end of the last day. When I asked her to be more specific about why she gave me low scores on things that even she admitted that I did well on, she would not give me a direct answer. It seems so unfair but I guess it was just my bad luck to have my grad school career ended by a nightmarish fieldwork experience such as this.

 

[BowlofSunshine]

I'm in the same situation. The only difference is that I was kicked out due to failing level I fieldwork rather than for having a low GPA. I am also interested in knowing if you appealed and if it worked. I was given the option to appeal to the dean in my program, but I have not done that. From everything that I have been told, appealing in my situation would not make any difference. I'm curious to know if appealing has worked for other people.

They failed you for failing Level I fieldwork?!

That's BS. You need to appeal that. Read the guidelines in AOTA fieldwork manual on Level I fieldwork. You are pretty much supposed to shadow during Level I fieldwork, depending on your setting. If you are working in a group setting, you will be more hands on, doing crafts, coming up with group activities and topics. The same with Geriatrics and Mental Health. However, if you are in a pediatric or early intervention Level I fieldwork, you will be doing more shadowing than hands on. The therapist might have you toss a ball to a child or play with a child, but you won't and shouldn't be treating during Level I fieldwork.

Take a thorough look at the Fieldwork Manual and cite the section on what is allowable and what is not in your appeal. Make sure you send your appeal to not only the head of the OT department but CC: the Dean of the school or program if he/she is not the same person as the head of the OT department.

Don't take a failure lying down because look at it this way, the school still has your money, you still have to pay it back, with or without an MOT degree. Don't let these schools bully you and dismiss you so easily.

PM me if you have more questions.

 

[BowlofSunshine]

Yeah I received an unsatisfactory. My supervisors said even if I stayed for 12 weeks there was no way I was going to pass but apparently I was improving at a slow rate so they terminated the placement at 8 weeks. I did well on my fieldwork 1 placement and have a high GPA. I think I didn't do well because of the setting, it was inpatient adult and geriatric psychiatric hospital. I've spent 2 years dedicated to this program and just want another placement.

I know this is late, but I hope you appealed this. You are allowed to make up your Level II fieldwork again if you fail it the first time for whatever reason, unless you did something extremely stupid or crazy.

As I told the poster above. Don't take a failure lying down. Read the fieldwork manual thoroughly!!! Know your rights.

A lot of these CIs forget how hard and stressful Level II fieldwork is and run you through fire and brimstone, not realize you are still a baby in the field. Not to mention your stress levels are on 10 and they know it. Many CIs take perverse pleasure in knowing they have a student's livelihood in the palm of their hands. Those are the types who sign up to be CIs but have no business being one.

Read my pinned thread at the top of this forum called What they don't tell you in OT school but you need to know

Hope that helps and best to you!!!!

 

[hafsarah]

Actually the the specific school decides if a student is allowed to repeat a fieldwork. I read the manual very thoroughly and followed all the processes to try to return. They said the only way I can return is to appeal the grade to the dean and provost. I appealed the grade and it was denied. I petitioned the OT faculty and they denied it. Unfortunately I went to a school where they think when a student fails FW 2, the student is a lost cause and can never ever be an OT. I don't understand why they even went into a teaching/professor career if they are not even willing to help a student. Everyone keeps telling me get a lawyer and file a law suit. That will take a lot of time and money. I already spent 2.5 years of money and time into this and I don't have any will to fight to anymore... I am trying to find a program that will accept the majority of my credits or just pick a new career path.

 

[BowlofSunshine]

Actually the the specific school decides if a student is allowed to repeat a fieldwork. I read the manual very thoroughly and followed all the processes to try to return. They said the only way I can return is to appeal the grade to the dean and provost. I appealed the grade and it was denied. I petitioned the OT faculty and they denied it. Unfortunately I went to a school where they think when a student fails FW 2, the student is a lost cause and can never ever be an OT. I don't understand why they even went into a teaching/professor career if they are not even willing to help a student. Everyone keeps telling me get a lawyer and file a law suit. That will take a lot of time and money. I already spent 2.5 years of money and time into this and I don't have any will to fight to anymore... I am trying to find a program that will accept the majority of my credits or just pick a new career path.

What was the reason you failed, if you don't mind disclosing? You can PM if you don't want to reveal here. You do get another chance to repeat fieldwork, unless you did something incredibly stupid like attack a patient, steal from the site, curse out someone at the site, etc.

If you fail because you were repeatedly late, didn't do what you were supposed to, etc. you still get the chance the repeat. You will just be on probation or something similar. That said, yeah, it would be worth it to get a lawyer if they are being douchebags about not letting you repeat. It will cost you more money, but you absolutely can repeat.

Don't take this failure lying down. Follow the school's (not the OT depta.) grievance policy if you have to. Don't let the OT department tell you that you have no other recourse. You absolutely do. You may have to go before a board at the school, who can override the OT dept's decision. State your case with facts (emails, any documentation from the school's OT department, documentation from your FW site, etc) Don't let the OT dept. tell you different and don't let them intimidate you into not pursuing this further, which it seems like they are trying to do. Think about it like this, you STILL have to pay student loan money back regardless and better to have a degree and have to pay than no degree and have to pay. A lot of schools aren't going to take your credits and what sense does it make to have to retake classes or restart the program when you are right at the end of it?

 

[hafsarah]

I sent you a message.