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Physical Therapy Capstone Projects

Capstone projects from 2016 2016.

Reliability of Clinical Evaluators of Spasticity in Patients with Stroke , Tiffany Alvino, Shiney David, and Chelsea Gendvil

Paired Associative Transspinal and Transcortical Stimulation Produces Bidirectional Plasticity of Human Cortical and Spinal Motor Pathways , Luke Dixon, Mohamed Ibrahim, and Danielle Santora

Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Survey to Assess Inclusion in DPT Curricula in the United States , Michael Erickson, Paul Nasri, and David Perrotto

Physiopathology and Intervention in Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review , Justin Gelesky, Dylann C. Germann, Amanda Percaccio, and Rachelle Schick

Multi-Digit Coordination in Absence of Cutaneous Sensory Feedback During Grasping Tasks , Christina Gioeli, Kerry McPartlan, Emily Reid, and Matthew Turturro

The Efficacy of Motor Imagery Training on Range of Motion, Pain and Function of Patients After Total Knee Replacement , Noorelhoda Mahmoud, Marc A. Razzano Jr., and Karen Tischler

Capstone Projects from 2015 2015

Effect of Absent Tactile Sensation on Multi-digit Coordination Underlying Hand Control , Michael P. Alcorn, Bruce Faulkner, Matthew Macina, and Brian Sherman

Implications of Muscle Activation Patterns on Balance in the Elderly , Arielle Bailey, Goldie Baum, Hadassa Radzik, and Aruna Woods

Retrospective Chart Review of Patients Following Unilateral Total Knee Replacement to Assess Achievement of Functional Milestones Based on Type of Anesthetic Used Intra-Operatively , William S. Benish, Lolline Chong, Elana Kram, and Danielle Krieger

Investigating the Effects of Combining Treadmill Training with Trans-spinal Direct Current Stimulation on Motor Skill Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury , Jennifer Blake, Rebecca Bullen, Jeremy Pahl, and Samantha Scicchigno

An Electromyographic Comparison of the Functional Performance of the Gluteus Maximus Muscle in Prolonged Sitting Versus Standing Populations , Kerry Campagnola, Giusi Gerbino, Erica Johnson, and Adrienne O’Keefe

The Influence of Forward Head Posture on Suprahyoid Activity During Oropharyngeal Swallowing: A Surface Electromyographic Analysis , Brianne Carroll, Sierra Hunt, Katherine Sheeleigh, and Mark Wnukowski

Assessment of Physical Performance in Adolescents of Varying Body Weight , Nicholas Dalonzo, Nicole Liquori, and Nicole Savarese

Dancer Performance on the Lower Quarter Y Balance Test: A Longitudinal Study , Megan DeHey, Kelly Kaems, Molly Saunders, and Gabrielle Schneider

Use of the Bioness L300® Functional Electrical Stimulator in Acute Stroke Rehabilitation , Christine Flanigan, Colleen M. Martinez, Beth N. Terranova, and Nicholas Wildi

The Effects of Cooling During Gait on Gait Endurance in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis Using the Six Minute Walk Test , Meghan Higgins, Esther Sosowsky, and Elisheva Zinberg

The Effects of Maximal Strength Training on Gait and Balance in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis: A Pretest Posttest Pilot Study , Janet Klein, David Park, Charles Wright, and Michael Zervas

Interactions Between Descending and Somatosensory Inputs in Humans , Lisa Krivis, Ann Mackey, Maureen McDonough, and Denise Uttaro

Capstone Projects from 2014 2014

Corticospinal Integration in Healthy Humans , Amanda Asmar, Leandra Manfredini, Kerri McLean, and Christina Scannapieco

Cortical Modulation of Spinal Reflexes in Healthy Humans , Caitlin Bedell, Joseph Capogrosso, Kristin Thomas, and Charlotte Westmoreland

The Long-Term Effects of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) Combined with Complex Decongestive Therapy (CDT) in the Treatment of Breast Cancer Lymphedema: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study , Olivia Bramlett, Igor Daysudov, Toshi Odaira, and Bethany Rodriguez

Comparing NMES Stimulation Intensity at Various Lengths of the Tibialis Anterior , Brent Brookbush, Maya Hakami, Jennifer Wolff, and Amy Zelin

Falls Prevention Training at New York Presbyterian Hospital: Does Education Regarding Fall Prevention Reduce Incidence of Falls after Discharge to Home from an Acute Rehabilitation Facility? , Yuning Chiu, Michelle Frager, Hyunseok Lee, and Solange Wong

Motor Imagery and Action Observation as an Alternative Gait Training Intervention for the Elderly , Matthew F. Cirelli, Brian Fettner, Lindita Ismaili, and Danielle Jordan

The Performance of Dancers on the Lower Quadrant Y Balance Test , Heather Cole, Jinny McGivern, Anna Morejon, and Tiffany Sudol

Influences of Motor Control Instruction and Taping on Center of Pressure and Scapulothoracic Kinematics During Reaching for Individuals with Hemiparesis , Michelle De Guzman, Tatyana Farber, Anna Kochanova, and Jonathan Lazarus

Comparison of an Intermittent vs. Continuous Walking Program in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis Using the 6 Minute Walk Test: A Randomized Crossover Pilot Study , Stefanie DiCarrado, Bridget Dungan, Elizabeth Huallpa, and Jacob Potrzeba

The Effects of Morning Versus Evening Stretching Exercises in Hamstrings Flexibility Gains , Camron Einerman, Emily Eleff, Ana Ilijeska, and Aliza Zinberg

The Effect of tDCS on CD-1 Mouse Behavior Post Induced Sensorimotor Cortex Injury , Michelle Gardella, Natalia Gozias, Kristina Laktionova, and Tricia Roehrig

Research Components in Curriculum of Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs , Stephen Ingrassia, Gary Mulligan, Roman Tverdovskiy, and Andy Zhu

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Physical Therapy Capstone Projects

Capstones from 2015 2015.

Adult Male Status Post Chronic Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injury: A Case Report , Kelly Cooke

Brachial Plexus Injury and Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Following a Fall: A Case Report , Przemyslaw Ilczyk

Clinical Decision-Making for Discharge Recommendations for a 63 Year Old Male with Foot Drop Status Post Great Toe Amputation: A Case Report , Sigmund Ku

Clinical Decision-Making in Transition to Consultative Physical Therapy Services for a Nine-Year-Old Girl with Spastic Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy: A Case Report , Gina M. Kelly

Comparative Literature Analysis of Peripheral Vestibular Function Assessment Tools , Riddhi Chinoy

Effectiveness of Conservative Physical Therapy on a 17 Year Old Female Diagnosed with Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease , Bethany Hyde

Effects of Early Physical Therapy Intervention in the Rehabilitation of a Total Hip Arthroplasty Revision with an Anterior Approach: Case Report , Jordan Clevy

Implementation of a Comprehensive Treatment Program for a Patient with TBI to Address Balance and Gait Deviations: A Case Report , Robert de Lara

Implementation of a Land and Aquatic-Based Physical Therapy Program for a 6-Year-Old Male with Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome: A Case Report , Kristin A. Cheney

Multimodal Physical Therapy Management of a 24 Year-Old Male with Chronic Retrocalcaneal Pain: A Case Report , Matthew Herring

Outcomes after a Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Treatment Program for a Patient with a Right Pontine Stroke: A Case Report , Traci Rzeszutko

Outcomes of a Comprehensive Physical Therapy Treatment Program for a 22-Year-Old Patient with Migraine Without Aura, Chronic Migraine, and Cervicogenic Type Headache: A Case Report , Katrina L. Koltz

Outcomes of Conservative Physical Therapy Treatment for Osteoarthritic Knee Pain in a 58 Year-Old Female: A Case Report , Sarah Wicklin

Outcomes of Endurance Training for a 76 Year-Old Male with Hospital Acquired Pneumonia and Elevated Troponin Levels: A Case Report , Kathryn M. Limberopoulos

Physical Therapy Interventions and Functional Outcomes for an 80-Year-Old Female Following Total Knee Replacement and Subsequent Infection: A Case Report , Hailey Corwin

Physical Therapy Management for a Female Student Athlete Post- Concussion: A Case Report , Matthew Johnson

Physical Therapy Management of 44-year-old Female with Lateral Ankle Sprain and Multiple Sclerosis in the Outpatient Setting: A Retrospective Case Report , Michael Gassett

Physical Therapy Management of a 16 Year Old Female with Vestibular Symptoms Following Suspected Concussion: A Case Report , Gina Tassione

Physical Therapy Treatment for a 90-Year Old Male after Lacunar Stroke with BPPV: An Outpatient Case Report , Adam Nicholson

Rehabilitative Management of a 66-Year-Old Female with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Report , Rachael Matthews

Task-Specific Resistance Training Bedside for an 80-Year-Old Deconditioned Female: A Case Report , Maura Ryan

The Effect of Core Strengthening Exercises and Sciatic Nerve Glides on 65 Year-Old Female with Low Back Pain and Lower Extremity Radicular Symptoms: A Case Report , Alex Bennett

The Effects of a McKenzie-Based Approach Combined with Functional Training for a Patient with Low Back Pain and Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Report , Mitchell Cronk

Treatment of a 41 Year Old Male Status/Post MVA with Radicular Symptoms in the Left Arm and Scapula: A Case Report , Eric Bihl

Treatment of a 65 Year Old Deconditioned Female Admitted with Complications Resulting from Morbid Obesity: A Case Report , David Sarvin

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Home > Academic Units > Health Professions > Physical Therapy Capstone Projects

Physical Therapy Capstone Projects

Capstones from 2021 2021.

The Effect of Visual Feedback on Lumbar Spinal Mobility in Subjects with Low Back Pain , Alexandra Adams, Averi Donaldson, Katherine Hildebrandt, and Philemon Miller

Capstones from 2019 2019

Bone Mineral Density in College Age Females: 
Lifestyle Factors and Bone Mineral Density , Mallory Arp, Darby Boggs, and Rebecca Fender

Capstones from 2018 2018

Correlation Between the Spirit Bike Maximal Power Output and Other Lower Extremity Power Output Tests , Tyler Adams, Joseph Brown, Gunnar Mendiola, Ryan Sullivan, and Cody Williams

An Analysis of Postural Changes Over Time and Their Relationship to Musculoskeletal Pain , Anna Barnes, Anna Dadamio, Suzanne Maggioni, Rebekah Stammer, and Sarah Simpson

Capstones from 2017 2017

Quantifying Ground Reaction Forces of Double and Single Leg Plyometric Exercises in a Horizontal, Gravity Minimized Position , T. Broering, R. Fair, D. Johnson, N. Lamb, Bryan Riemann, James L. Karnes, and George J. Davies

Efficacy of a Computerized Knee Simulation Model on Developing Manual Therapy Skills in Physical Therapy Students , T. Ellington, A. Buchanan, N. Call, B. Crum, J. Kearns, Haley Worth, David Bringman, Frank Glenn, and George J. Davies

Comparative Kinetic Force Analysis of the Propulsive and Landing Phase of a Single Leg Hop Between Individuals With and Without Anterior Knee Pain or Ankle Sprains , N. Van Dyke, J. Ash, D. Gay, D. McLean, Bryan Riemann, James Karnes, Frank A. Glenn, and George J. Davies

Capstones from 2016 2016

What are the Best Measurements of Power of the Lower Extremities and Correlation to Sports Performance Measures: Normals vs Subjects with Knee Pain? , T. Cowart, M. Pierce, J. Brown, Frank A. Glenn, and George J. Davies

What is the Effectiveness of a Computerized Shoulder Simulation Model on Developing Manual Therapy Skills in Physical Therapy Students? , S. Hines, K. Godfrey, J. Edwards, C. Altamare, Haley Worst, David A. Bringman, Frank A. Glenn, and George J. Davies

What are the Effects of the Use of “Top Ten” Exercises and OKC or CKC Perturbation Training and Effects on Subjects with Shoulder Pain: Prospective Randomized Controlled Training Study? , L. Jansky, R. Hampton, J. Higdon, T. Meeks, Haley Worst, A. Thompson, and George J. Davies

What are the Effects of Isolated Joint vs Multiple Joint Training of the Shoulder in Uninjured Subjects: Prospective Randomized Controlled Training Study? , E. McGuire, T. Mettenburg, B. Hill, C. Jones, Haley Worst, K. Manns, and George J. Davies

What are the Best Measurements of Power of the Upper Extremities, Accuracy in Determining Bilateral Differences, with Shoulder Pain, and Correlation to Sports Performance Measures: Normals vs Subjects with Shoulder Pain? , S. Morris, L. Thomas, R. Putnam, Frank A. Glenn, George J. Davies, and Bryan L. Riemann

Capstones from 2015 2015

Self-perception of Foot Strike During Running Correlation with Actual Foot Strike Pattern , E. Cattananch, A. Burdette, J. Wilkins, R. DeCecarreau, George J. Davies, and N. Wofford

The Effects of Isolated Joint Versus Multiple Joint Training on the Shoulder , D. Erickson, G. Morgan, F. Martin, and George J. Davies

Scientific Basis Underlying Shoulder Exercises: Concentric, Eccentric, Ballistic, and Plyometrics , A. Henry, S. Roberts, M. Motes, and George J. Davies

The Effectiveness of Low Volume Versus Very Low Volume on Upper Extremity Plyometric Exercises on Shoulder Performance , L. Tran, A. Beebe, J. Davies, G. Brackett, and George J. Davies

Capstones from 2014 2014

The Effect of Sitting on Stability Balls on Lower Back Pain and Core Endurance , T. Elliot, K. Marshall, D. Lake, and George J. Davies

The Effects of Hip Abductor and External Rotator Fatigue in Patients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome , M. Finlay, C. Paskewich, C. Crawley, D. Lake, J. Snappy, and George J. Davies

A Comparison of Isolated Total Leg Strengthening vs Functional Training on Strength, Balance and Agility in Healthy Individuals , G. Halbert, D. Burkett, D. Lake, and George J. Davies

Capstones from 2013 2013

Prospective, Randomized Clinical Trial of the Effects of Open, Closed and Combined Kinetic Chain Exercises on Patients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) , A. Anderson, J. Bond, K. Fitzpatrick, D. Morris, Bryan Riemann, and George J. Davies

Prospective Randomized Training Study Evaluating Low Versus Moderate Volume Plyometric Training on Functional Outcome Measures of the Shoulder , A. G. Holzwarth, L. S. Keen, D. L. McMahan, N. Wofford, and George J. Davies

The Effect of Scapular Fatigue on Upper Extremity Power , C. Smith, E. Schneider, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

Randomized Controlled Trial Analyzing Effects of a Stimulated Computerized Shoulder Model Training on the Accuracy of the Forces Used During Shoulder Mobilizations in First-year Physical Therapy Students , L. Webb, C. Ezell, J. Dunaway, K. Stroer, D. Benkesser, T. Cunningham, David Bringman, and George J. Davies

Capstones from 2012 2012

The Effectiveness of Low Volume Versus High Volume Upper Extremity Plyometric Exercises on the Kinematics and Kinetics of the Shoulder , K. Arnsdorff, S. Anderson, K. Burton, D. Voight, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

Upper Extremity Power Measure and Determining a Gold Standard , S. Clark, N. Rex, T. Austin, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davis

Effects of Dominant Arm Rotator Cuff Fatigue on Bilateral Glenohumeral and Scapulothoracic Muscle Strength and Glenohumeral Arthrokinematics , K. Hagan, A. May, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

The Effects of Isolated Vs Multiple Joint Training on the Knee Muscles , A. Jackson, C. Moreland, C. Oddi, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

The Use of OKC or CKC Perturbation Training and Effects on Subjects with Shoulder Pain , A. Kirksey, W. Ewin, E. King, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

Capstones from 2011 2011

NASM Movement Analysis Screening: Reliability, Construct Validity, and Association with Static Physical Performance Measurements , M. Bush, C. Griffin, K. Willenbring, David A. Bringman, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

The Effects of a Core Resistance Training Program Using the Boston Biomotion Instrument on Throwing Velocity, Bat Speed, and 30-yard Sprint in Collegiate Baseball Players , D. Richardson, A. Whiggum, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

The Effectiveness of an Isolated Exercise Shoulder Rehabilitation Program on Patients with Shoulder Pain; and Detraining Effects , M. Tankovich, M. Gignilliat, T. McCulloch, C. Birke, and George J. Davies

NASM Movement Analysis Screening: Reliability, Construct Validity, and Association with Dynamic Physical Performance Measurements , K. Welland, G. Woodward, M. Worsley, David A. Bringman, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

Capstones from 2010 2010

Open Kinetic Chain vs Closed Kinetic Chain Perturbation Training in the Shoulder , C. A. Dunn, M. S. Powers, K. Graham, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

EMG Analysis of Different Step Up Exercises for Lower Extremity in a Non-weighted and Weighted Condition , K. Grimmett, C. Black, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

EMG Analysis of Different Step Up Exercises for Lower Extremity for Normal Subjects and Subjects with Patello-femoral Pain Syndrome , J. Jameson, L. Turner, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

The Effects of Upper Extremity Plyometrics vs Strength Training on Static/dynamic Strength, Proprioception and Power of the Shoulder Musculature , M. T. Merritt, H. A. Newland, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

Capstones from 2009 2009

Reliability, Validity and Functional Testing of Boston Biomotion 3-D Equipment , J. Campbell, W. Waterman, and George J. Davies

EMG Analysis of 4 Lunge Exercises with Normal Subjects and Subjects with Patello-femoral Pain Syndrome , C. Carter, M. Yang, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

3-D Motion Analysis and kinematic analysis of lunge exercises and effects of fatigue. Examine interaction of mode (lateral vs. anterior), sex, limb dominance, and fatigue , A. Congleton, R. Ward, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

Plyometric Training of the Trunk and Assessment of the Core and Lower Extremity with Power Tests and Functional Tests , A. Jennings, T. Sharber, and George J. Davies

Plyometric Training of the Legs and Trunk and Assessment of the core and lower extremity with power tests and functional tests , E. Merritt, M. Akins, L. Kirkland, A. McGee, and George J. Davies

Capstones from 2008 2008

Multi-center Study for Correlation Between Simple Field Tests of Upper Extremity Function and Power , M. Ansley, A. Overstreet, B. McBride, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

Plyometric Training of the Core and Shoulder and Effects on Upper Extremity and Core Testing and Training and Detraining Effects , J. DeNyse, J. Spruill, M. Rosenau, Bryan L. Riemann, J. Lander, and George J. Davies

Descriptive HHD Testing of Rotator Cuff IR/ER in Different Positions: Prone, Supine, Seated 90/90 Abduction, Seated 90/90 Scaption, Seated 90/90 Lexion, 30/30/30 Position , H. Gardenhour, L. Ludwig, Bryan L. Riemann, L. Wright, and George J. Davies

Plyometric Training of the Core and Effects on Upper Extremity and Core Testing and Training and Detraining Effects , T. Kangeter, C. Jackson, J. Gardner, Bryan L. Riemann, and George J. Davies

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2023-2024 Capstone Projects

2022-2023 Capstone Project Abstracts

The Link Between Intrinsic Foot Strength and Gross Body Stability Patterns

Mentors: professor jay dicharry .

Summary: The aim is to examine the link between foot strength and whole-body balance strategies. Do people with better foot strength stabilize their body differently, and how does a history of repetitive ankle sprains impact whole body stability?

Professional Experiences of Physical Therapists Who Identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC)

Mentor: dr. kathryn lent.

Summary: The purpose of this study is to obtain information from physical therapists who identify as Black, Indigenous, or as a person of color about their lived experiences in professional contexts, including in their professional academic, employment, and continuing education roles.

Pickleball for Parkinson's 

Mentors: drs. carol-ann nelson & amy briley.

Summary: The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of an 8-week pickleball-based group skills and wellness program in people with Parkinson's on physical outcome measures (6-minute walk test, 10-meter walk test, four square step test and Mini-BEST balance test) as well as quality of life.

Trail Running Biomechanics

Mentor: dr. jj hannigan.

Summary: Trail running is quickly increasing in popularity, but very little research has been performed on trail runners outside of the lab.  The purpose of this study is to compare running biomechanics on the road vs. single track trail in both a traditional and maximal shoe.

Investigation of Dual Task Ability Across Multiple Cognitive Domains in Persons With Concussion and COVID

Mentor: dr. shannon compton & kelsea hulstrom.

Summary: This research aims to determine if protocols for assessing dual task impairments post-concussion should include assessments across different cognitive domains, and how a recent Covid diagnosis may affect concussion symptoms and recovery. Results may indicate areas for future research in individualizing treatment plans to maximize return to work, school, or play for persons with concussion.

Comparison of the Effect of Standard of Care Exercise Program to Self-Selected Exercise on Compliance in People with Parkinson's Disease

Mentors: drs. erin fitzgerald & david seck.

Summary: Current research demonstrates that people with Parkinson’s Disease can have challenges with compliance with exercise programs. This project aims to develop a program based on identifying barriers for individual participants and creating a program tailored to their individual needs with an emphasis on engaging in enjoyable activities.

Maximal Shoe Design & Running Biomechanics

Mentor: drs. jj hannigan & christine pollard.

Summary: While the FORCE Laboratory has done considerable work on running biomechanics in maximal shoes over the past 5 years, we still know little about how the midsole construction of maximal shoes affects running biomechanics.  Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare running biomechanics in maximal shoes with a firm and soft midsole, as well as a rockered and non-rockered midsole.  

Shoulder Proprioception and Physical Therapy

Mentors: dr. david phillips.

Summary: The presence of shoulder pain negatively influences the ability to accurately determine joint position without vision.  Therefore, the purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of physical therapy rehabilitation to restore proprioception in participants with shoulder pain. 

Standardization of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Limb Circumference and Volume Calculation

Mentor: dr. meredith wampler-kuhn.

Summary: Breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) impacts approximately 65% of women treated for breast cancer. There is a gap in the literature describing whether circumference-based volume calculations using different increments of circumference measures are interchangeable.  Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine if limb circumference with frustum calculations of volume are interchangeable when different increments of circumference measures are used.

Foot Factors in Pickleball Players

Mentor: drs. marcey keefer hutchison & peter schrey.

Summary: Pickleball has been the fastest growing sport in the US for five consecutive years, but little research on the sport has been performed to date. Therefore, the overall purpose of the proposed study is to measure foot/ankle strength and function in a variety of pickleball players, comparing data across age, gender, sport experience, and level of skill.

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School of physical therapy & rehabilitation sciences, quick links.

On Friday, December 6 th the class of 2020 presented their capstone projects to faculty and students.  The Capstone Seminar in Physical Therapy provides an opportunity for third year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students to develop a tailored learning experience involving professional peer mentoring, education or research, and evidence-based practice. The goal is to create a systematic review which can be disseminated.  Systematic Review questions are determined by faculty who serve as mentors over this year long process.

The capstone project fosters life-long learning and skills needed to create similar projects to answer clinical questions which add to the body of literature once they become clinicians. The uniqueness of this project is based in its team approach, collaboration among group members, and ability to present to colleagues their findings. Student elect between 2 tracks – teaching/learning and research.  In the teaching/learning track, students receive knowledge and skills to serve as near-peer mentors in a first year DPT course.  Whereas, students on the research track participate in a formal research project based on their faculty mentor’s research.

These projects have been accepted and presented at University of South Florida Health Research Day, American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) CSM and NEXT, and other national and regional meetings. Finally, systematic reviews have been accepted for publication.

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USF Health: The future of academic medicine

OTD Capstone Ideas, Examples, and Mentors

• Post date --> March 27, 2024

As part of an occupational therapy doctoral program in the United States, doctoral students spend around 500 hours working on a capstone experience and project.

The purpose of a capstone project is to help students take a deep dive into an area of OT, synthesize the information, and then disseminate their findings. These projects have the potential to help OT professionals all over the world improve our clinical practices.

But, until now, it’s been difficult to find and read these projects!

In this post, we’ll share:

• How to find projects in our OT Capstone Catalog

How to submit to the OT Capstone Catalog

• Our directory of capstone mentors!
• Our course on being a capstone mentor

Find Project Examples in the OT Capstone Catalog

With our new OT Capstone Catalog , OT professionals from around the globe can easily see examples of OTD capstone projects from graduating OTD students. Likewise, other doctoral students can see examples of past projects, to help them generate ideas.

And, our favorite part is that students and working professionals, who are members of the OT Potential Club , can interact about the project!

The catalog is free for the public to see.

How the catalog can help you generate ideas for your OTD capstone.

Ideally, in occupational therapy we are always building on one another’s work. So, with the capstone catalog, you can now search nationally to see what similar projects have been done in your focus and practice area. Take the time to read the advice submitted.

And, if you are pursing a project similar to what you find posted, we encourage you to leave comment for the student to see!

Our capstone catalog has a robust search feature. But to get you started you can browse by the focus areas of different projects :

• Clinical practice skills
• Administration
• Program and development
• Policy development
• Theory development

For 2024, it is free for capstone students to submit their project to the OT Capstone Catalog!

If your project is accepted, we will share it with our mailing list of over 20k OT professionals—now, that’s dissemination!

Here’s all you have to do:

1. Email us

Email us at [email protected] with the subject, “Capstone Submission” and tell us one sentence about your project.  We will set you up with a free 1 year membership to the OT Potential Club, at the email address you email us from!

2. Share an overview of your project

After you've gained access to the Club, submit the following information:

• One sentence description of your project
• Student name
• Name of Mentor
• Capstone setting
• Virtual / In-person / Hybrid
• Capstone Objectives
• Method/Design/Approach
• Results/Outcomes
• Conclusions
• 2-3 ideas for future directions to build on on this project
• Reflections on how you see this project influencing your OT career trajectory.
• How many individuals do you estimate increased their awareness of OT due to your project?

These are meant to be short and sweet, so only 1-2 sentences for each bullet point is encouraged. Your project will  live here!

Are you looking for a capstone mentor?

The other perk of being part of the OT Potential Club is our incredible network of OTs from around the globe . On our OT directory, some members have indicated interest in serving as a mentor in particular subject areas. You can see these professionals below.

Curious what the capstone experience is actually like?

It is hard to capture all of the learning and potential of the capstone experience, in a post like this.

So, I was able to record a podcast-based course with our own capstone student, Alana Woolley , and her capstone coordinator, Daniel Rortvedt . In the course, we discuss some research on the benefits of the capstone experience, and then walk through our advice for creating a great capstone experience.

This episode is really geared towards mentors, but anyone involved in the process, may benefit from listening!

At OT Potential, our mission is to help the majority of occupational therapy practitioners from around the globe make a habit of regularly exploring new OT-related research. So, participating in the dissemination of capstone projects has been a natural fit for us. We hope you find it to be a win-win for both students and working practitioners.

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Designing effective capstone experiences and projects for entry-level doctoral students in occupational therapy: One program’s approaches and lessons learned

Entry-level doctoral occupational therapy programs require students to complete a capstone experience and project that supports advanced skills through an in-depth learning experience with a student-selected mentor. Strong curriculum design and mentorship are vital aspects of successful capstone experiences and projects. Through the application of these key components, students are supported, in collaboration with mentors, to achieve mutually beneficial projects allowing advancement of the profession through dissemination of capstone work.

The first entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (OTD) program in the US was accredited in 1998 ( American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2014 ), and the initial entry-level OTD education accreditation standards were set forth by the American Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) in 2006. The doctoral section of the ACOTE standards were subsequently updated in 2011 and 2018 ( ACOTE, 2018 ; AOTA, 2011 ). In 2015, there were six accredited entry-level OTD programs in the US; currently, approximately 170 entry-level OTD programs are either fully accredited, in the application process for accreditation, or in the development phase of accreditation ( AOTA, 2019 ). A steady increase of new OTD programs emerging has resulted in major changes to the accreditation standards that outline the uniqueness of the doctoral degree compared with the master’s degree.

One pivotal and consistent component of the doctoral standards is the requirement for students to complete an advanced competency experience at the end of the curriculum. The most recent ACOTE standards, to be implemented in the summer of 2020, changed the name from the previously entitled “doctoral experiential component” to the “capstone experience and project” ( ACOTE, 2018 , p. 38). Capstone components in entry-level OTD curricula support previous literature, both inside and outside of the profession, that asserts that graduates from these programs must engage in experiences and projects that demonstrate synthesis and application of knowledge gained through the curriculum ( ACOTE, 2018 ; Campbell, 2011 ). In addition, the literature reflects the view that doctoral students should participate in professional scholarly endeavors ( ACOTE, 2018 ; Jirikowic et al., 2015 ). The OTD capstone is an essential component of entry-level OTD programs that prepare graduates to accept responsibility and professional autonomy in assuming leadership roles in the health care delivery system ( AOTA, 2013 ). According to ACOTE standards, the capstone should not be designed as a third fieldwork; rather, it should provide students with an in-depth experience in one or more of eight identified focus areas: clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development ( ACOTE, 2018 ). Further, compared with the previous ACOTE standards, the newest standards provide more detail on the requirements for students, educational programs, and capstone mentors.

The entry-level OTD capstone is divided into a 14-week capstone experience and project (herein called capstone), which ACOTE requires to be aligned with each program’s vision, mission, and curricular design ( ACOTE, 2018 ). During the capstone, students are mentored by an individual with expertise in the student’s area of interest, and students complete an individual capstone project that demonstrates synthesis of advanced knowledge as well as application of gained knowledge ( ACOTE, 2018 ). Through capstone experiences and projects, occupational therapy (OT) students are afforded significant opportunities to enhance knowledge, skills, and motivation by engaging in emerging practice areas, primary care, interprofessional teams, and specialty practice areas ( Olsen et al., 2010 ). Capstone experiences and projects are widely used as a component of teaching in graduate health profession programs and are often associated with higher levels of student learning because of the deeper approach that allows students to gain experience integrating ideas into real-world practice ( Campbell, 2011 ). Clinical doctoral programs, many of which include capstone projects, have become the new educational standard among most health professions ( Brownell & Swaner, 2009 ; Campbell, 2011 ). An entry-level schema for clinical doctorates is a precedent that has been established by a variety of health-related professions, including OT.

Both the increasing number of entry-level OTD programs in the US and demands to recruit and support new capstone opportunities have created a need to describe the capstone curricula and educational methods of existing programs as potential models for other programs. Having gained experience and addressed key challenges in designing and implementing OTD capstone curricula, the authors are motivated to share the program’s model and lessons learned with peers in academic and nonacademic OT settings. This paper will describe the curriculum design of this institution’s capstone program as well as the processes of academic preparation, the roles and responsibilities of capstone partners, the mentor selection processes, approaches to capstone evaluation and outcomes, and lessons learned. The intent of this article is to support academic colleagues in informing the development and implementation of effective new capstone programs for OTD students

Key ACOTE Standards Related to Capstone

ACOTE is an associated advisory council of the executive board of AOTA and is the recognized accrediting agency for OT education. Academic resources outlined in the A.2.0 ACOTE (2018) standards address the roles, qualifications, general responsibilities, and release-time expectations of the capstone coordinator (CC). Capstone definitions and requirements are addressed in the eight D standards ( ACOTE, 2018 ). These capstone-specific standards address the design of the doctoral capstone and its reflection of the curriculum design, preparation for capstone, contractual agreements, duration of the capstone experience, mentor requirements, mechanism of evaluation, and doctoral project stipulations ( ACOTE, 2018 ). In the following sections, key ACOTE standards are summarized for capstone experiences and projects, demonstrating approaches to achieving these standards most effectively.

Doctoral Program Overview

This university’s OT program is 33 months in length and comprises 2 years of didactic coursework. It includes three Level I fieldwork rotations, 6 months of Level II fieldwork, and a 14-week capstone that occurs in the final semester. When the inaugural cohort of students were enrolled, six other accredited entry-level OTD programs existed nationwide, with numerous others in varying stages of accreditation. With limited numbers of similar programs as guiding models, the faculty created a capstone curriculum through alignment with the program’s vision, mission, and targeted educational outcomes for students. Curriculum development was guided by the ACOTE standards, with the faculty actively seeking advice through extensive faculty discussions and networking with other OTD programs. To date, this program has four cohorts of capstone students totaling 131 students and capstone projects. This OTD program follows the practice-scholar model as a prominent thread in the curriculum. The design of this model is to support students in developing professional skills and abilities to be lifelong learners and effective consumers of evidence, students who are evidence-informed and evidence-based practitioners and who have a drive for research design and innovation ( Crist et al., 2005 ). Regarding the curriculum and the OTD capstone, significant time and effort is spent building and following the practice-scholar model tenants in an already densely packed curriculum. This approach presents unique challenges because priority is placed on service learning where the allotment of resources is in areas outside of minimum curricular requirements, including numerous experiences in community engagement and project-based learning; thus, there is a risk of not emphasizing foundational knowledge and skills. To address these and other challenges in the capstone process, the program incorporates several distinguishing features in the following areas: capstone curriculum; role delineation for the faculty, CC, mentor, and student; dissemination; and the themes and characteristics of the mentors’ and students’ projects.

Capstone Curriculum

The OT students take three designated courses related to capstone: (a) Doctoral Capstone Planning, (b) Doctoral Capstone, and (c) Practice-Scholar Culmination. Jirikowic et al. (2015) and DeIuliis and Bednarski (2019) outline a similar structure for capstone development centered around four stages: idea development, planning, implementation, and dissemination. Although the first capstonerelated course (idea development and planning) begins in the fifth semester, or spring of the students’ second year, students are encouraged to develop and document ideas of interest from the start of the program. A successful strategy that students have employed for collecting ideas is creating a shared online document to store topics and capstone project ideas gleaned from interactions with guest lecturers, community partners, and faculty. This early and student-directed collection of capstone ideas from the start of the program allows students to generate ideas to cultivate by the time the capstone planning class occurs. The second and third capstone-related courses (implementation and dissemination) occur during the sixth and final semester of the program ( DeIuliis & Bednarski, 2019 ). The following section includes examples of assignments and activities that have been successful in the planning, preparation, implementation, and dissemination phases for our OTD students.

Doctoral Capstone Planning

During the initial capstone class, students engage in a 15-week capstone planning course that consists of traditional lecture, in-class and online discussions, self-study, and guest panel presentations. This course supports students in designing individualized capstone level plans, with faculty direction to guide the development and implementation of the 14-week doctoral capstone. The student’s plan will reflect the desired outcomes from the doctoral capstone, which are to acquire practice-scholar competencies reflecting the degree program’s sequence and scope of content in the curriculum design. The goals of the capstone planning course include identifying interest areas, topics, and mentors, as well as finalizing a draft of the capstone plan. Because the initial capstone plans are created a year in advance, much can change for a mentor and mentor site. Thus, capstone plans need to be fluid, working documents that allow for changes to meet the evolving needs of the students, mentors, and sites. The high value coursework included in the capstone planning class, above and beyond the ACOTE requirement of needs assessment and literature review, is described as follows:

• Students explore capstone ideas and supporting evidence in an online discussion board. The final capstone idea is derived from this initial discussion board work.
• Students create individualized marketing materials to send to potential mentors. Materials include a flyer that defines capstone, details student ideas, and clearly identifies mentor roles.
• Students are encouraged to be creative in capstone flyer design while also adhering to health care literacy standards and accessibility standards.
• Using the content from the flyer, students work in small groups to hone a capstone elevator speech for mentors.
• Students engage in peer-to-peer teaching via feedback assignments through online discussion boards. Students upload marketing materials and provide one another with constructive feedback.
• Current capstone experience students in the community return to campus to present capstone projects to the planning class. Students are required to include information regarding the journey of planning, mentor selection, collaboration process with mentors, and the challenges and successes experienced. Students who complete capstones farther from campus are asked to submit video summaries to the online learning system detailing capstones work.
• Examples of exemplar capstone projects are shared with the students to support developing capstone ideas and selecting of mentors.

An ACOTE requirement is that students must complete a literature review and needs assessment before the capstone experience. One of the fundamental challenges is that students have not yet completed longer clinical rotations and do not have the context for application to practice for a robust needs assessment. Another challenge is that students may not identify a mentor during the planning class and need to complete these two requirements while on fieldwork where the focus is on developing entrylevel practice skills. While students become proficient in literature reviews during the program, most do not have enough relevant experience to envision focus areas and application in practice. To meet these challenges, content in the capstone planning class was designed to support students in fulfilling these requirements so that they are not doing this activity while on fieldwork. Students must identify a topic of interest; a search strategy inclusive of search engines, search terms, and article yields; and a summary of topic-focused articles that can be shared with potential mentors. Students complete a needs assessment via a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis based on the literature or in collaboration with a mentor (if identified early in the planning class) ( Rizzo & Kim, 2005 ).

Another component in the class is the development of a student’s capstone plan. This consists of eight parts: (a) mentor information, (b) capstone overview relating the plan to AOTA’s Vision 2025 and to the program’s overall mission and goals, (c) focus areas identified (d) mentor name and qualification information, (e) learning objectives (based on focus area), (f) proposed learning activities, (g) proposed evidence or deliverables of the project (what is being provided to the mentor/site), and (h) the project timeline ( AOTA, 2017 ). In this capstone plan are weekly activity tracking forms, program created midterm evaluation forms (narrative), and the program created final capstone evaluation form, all of which are requirements in the D standards of ACOTE (2018) .

Doctoral Capstone

The students complete the capstone during the final semester of the program in one or more of the eight identified focus areas per ACOTE. Several programs elect to embed the capstone project throughout their curriculum; often, faculty serve as the mentors for the project, and students identify a mentor to implement projects during the experience portion. In contrast to students in other entry-level OTD capstone programs, the students in this program complete projects and experiences in the same semester with identified mentors in the community ( DeIuliis & Bednarski, 2019 ). This approach supports the collaboration between community-based mentors and students to ensure that sustainable and site or practice-related projects are created. During the implementation phase, students remain engaged with the faculty and peers through online discussion posts during Weeks 2, 7, and 12. These serve as check-ins on progress and completed work. Also, the program has designed its own internal evaluation form embedded in a student’s capstone plan. Key components of evaluations include progress toward learning activities, projects, remaining work, sustainability of projects, mentor-perceived value of projects, and narrative summaries from both students and mentors. Evaluations of capstone are completed at midterm (Week 7) with the CC and the final (Week 14) with the student and mentor.

Students and mentors complete a midterm evaluation at Week 7. Students provide a summary of progress toward individualized objectives and projects and summarize completed activities and plans for the remaining seven weeks. Further, mentors can provide feedback and complete an evaluation to date at this time. The capstone plan has the embedded evaluative measure that allows mentors to indicate whether projects are achieved, in progress, or discontinued; in addition, the evaluation includes the mentors’ comments on the overall practicality and sustainability of projects. This midterm evaluation is uploaded to the online learning platform for the CC to review. The students and mentors also complete a midterm phone call and/or site visit.

During Week 14, students and mentors complete the final evaluation of the capstone. Specifically, students describe progress toward proposed learning activities and evidence and project deliverables. Mentors provide feedback regarding individual learning objectives and activities and evaluate whether the objectives were achieved, if evidence of a deliverable was provided, if the project or deliverable is sustainable, if the project is valuable to the setting, and if students have identified future projects and overall mentor feedback.

Practice-Scholar Culmination

Dissemination is achieved through the third capstone-related class and is driven by the practice-scholar model to allow for a demonstration of synthesis of skills learned throughout the program, wrapping up three exemplary components: capstone presentations and artifacts, practice-scholar apprentice presentations, and professional development presentations. Final evaluation of the capstone is completed by the CC during this dissemination phase and feedback is given through the designed rubrics.

Through this feature of the class, the practice-scholar model epitomizes the goal of cultivating highly respected OT practitioners who are also scholars with the ability and interest to establish knowledge translation and practice-based evidence projects, support research initiatives, and who can translate observed changes from interventions into outcome studies. A practice-scholar is not only a consumer of evidence but creates evidence in context. This class, occurring in the final semester, is a blend of online and on-campus assignments and activities. The online assignments include:

• resume writing and marketing self as a future occupational therapy practitioner, and
• professional development presentation preparation, in which students work in small groups to create a conference-style presentation with active learning components to be provided on campus to peers and community practitioners.

The final week of the semester the students are on campus to complete the following activities:

• provide an evaluation and reflection to the program related to the didactic portion of the curriculum, fieldwork rotations, and capstone experience;
• engage in several opportunities to practice and collaborate with peers, faculty, and mentors to finalize culminating presentations for a half day symposium;
• prepare for future employment: Students attend several training sessions that focus on the application process for the national certification examination and state licensure, in addition to understanding employment options and interviewing techniques;
• present during the final day to a symposium capstone presentations, professional development presentations, and practice-scholar projects to peers, faculty, university leadership, and community practitioners;
• present in a “Floor us in 4 Minutes” model, which allows the student to clearly and succulently summarize capstone work. This innovative approach to dissemination is designed to improve students’ communication skills as well as the capacity to present research, scholarship, and/or creative works effectively;
• present a 50-min small group professional development presentation composed of students with like interests. The team creates a conference-style presentation that focuses on a topic that was learned in the program and/or fieldwork. Each team is required to create a presentation that includes learning objectives, the evidence to support the material presented, and an active learning strategy for the attendees; and
• present an outcome of the research that was accomplished in the practice-scholar team. Outcomes may include a manuscript, poster presentation, or program developed.

Roles of Faculty, Capstone Coordinators, Students, and Mentors

Faculty members, other than the CC, may support the capstone experience in several ways. A student may select a faculty member to be the capstone mentor if doing so aligns with the student’s learning outcomes; however, our faculty serve as designated capstone mentors only in limited instances. One reason is that this role poses challenges to faculty if workload is not allocated to support the mentoring work. To address this issue, faculty who choose to serve as designated capstone mentors fold the mentoring time and work into scholarship or research allocated time. To date, there have been three faculty members who have served as capstone mentors and, when serving as a mentor, are required to complete all of the mentor roles and responsibilities as outlined in the program’s MOU. More frequently, when a faculty member’s area of expertise aligns with a student’s interest area, the faculty member will provide guidance on capstone ideas, identify potential mentors, assist in making mentor selection, and help the student develop the capstone plan.

Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (AFWC)

The AFWC works closely with the CC on similar tasks, but these are two distinct roles in the department ( DeIuliis & Bednarski, 2019 ). Effective collaboration between the AFWC and the CC is crucial in identifying potential capstone sites and mentors, managing contracts, and ensuring that sitespecific requirements are known to both the AFWC and the CC.

Capstone Coordinator (CC)

The CC in the program is a full-time, 12-month, core faculty member who oversees and supports the capstone portion of the program to ensure compliance with ACOTE D standards ( ACOTE, 2018 ). Broadly, the minimum responsibilities of the coordinator are to provide a framework for students to develop, plan, implement, and disseminate capstone work ( DeIuliis & Bednarski, 2019 ; Jirikowic et al., 2015 ). A major challenge facing programs is how to structure the CC position to meet the needs of mentors and students, as well as faculty expectations. To that end, the CC has other responsibilities in the department, college, and university, including teaching non-capstone courses, providing service, and engaging in research. In contrast to other OTD program models, in which faculty serve as mentors or there are capstone committees, the program’s CC is solely responsible for oversight of each aspect of the capstone ( DeIuliis & Bednarski, 2019 ). The coordinator and students select and work collaboratively with mentors from the community to implement the capstone. The results of this intentional approach are a clear communication path for capstone contact for students, a primary point of contact for mentors, and a single point of contact to manage contracts, the memorandum of understanding (MOU), and capstone plans.

Capstone is a student-driven process in which the onus falls on the student to create an idea, search the literature, complete a needs assessment, and identify a mentor. Students struggle at times to convey capstone interests beyond general themes, such as an interest in stroke rehabilitation, and to understand how project-based work unfolds in a real-world setting. When students lack clarity, it is difficult for mentors to understand how to best support a capstone student. Assignments in the planning class, such as refining a student’s capstone idea in a capstone elevator speech, address this issue directly. At a minimum, students are required to complete the following activities:

• develop a personal definition and explanation of capstone for potential mentors;
• complete a capstone plan, which includes a plan for supervision and culminating project identification;
• develop an objective evaluative measure of achievement for capstone; and
• develop a timetable for capstone with week-by-week objectives.

At a minimum, students are responsible for the achieving the following objectives and milestones:

• success of the culminating project,
• meeting with the mentor on a routine basis to assess progress toward the capstone plan and culminating project,
• contacting the CC about concerns regarding progress that the mentor is not able to address,
• meeting with the CC and mentor to complete a midterm visit and program developed evaluation, and
• meeting with the mentor to complete final program developed evaluation of the capstone and culminating project.

Capstone Mentor

A mentor is defined by ACOTE (2018) as an individual with expertise consistent with the student’s area of focus. Mentoring is further defined as “the relationship between two people in which one person (the mentor) is dedicated to the personal and professional growth of the other (the mentee). A mentor has more experience and knowledge than the mentee” ( ACOTE, 2018 , p. 51). The mentor does not have to be an occupational therapist. The mentor identification and selection process begins in the fifth semester of the program during the capstone planning class. As illustrated in Figure 1 , there are nine identifiable steps in the program’s mentor selection process, several of which are imbedded as planning class assignments. Mentors appear to best serve students when there is a clear understanding of the differences between a Level II fieldwork rotation and the capstone experience. In addition, capstone mentors are most effective when the differences between mentoring and supervision are well understood. Most capstones are a blend of supervision and mentoring, and collaborations are successful when mentors and students clearly define expectations. Capstone mentors are responsible for the following activities, deliverables, and milestones:

• providing the CC with a resume, curriculum vitae, or bio sketch that provides evidence of the mentor’s expertise consistent with the student’s area of interest;
• reviewing and signing the MOU before the capstone begins;
• providing feedback on and final approval of the capstone plan;
• providing the student with the mentorship and resources required to fulfill the capstone responsibilities and achieve the highest educational goals;
• reaching out to the CC with any concerns or questions that cannot be resolved with the capstone student; and
• coming to an agreement with the student and the program as to proprietorship and/or authorship for capstone projects.

Flow Chart of Mentor Selection Process

The Capstone Component

To date, in four cohorts, 131 students in the OTD program have successfully completed capstones with 127 mentors, with two mentors having taken multiple students. Core to the program is the mission to serve the state population and support its workforce for OT. While students are required to complete Level I and Level II fieldwork rotations in the state, with a few exceptions, capstone can be completed outside the state or internationally. In keeping with the mission, many students are selecting capstone sites and mentors in the state (see Figure 3 ). In the inaugural cohort, 13 of the 23 (56%) mentor sites were cultivated from existing fieldwork contracts and relationships. In subsequent cohorts, 38 (29%) mentors have returned to mentor another student on new projects (see Figure 2 ). To date, 93 out of 127 (73%) were first-time mentors for the program’s capstone students (see Figure 3 ).

4-year Mentor Demographics

4-year Capstone Locations Summary

Nearly all of this program’s students (96%) select two or more focus areas for capstone projects, and 20% of students select at least four focus areas (see Figure 4 ). The most selected focus areas are clinical practice skills and program development. There appears to be emerging focus trends in capstone, with the most apparent surrounding clinical skill development and program development. Students are frequently drawn to clinicians who practice in specialty areas or are recognized for advanced level of practice, so it makes sense that clinical skill development would be a focus for students. Students most frequently collaborate with mentors on program development projects, with none choosing theory development to date (see Figure 4 ). This theme indicates that students and mentors are, in fact, collaborating on projects that meet a site need or clinical practice initiative.

Selected Capstone Focus Area Outcomes

Students typically take one of three paths toward mentor selection (see Figure 5 ). First, the mentor-focused path involves selecting the mentor based on shared interest or expertise. This approach can be student-driven but also offers the chance that mentors already have projects for students to join, so students do not necessarily generate the ideas. Second, the idea/project-focused path involves an outof-the-box or emerging practice area, perhaps something that students may or may not have a chance to do in the future. This is the most student-driven approach, as students approach potential mentors with ideas already in formation. Third, the location-focused path involves selecting the location site where students plan to live and work and then finding a mentor. This path narrows the students’ scope in terms of finding both a mentor and site open to taking a capstone student. This is emerging as the least studentdriven pathway, tending to be more mentor-directed in terms of project availability and clinical practice exposures.

Capstone Selection Pathways

Lessons Learned

Communication.

The capstone was initially entitled residency when the program first started to distinguish it from fieldwork and set it apart from other student experiences. However, this term has different meanings in medical models and health care settings, and in some cases, the term residency was prohibited because it is designated for medical students. After faculty discussion and feedback from community stakeholders and students, the department changed the name to doctoral experiential component (DEC) to align with the 2011 ACOTE standard terminology. In accordance with the most recent 2018 ACOTE standards, the term capstone is now used to ensure the experience and project are consistently represented in the profession. This term more closely aligns with the project nature of the clinical doctorate outcomes. The multiple name changes have been a barrier for the CC to overcome, as clarification is needed to update mentors and students on the overarching goals of capstone.

Close communication with the AFWC is essential to build mentors and sites for capstone. The AFWC is key in providing sites and potential mentors with site-specific examples of capstone opportunities. This is accomplished during all Level II fieldwork rotations, during which the AFWC completes 90% of midterm evaluations in person. Based on experiences over the past 4 years, it seems non-occupational therapy mentors and occupational therapists in nontraditional roles readily engage in mentoring capstone students more so than traditional occupational therapists. Examples of nonoccupational therapy mentors to date are child life specialist, director of pediatric hospice program, primary school teacher, recreation therapists, life coach, yoga instructor, volunteer program coordinator of non-profit organization, and director for youth foster congregate care homes. At times, it has been easier to recruit non-occupational therapists because these mentors do not necessarily have the constraints of productivity and clinical practice responsibilities, and there is not a need to differentiate between a capstone and fieldwork student.

The department chair, faculty, CC, and AFWC all work to communicate a single message and theme of capstone when collaborating or communicating with the program’s numerous stakeholders. Capstone mentors and project ideas can and do come from these relationships. For example, during an OT state association lunch, an occupational therapist identified a need to collect and analyze data on the evaluation process and discharge recommendation practice habits of the staff. The CC helped define the project question and research questions and connected a capstone student for the project. This resulted in policy and program changes in the mentor’s practice setting and created elevation of practice in discharge planning. Collaborating with existing mentors to get the word out on capstone has been well received at AOTA and state conferences. As a bonus, not only does this provide mentors to engage in scholarship through presentations, potential mentors hear from mentors who have been through the process and can relate best how capstone translates in clinical practice.

Social media platforms are an effective way to share capstone stories and projects. Students, mentors, and projects are routinely showcased on the program’s numerous social media platforms. Students create the narrative to be shared, which benefits the university, OT program, and mentors.

Each year, there is a period of developing and evolving expectations with each new cohort of OTD students and mentors ( Hansen et al., 2007 ). New mentors and students require time to explore capstone projects and collaborations to determine if capstone is a good fit for the mentor and student. Most capstones are a blend of supervision and mentoring, and collaborations are successful when mentors and students clearly define expectations, allocate time for clinical skills and projects, and discuss communication styles.

There currently are few resources available for academic programs and mentors to guide capstone curricular development or clinical site capstone programs. Mentors seeking this information have access to fieldwork resources and rely on adapting them to meet the needs of capstone students in the practice setting. Feedback from mentors and students indicates that the structure of a consistent capstone plan is preferred rather than every capstone plan being in a different format. Uniformity has helped with familiarizing mentors to the program and supports branding and expectations of student projects.

Mentor Preparation

A challenge facing students and programs is that people who excel in professional fields are not always master educators or mentors, and mentoring involves a complex and dynamic exchange between mentors and mentees ( Smith, 2007 ). However, capstone mentors, when knowledgeable about the expectations and components of capstone, can further personal professional development and achieve a higher level of mastery ( Stoffel et al., 2014 ). Mentor sites, when familiar with the expectations and potential for program development, may bolster recruitment and retention of staff and highlight new programs by engaging in capstone mentoring partnerships with students and academic programs. Occupational therapists are familiar with fieldwork because all occupational therapists go through the process. There is a plethora of fieldwork literature, frameworks, and supports for fieldwork educators to follow. There currently are few frameworks and resources for OT capstone mentors outside of academia. CCs need to provide capstone mentors with resources and education regarding the capstone for mentors to feel more confident in their responsibilities and understanding of the differences between fieldwork and capstone requirements.

The capstone experience is an important and vital element of entry-level OTD programs. It is an individualized component of entry-level OTD education to produce a culminating project ( Case-Smith et al., 2014 ). In this student-informed process, the onus is on students and mentors to develop programs and envision how projects are springboards for future practice, such as research, quality improvement projects, and staff development ( Fortune et al., 2012 ). AOTA’s Vision 2025 charges occupational therapists to increase capacity and collaboration ( AOTA, 2017 ). OT mentors can meet Vision 2025 by engaging in mentor partnerships with capstone students. Through curriculum design, academia can promote capstone partnerships with occupational therapists and non-occupational therapist mentors that offer the opportunity not only to engage in scholarship, but also to advance programs that are of importance to the student, mentor, community, and or facility. The future holds exciting opportunities among established and developing OTD programs to share structural elements of capstone curriculum and program outcomes, to clarify language used for descriptions, and to better engage mentors in capstone collaborations.

Acknowledgements:

Technical editing was provided by Laurence Green and supported, in part, by NIH/NIMHD RCMI U54MD012388 (Baldwin/Stearns-MPI). Special thanks to our Founding Chair Patricia Crist, PhD, OTR, PC, FAOTA, for her direction and support in the development of the program.

Conflicts of Interest: None

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University of Montana - Rehab Essentials

Educating Health Professionals in a Cost-Effective Way

Course Description

Capstone for tdpt.

Upon successful completion of this content area, the therapist will:

• Formulate a case report in approved format. Submit according to instructions
• Justify the use of case reports in evidence-based practice
• Distinguish the terms ‘Case Report’ and ‘Case Study’ in the professional literature
• Propose a patient/client/topic to utilize for your “case report”
• Distinguish various information sources for an efficient literature search
• Analyze relevant professional literature to produce an appropriate literature review for the case report
• Articulate an outline of proposed case report including examination, evaluation, diagnosis, interventions, and outcome measures
• Decide on clear operational definitions of all variables
• Articulate the basic ethical background needed to understand how ethics are applied within society and compared to ethics concepts within the research and science writing domain (how ethical principles are derived according to sociology, culture and religion and influence of relativism)
• Distinguish the basic legal considerations, principles and values used within the US convention of research and research writing including truthfulness, avoidance of bias, manipulation of data and other questionable research practices, selective reporting and misrepresentations
• Articulate US standard practice of ethical writing including confidentiality, informed consent, HIPAA, general ethical principles in patient care and case report writing, beneficence, APTA Code of Ethics, role of the IRB and copyright laws governing material on the internet

Program Offerings

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+1 406-936-0140

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1889 Tamarack Lane              Columbia Falls, MT 59912

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• Pennsylvania

Mr. Perry A Koslow

• MEDICARE CERTIFIED
• 12+ YEARS EXP
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Mr. Perry A Koslow, PT, is a Physical Therapy specialist in Moscow, Pennsylvania. He graduated in 2012, having over 12 years of diverse experience, especially in Physical Therapy. Mr. Perry A Koslow accepts Medicare-approved amount as payment in full. Call (570) 842-8191 to request Mr. Perry A Koslow the information (Medicare information, advice, payment, ...) or simply to book an appointment.

Medical Specialties

• Physical Therapy (primary specialty)
• Over 12 years of diverse experience

Credentials

• Physical Therapist (PT) help Physical Therapist Physical therapists, sometimes called PTs, help injured or ill people improve their movement and manage their pain. These therapists are often an important part of rehabilitation and treatment of patients with chronic conditions or injuries.

Education and Training

• Mr. Perry A Koslow graduated in 2012.
• NPI #: 1235119926
• NPI Enumeration Date: Thursday, January 19, 2006
• NPPES Last Update: Friday, May 23, 2008

Quality Reporting

• eRx - He does not participate in the Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program.
• PQRS - He does not report Quality Measures (PQRS). The Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is a Medicare program encouraging health care professionals and group practices to report information on their quality of care. Quality measures can show how well a health care professional provides care to people with Medicare.
• EHR - He does not use electronic health records (EHR). The Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program encourages health care professionals to use certified EHR technology in ways that may improve health care. Electronic health records are important because they may improve a health care professional's ability to make well-informed treatment decisions.
• MHI - He does not commit to heart health through the Million Hearts initiative. Million Hearts is a national initiative that encourages health care professionals to report and perform well on activities related to heart health in an effort to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
• MOC - He does not participate in the Medicare Maintenance of Certification Program. A "Maintenance of Certification Program" encourages board certified physicians to continue learning and self-evaluating throughout their medical career.

Language Spoken by Mr. Perry A Koslow

Medical licenses, practice locations.

• Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Thursday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Saturday: Closed
• Sunday: Closed

Contact Mr. Perry A Koslow by phone: (570) 842-8191 for verification, detailed information, or booking an appointment before going to.

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