The Hand Therapy Society of Greater Los Angeles (HTSGLA) has pledged its support for an annual scholarship for students enrolled in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program (MSOT) at California State University, Dominguez Hills. A gift of $20,000 will create the Hand Therapy Society Scholarship, which will award $1,000 scholarship to one student annually.
Patricia Quan, vice president, HTSGLA, says that the organization hopes to grow a new generation of therapists specializing in hand and upper extremity injuries.
“We want to mold the occupational therapists going into the field of hand therapy, and this is one of the ways [we can] encourage interest in this specialization and keep as many OTs interested as possible,” she says.
Terry Peralta-Catipon, MSOT program director, says that many students explore hand therapy in their general studies, but she would like to see more of them commit to the field.
“A lot of students are interested in hand therapy, but some feel that it’s quite challenging to become certified,” she says. “Hopefully, this award can motivate them to really pursue this specialty practice.”
The first scholarship will be awarded at the beginning of the fall semester. Applicants must be in good academic standing, with an interest in hand and upper extremity injuries. The application process includes a written essay of 500 words about the applicant’s career goals and a statement of what prompted his or her interest in hand therapy specialization.
Mayuri Mody, HTSGLA’s president, is a clinical specialist at Torrance Memorial Hospital. She says that she has been impressed with the quality of Dominguez Hills students who do their clinical observations at the hospital and wanted to give back to the university, which is the only CSU in Southern California with an occupational therapy program.
“Employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase by 26 percent between 2008 and 2018,” says Peralta-Catipon. “OT students from CSU Dominguez Hills have demonstrated excellent performance in their fieldwork placements at actual clinical sites, which has given our program a great reputation in the community. As a matter of fact, the feedback that we have been getting from many clinical educators is that our students are able to bridge theory and practice and come to fieldwork ready to hit the ground running.”
For more information on the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program at CSU Dominguez Hills, click here.
For more information on scholarships at CSU Dominguez Hills, click here.
