Pediatric Occupational Therapy Fellowship
The Nationwide Children's Hospital Pediatric Occupational Therapy Fellowship is an AOTA-approved 53 week clinical fellowship that begins in July.
The Nationwide Children's Hospital Pediatric Occupational Therapy Fellowship allows for fellows to complete clinical work at state-of-the-art occupational therapy facilities in the greater Columbus area.
Through occupational therapy, Nationwide Children's Hospital offers services to children with varying deficits or delays, which may include fine motor, sensory motor, self-care, cognitive and oral motor/feeding skills.
The goal of our program is to facilitate development, enhance function and maximize independence in all daily life activities.
Learn More About Occupational Therapy at Nationwide Children'sWhat You Need to Know
Experience
Fellows will participate in approximately 6 to 7 hours of weekly one-on-one mentored patient care with our fellowship program staff and 4 to 8 hours of weekly non-mentored learning opportunities, in addition to 30 hours a week of direct patient care. A portion of the fellowship program functions within the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program (LEND) through The Ohio State University’s Nisonger Center. In addition, fellows assist with teaching courses in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program at The Ohio State University.
The fellowship staff includes practitioners who are AOTA Board Certified in Pediatrics and Specialty Certified in Feeding, Eating, Swallowing as well as master clinicians with expertise in a variety of areas including acute care, burns, hand therapy, constraint induced movement therapy, rehabilitation and sensory integration. Our fellowship staff also include faculty at The Ohio State University.
Unique educational opportunities include involvement in various multidisciplinary clinics, participating in clinical research, completing leadership projects and lecturing to other therapists and students as well as to the community.
The fellow will have online access to educational materials through The Ohio State University Library and can receive research assistance from our evidence based practice and research coordinators.
The fellow will be employed full time by Nationwide Children’s Hospital and will receive a benefits package including medical and retirement (403B) plans. The salary is very competitive compared to similar programs throughout the nation.Research
Research education and training are vital to the mission of Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. As a top-ten free-standing pediatric research center and an academic affiliate of The Ohio State University, The Research Institute has an outstanding faculty, dedicated to training and mentoring the next generation of scientists in pediatric research.
Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Advocacy
Advocacy training fosters and encourages interest in child advocacy by early involvement and exposure to its many aspects such as addressing social determinants of health, community collaboration, health finance, health policy and legislative advocacy.
Application and Selection
Applications will be accepted from January 15 through February 28 each year with interviews beginning in March. There is no fee to apply.
Any questions in regards to the fellowship can be sent to Kelly Tanner, PhD, OTR/L, BCP at Kelly.Tanner@NationwideChildrens.org.
Faculty
- Nancy Batterson, OT/L, SCFES
- Shelley Coleman Casto, MS, OTR/L
- Virginia Goddard, MOT, OTR/L, BCP
- Jessalyn Dickerson, MSOT, OTR/L
- Lauren Justice, MOT, OTR/L
- Erika Kemp, OTD, OTR/L, BCP
- Kristen Martin, MOT, OTR/L
- Meredith ten Brink, OTR/L, OTD, CTRS
- Jill Tonneman, OTR/L, BCP
- Lindy L. Weaver, PhD, OTR/L
Additional Resources
Contact
Sara O’Rourke, MOT, OTR/L, BCP
Program Manager, Developmental OT
Sara.ORourke@NationwideChildrens.org
Kelly Tanner, PhD, OTR/L, BCP
Program Coordinator
Kelly.Tanner@NationwideChildrens.org
(614) 722-8697
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Occupational Therapy
700 Children’s Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43205
Fellow Testimonials
“My completion of the AOTA-approved Pediatric Fellowship Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital was instrumental for my professional growth in the focused area of pediatrics. The fellowship clinical mentors and staff provided supportive mentorship in specialized areas of clinical practice, including outpatient, inpatient, and interdisciplinary clinics, to challenge my critical reasoning and performance skills. Additionally, my fellowship year challenged me to grow in my leadership development through engagement in research and teaching experiences with Nationwide Children’s unique collaboration with The Ohio State University. I cannot recommend this experience highly enough for its invaluable influence on my professional development in pursuit of future career goals.”
- Grace Sagester, OTD, OTR/L
“Participating in the Pediatric Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital was without a shadow of doubt the best professional decision I have made thus far. The expert clinical mentorship in various areas of pediatric practice, research opportunities, didactic and service learning, assistant teaching experiences and inter- and multidisciplinary teamwork experiences catapulted my professional and personal development in a way I didn’t know was possible. The aforementioned qualities of the pediatric fellowship at Nationwide Children’s provided the foundation and well-rounded skill set that has set me up to follow my dreams within the profession of pediatric occupational therapy.”
- Maria Baldino, OTD, OTR/L, BCP
