Student Testimonials

Anne Cunningham

I could not be more grateful that I chose to attend BU for my graduate studies in occupational therapy. Finding the right fit for a school was daunting to say the least, but BU has brought me such a wonderful community that feels like a family more than a competitive schooling environment. I have had support every step of the way in this process, both personally and academically. The entry-level doctoral program in occupational therapy looks holistically at a client, which is helping develop me into a well-rounded future practitioner. The fieldwork opportunities available through BU provide a wonderful insight into the myriad ways that occupational therapy may be practiced. The inter-professional education program at Sargent College is especially important in providing opportunities for different disciplines to work cohesively in a team to ensure the best care of a patient and to practice skills in communication through a variety of simulations.

Jennifer Bleakney

BU’s Entry-Level OTD program fosters an environment that encourages students to think beyond the typical practice of Occupational Therapy and be inspired to expand the field and emerging practices. Many of the classes are designed to engage you in critical thinking and student-directed learning to prepare us for the future of applying our skills. Both professors and peers in this program push you to to learn, to engage in important conversation, to become advocates for our clients, and to be inspired in your pursuits. The best part of this program comes in your spring semester of your second year: you start to see all the pieces come together from the previous semesters. It’s a full circle experience being able to link your previous classes, new knowledge, and all of the learning you’ve done so far with real practice leading OT groups in the community. I entered this program with a vision of what I thought OT was and where I wanted to end up, and since I have had my eyes opened to new ideas, skills, and areas of occupational therapy that I would have never considered or known about prior.

Jackson Miller

I greatly enjoyed my time at BU in the OTD program. In addition to receiving a high-quality education, I also made lifelong connections with classmates and BU faculty. My favorite aspects of the program include the small class sizes, expert faculty mentorship, and access to the extensive resources at BU and in the greater Boston area. After graduating from BU in 2021, I worked as an occupational therapist both in acute care and home health settings. Currently, I serve as an assistant professor of occupational therapy at an OTD program in Tennessee. I strongly believe that my unique experiences in the BU OTD program have opened the door to many opportunities since graduation. I highly recommend this program as the faculty members are outstanding and the quality of education is truly unmatched.

Julia Drahzal

Upon my arrival at BU, I realized a need for additional student-led programming to support academic achievement, social bonding, and volunteerism in the community. When I approached the OT department with a concept for a brand new organization, they embraced the idea with enthusiasm. The amount of support we received (and continue to receive) from the faculty in building this organization demonstrates their dedication to student success and enjoyment.

What sets BU apart from other graduate programs beyond the faculty support for student prosperity is the array of clinical experiences provided to students. In my time here, I had the opportunity to shadow an OT in an adult in-patient psychiatric facility, engage in meal-prep occupations alongside adults with traumatic brain injuries, provide self-management techniques to an adult with Sickle-Cell Disease, and lead a group of middle schoolers with autism in activities to support social engagement in the community. The most important part about BU’s program is that you have the ability to shape your own experience. In other words, you are invited to be involved in leadership, get a job within the department, or work as a graduate research assistant for a faculty member. You are also, however, able to focus on your classroom work without the added roles if that is your preference. This supports students needing to work outside of the classroom. I maintained a part-time job during my time in grad school, working up to 20 hours a week, while also maintaining a leadership position.

Laura Koszer

While I have thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on learning that happens in every classroom and the clinical experiences that have prepared me for real-life practice, the OTD program’s faculty are what made my experience at BU unforgettable. Each of my instructors has been supportive, incredibly knowledgeable, and passionate about teaching the next generation of occupational therapists. Throughout my time on campus, I have had the honor of working with one of my professors on her research investigating the experiences of parents living with or beyond a cancer diagnosis. Not only have I gained exceptional research experience that will benefit me throughout my career, but I have also gained a mentor who cares about my success within and outside of the program. Fortunately, this experience is not uncommon; many of my classmates have forged similar connections with our faculty and benefited greatly from those relationships. I am confident that my experiences at BU have prepared me for a successful career in occupational therapy, and I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me along the way.

Megan Bartley

In October, 2022, just over a year after graduation, I took a leap of faith and started Clothed in Compassion, Corp., a non-profit pediatric therapy clinic in Hutchinson, KS. Since then, we have grown in ways I never thought possible – my caseload is constantly full, I hired my first employee this past June, and I have a speech therapist and play therapist joining my team this fall. As an organization, we are very active in the community, attending city-wide events every month and hosting sensory-safe holiday events. In addition to running Clothed in Compassion, Corp., I am also the program director for Kitchen Hero Academy (KHA), a 10-week summer garden-to-table cooking program for middle school students in Hutchinson. KHA was my doctoral capstone project while at BU, and we just graduated our third cohort of students. KHA was designed through an OT-lens to alleviate the long-term negative effects of food insecurity (my county has rates higher than state and national averages), and we have seen immense community support over the past 3 summers. The program is manualized, and will likely be implemented in a neighboring community in the next year or 2.

BU’s EL-OTD program equipped me with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to pursue my dreams and meet real needs in my community. I am so grateful for the ongoing connections and relationships I have with my colleagues who are always willing to support, encourage, and cheer each other on.

Dhivya Gunasekear

The holistic approach to learning in the OTD program has allowed me to explore various topics within Occupational therapy and equip me with the skill set required to be successful in my future career. One of my favorite experiences in the OTD program so far has been my Level I fieldwork placements, where I have had the opportunity to transfer the knowledge I gained from coursework to real life clinical scenarios while working alongside and learning from highly-skilled professionals in the field.