General information
Placements by Term
Placement Opportunities
Students must be prepared to complete all clinical placements anywhere inside the McMaster University catchment area, even if outside of Hamilton, ON.
In agreement with the University of Western Ontario and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, and when possible, Clark Heard, OT Reg. (Ont.) offers placement opportunities to McMaster students at the Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care in St. Thomas, ON. These placements are specifically designated as McMaster placements, resulting in the McMaster University catchment placement boundary extending to this one location and opportunity in St. Thomas. Therefore, student OTs may be matched, within McMaster University catchment, to this opportunity
All placement allocations are based on the supply of available placements, facilities, and Occupational Therapy Preceptors. Due to these factors, particular sites, practice areas, or geographical preferences will never be guaranteed.
McMaster University Catchment Area
As soon as sufficient placements are obtained, students in the McMaster University catchment area for OTP I, OTP II, OTP III, and OTP IV will have the opportunity to review the list of available placements and submit their top fifteen preferences for consideration.
Randomized Selection Process
- For McMaster University catchment area placements, all submitted students’ preferences are entered into a software system that assists with the matching process.
- The probability of each student obtaining one of 15 preferences depends directly on the number of students requesting any given placement.
- Following the randomized process, the initial matched list is reviewed and adjusted to meet all requirements related to issues such as:
- Meeting formal documented academic accommodations for students registered with Student Accessibility Services (SAS), religious observance, etc.
- Requirements of site and/or preceptor such as timing of placement
Out of Catchment
Currently there is no formal out-of-catchment placement process for MSc OT students at any university across Canada (with the exception of University of British Columbia). A new out-of-catchment placement process is currently being developed at a national level by the Committee on University Fieldwork Education (CUFE) and it is expected that updated information will be available in upcoming months.
International Placements
In OTP IV, students have the option of applying to complete an international placement. The Occupational Therapy program believes that international learning experiences have the potential to:
- Enhance students’ sensitivity to other cultures, awareness of global health issues and different health care systems
- Prepare health care professionals to adapt their practice to their own culturally diverse communities
- Support and promote the profession internationally and enable the student to act as an ambassador for Canadian occupational therapy.
The International placement stream is defined as encompassing the developed and developing world. Students who meet specified criteria are provided the opportunity to complete their OTP IV placement in an international setting.
NOSM Stream
The Northern Studies Stream (NSS) was established in 1991 to specifically address the shortage of OTs, PTs, and SLPs in Northwestern Ontario through various recruitment and retention initiatives. This is a joint initiative between McMaster University and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM). NOSM coordinates student placements across northern Ontario for a multitude of health disciplines.
The goals of the current NSS are threefold:
- To increase student awareness and knowledge of the health determinants that are unique to northern and rural communities;
- To increase student awareness of health issues, culture, and health practices relevant to the Indigenous Peoples living in northern and rural Ontario; and
- To increase student skills in addressing professional practice issues while engaging in clinical education and living in a northern and/or rural community.
With 30 years of documented success, the current NSS is focused on providing clinical education opportunities for students across northern Ontario. Each year, students in the McMaster OT Program will have the opportunity to apply for a clinical education placement in northern Ontario.
Students who are Northern Ontario residents will be given priority for placements, however, any student, regardless of residency, may apply. Clinical education sites may be located in the communities of:
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Early in Term 1, a NOSM information session is held for all students. To apply for the NOSM stream, students:
i) Complete an electronic preference form, listing which placement term they wish to apply for the NOSM stream. Students may list more than one term but must rank these terms listed in order of preference.
ii) May be required to submit a letter, indicating why they would like to complete a placement in Northern Ontario. These letters are reviewed and ranked accordingly for each placement term.
Students selected will submit preferences of location and clinical practice prior to their placements term. Instructions and timelines will be provided by the DCE. Once students have been assigned an NOSM placement, it is their responsibility to fulfill this agreement. The only reason that is accepted for withdrawing from an NOSM placement is for medical concerns (documentation must be provided) or extenuating circumstances. Please speak directly to the DCE.
Students not selected for a NOSM placement will default into the McMaster University catchment area and can request to be placed on a waiting list.
Please note: The McMaster OT program may limit the number of Northern Ontario placements per student throughout the 2-year program.
For more information about the NOSM stream visit the NOSM website.
Placement Locations
Occupational Therapy Program placements can take place in a variety of areas throughout Southern Ontario. The following lists display the core and shared catchment areas that the program covers. You can also view the catchment map on the ACOTUP website at https://www.acotup-acpue.ca/interactive-map/.