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M D Mitcham

Publications and source records attributed to M D Mitcham.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Using audioteleconferencing to link occupational therapy graduate students in the United States and Canada.

Lack of access to graduate education in the United States and Canada is a frustration for many occupational therapists who wish to further their careers. One way to overcome lack of access is to use technology to bridge the distances. The occupational therapy schools at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, and Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, have collaborated for several years to provide graduate occupational therapy courses via audioteleconferencing. A general overview of the progress made in the project, as well as its design and unique features, is discussed. The major recommendation is that more occupational therapy schools could use distance education to collaborate when resources are few and needs are great. Such efforts benefit both faculty members and students.

Canada↗

The use of individualized contract plans as a method of performance evaluation for allied health faculty.

Results from a two-year study of the individualized contract plan (ICP) approach to faculty evaluation indicate this is a workable method of performance evaluation for allied health faculty. The ICP was found to be individualized, systematic, flexible, and objective. Faculty members and department chairpersons differed in their perception of the effectiveness of the ICP, but both groups supported its continued use. Five major recommendations were made regarding the continued use of the ICP as a method of faculty performance evaluation: (1) separate evaluation and professional development aspects, (2) link results to the institutional reward structure, (3) administer the ICP uniformly among departments, (4) develop a monitoring mechanism, and (5) foster open communication among all participants in the system.

Allied Health Personnel↗

Developing the instructional skills of new faculty members in occupational therapy.

During the past 5 years, the American Occupational Therapy Association, American Occupational Therapy Foundation, and Medical University of South Carolina worked together to promote the instructional performance of new faculty members within the profession. This article describes the development and progression of initiatives for more than 300 new faculty members in occupational therapy and the characteristics of those who participated. On the basis of experience gained with these new faculty members, we recommend that the profession of occupational therapy adopt a more systematic approach to conceptualizing, planning, and orchestrating the range of faculty development activities needed by academicians; develop strategies to socialize and encourage prospective faculty members to develop the necessary academic qualifications sooner in their careers; and explore ways in which experienced academicians from other fields can be enticed into our own to strengthen existing faculties.

Adult↗

An interdisciplinary educational approach to assessing the health care and health educational needs of the elderly in a South Carolina community.

This article describes work from an allied health project grant that resulted in an interdisciplinary geriatric educational experience for health professions faculty and students (health information administration, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and health professions education) at an academic health sciences center. The educational experience centered on the process of designing, administering, and analyzing the results of a comprehensive needs assessment for clients attending a senior citizen center. This process enabled faculty and students to integrate education, service, and research activities into their curricula, and to work as an interdisciplinary team in assessing the health care needs of elderly adults in the community.

Adult↗