An occupational therapy course on community practice

This article outlines a course on occupational therapy community practice offered at the University of Ottawa and discusses its assets and limitations in terms of preparing students for the shift to community-based health services. The shift to community services in the health care systems of Ontario and Québec is described. Then the curricular components needed to prepare students for community practice are summarized. Finally, the community practice course at the University of Ottawa including its goal, objectives, class topics and evaluations is outlined. The strength of the community practice course described is that it includes many of the curricular components needed for community practice. On the other hand, limitations include the lack of skill training in some areas, its place in the last year of the programme, and its optional nature. Changes planned for the course and other recommendations for curricula are also discussed.