Clinical Programs
Pediatric Occupational Therapy

Pediatric Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program

The residency is designed to develop pediatric specialists who are able to be effective with a diverse population of children and their families.Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is credentialed by the AOTA as a post professional fellowship program for occupational therapists in Pediatrics. Our one year pediatric fellowship aims to provide practicing occupational therapists with an advanced level of clinical training, to empower them to provide excellent, culturally competent, evidence-based clinical care across the continuum of pediatric OT, and to encourage them to accept leadership roles as a resource to other pediatric therapists.

Program Specifics

  • The fellowship combines didactic work with clinical work, to encourage the development of advanced levels of clinical reasoning. The fellowship is designed to develop pediatric specialists who are able to be effective with a diverse population of children and their families.
  • The goals of the program focus on the application and integration of cultural competence, evidenced based clinical care, family centered care, leadership, and the continuum of care.
  • Clinical work hours are primarily in the Cincinnati Children's outpatient setting.
  • The mentoring component involves intensive training across the continuum of pediatric OT. The mentors guide the learning process through modeling, questioning and feedback.
  • The main didactic component of the fellowship is the LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) Program. LEND is an interdisciplinary training program, funded by the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau, designed to train leaders who will improve the health of infants, children and adolescents with or at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities and other special health care needs. The emphasis is on developing family-centered, culturally competent interdisciplinary leadership skills.
  • Fellows are hired as salaried, full-time employees but divide their time among work, LEND and other learning experiences. Fellows typically spend 50-55 hours per week working, in clinical experiences, or studying. The pediatric fellowship pay is approximately ¾ of a typical new graduate OT salary.
  • Applications will be accepted until January 15 for the upcoming fellowship year. Applications will be reviewed and interviews with the multidisciplinary team will be completed in March. The fellowship year will run from June through May of the following year.

Contact Us / Apply

All candidates for the Pediatric Occupational Therapy Fellowship program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center must be eligible for occupational therapy licensure in the state of Ohio. Ideal applicants will have experience in pediatrics (through work or student internships), superior written and verbal communication skills, evidence of leadership skills, and a desire to improve and learn. Applicants will be required to submit: Letter of Intent, Resume/CV, Graduate School Transcript, and three letters of recommendation.

For more information, or for application materials, please contact otfellowship@cchmc.org.