Occupational Therapy Program

Our Mission

To prepare graduates who are creative, competent, compassionate and committed to their profession and their country.

Objectives

BMC highly acclaimed Department of Occupational Therapy’s objectives are to:

1. Prepare students for the complexity of emerging academic and evidence-based practice of the 21st century.
2. Help identify the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that encourage a more competent practice of occupational therapy.
3. Educate students to practice ethical evidenced-based occupational therapy in a variety of healthcare, community, and educational settings; manage occupational therapy service delivery; and contribute to the profession through service and participation in research;
4. Provide customized courses of study for students, designed to meet their individual learning needs and to enhance their ability to assume leadership roles in practice, education, research, program development, and program evaluation;
5. Provide continuing education for practicing therapists to facilitate their continued competence;
6. Plan and engage in research to advance occupational therapy and rehabilitation practice and education; and
7. Serve our Islamic culture, college and public and professional communities through participation in college and community service and professional associations.
8. Provide the Arab region with unique, qualified, and competent therapists who can serve the needs of the population especially in the rural and underserved areas where occupational therapy is much needed.

Program Description

About Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy (OT) is a health care profession that focuses on helping people of all ages regain, develop, or master everyday skills in order to live independent, productive, and satisfying lives. In its simplest terms, occupational therapists help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Core Values of OT Practice are Altruism, Equality, Freedom, Justice, Dignity, Truth, and Prudence. Students who choose occupational therapy as a career are those who enjoy helping and working with others. Occupational therapy practitioners need to have strong communication skills, as well as strong interpersonal skills to inspire trust and respect in their clients. Creativity, flexibility and problem-solving skills are assets.

About Occupational Therapy Program

The Department of Occupational Therapy offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree in Occupational Therapy. Our program vision, mission, and objectives reflect an integration of the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) international educational standards and the Batterjee Medical College (BMC) vision and mission. We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society's occupational needs.

The rationale behind establishing the occupational therapy program at BMC is to provide Saudi Arabia and the Arab region with unique, qualified, and competent occupational therapists who can serve the increasing health, psychosocial, developmental, and cultural needs of the community. In addition, we would like to enhance services provided to persons with disabilities, improve satisfaction, and empower their functional performance and everyday living skills in terms of independence, safety, and quality. Furthermore, we established the occupational therapy department to develop a more holistic approach and comprehensive care to clients. The inclusion of occupational therapy professionals to the existing interdisciplinary medical and rehabilitation team would foster collaboration and integrated intervention planning which would have a positive significant impact on clients who are the real motivation behind all of this.

Why choose BMC OT?

What makes us distinctive is that we help shape the future of the OT profession in the region. We are proud to be the first OT program in the Saudi private sector higher education. In addition, we are the first OT program to be integrated into rehabilitation higher education curriculum in the Saudi west region (Jeddah and surrounding areas).

All graduated occupational therapy students are expected to have knowledge, skill, and attitudes in the following areas:

1. The person-occupation-environment relationships
2. Relationship of occupation to health and well-being
3. Therapeutic and professional relationships
4. The occupational therapy process
5. Professional reasoning and behavior
6. The local and global contexts of professional practice

In order to produce graduates with these knowledge, skill, and attitudes, the following five factors of the local context that influence what needs to be taught in an occupational therapy educational program and how it is taught were taken into consideration:

1. The students ability to complete the program successfully
2. Saudi health and social needs
3. Saudi health, societal, disability educational and legal systems
4. Saudi beliefs, Islamic values, and meaning of occupations with a strong emphasis on not only international but also local contexts
5. Saudi occupational therapy history

Program Structure

First Year

Students will gain knowledge in the basic sciences including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Biostatistics, Biophysics, Biochemistry, English, Medical Terminology, Computer, Medical Ethics and Study Skills. These topics prepare students and provide a solid scientific and structured background.

Second Year

Students will study topics related to anatomy, physiology, neuroscience, and neurological physical cases. In addition, they will be introduced to occupational therapy fundamentals, such as foundations of OT, principles and ethics in OT, functional assessments, OT process, OT theories/approaches, and OT techniques.

Third Year

Students will study topics related to human growth and development, pediatric and psychiatric cases. They will also learn occupational therapy applications in neurological and physical conditions, strategies for independent living, assistive technology, upper extremity rehabilitation, hand splinting, occupational performance, wheeled mobility and seating interventions, and environment and disability. In addition, students will experience a part-time clinical fieldwork practice to build up fundamental clinical skills and apply a variety of clinical implication for neurological and physical conditions.

Fourth Year

Students will study topics related to research methodology, international trends in disability and rehabilitation, management and leadership, OT and the healthcare system, and special topics in occupational therapy. They will also learn occupational therapy applications in pediatric, psychiatric, geriatrics conditions, therapeutic media in OT, and group therapy. In addition, students will experience a part-time clinical fieldwork practice to build up even more fundamental clinical skills, such as professional documentation for OT practice fieldwork. They will also apply a variety of clinical implications for pediatric and psychiatric conditions and get trained in a community based rehabilitation clinical setting.

Fifth Year

This is the internship year. Following the completion of the undergraduate study program, the students will undergo one year postgraduate training in a recognized clinical site (i.e., hospital, rehabilitation center).

Head Of Program Message

The Department of Occupational Therapy at Batterjee Medical College (BMC) is one of the leading academic departments in the profession of occupational therapy. It has been founded in 2018. The department has received widespread recognition for excellence in education, research and service.

Our Bachelor of Science (BS) Occupational Therapy Program attracts top-ranked students across the nation. Graduates are known for their excellence in clinical practice. Our advanced practice provides students with expanded education and mentoring, supporting their development as occupational therapy practitioners, clinical educators, and professional leaders. Our accomplished faculty members are nationally recognized for innovation and leadership in occupational therapy education, research, and service. As a program within BMC, occupational therapy students and faculty are engaged in interprofessional collaborations across the Departments of the Health Sciences, and enjoy all the benefits of studying and working within a world-renowned academic healthcare community. The BMC Department of Occupational Therapy promotes and supports continuing competency through ongoing professional educational efforts.

We are active partners in the College and local community, as well as regional and international professional organizations.

We invite you to explore our website to find out more information about our educational program, clinical and research activities, accomplishments, students, and more.

Dr. Hassan Izzeddin Sarsak, PhD, OT, Head of Occupational Therapy Program

Career Path / Advice

The job outlook for OT practitioners is bright! OT is a growing healthcare profession, and there is a critical need for more OTs in Saudi Arabia. Employment of OTs is expected to be much faster than the average for all occupations. OTs serve a diverse population and can work at different settings, such as but not limited to:

• Children, adolescents, adults and elderly patients
  • Neurological and physical
  • Developmental
  • Psychosocial and emotional (mental health)
  • Cognitive perceptual
  • Sensory motor
• Rehabilitation centers
• Psychiatric and mental health hospitals
• Community-based centers
• Nursing homes
• School-based rehabilitation
• Learning difficulties centers
• Halfway homes and de-addiction
• Centers for assistive technology
• Academic and research institutions

Some OT practitioners work in specialty areas that require either advanced training or a specialty certification. Some examples are hand therapy, driver rehabilitation, low vision rehabilitation, wheelchair seating, assistive technology, and design & accessibility consultation for playgrounds, schools, or businesses. OT continues to branch out into different settings. By the time you graduate, OT practitioners will probably be working in even more places!

Occupational Therapy Curriculum

Our OT program requires the completion of 158 credits. The following is a typical plan of study for students enrolled in Bachelor of Science (BS) Program in Occupational Therapy:

First Year (Preparatory)

Second Year

Third Year

Fourth Year

Fifth Year:Clinical Fieldwork/Internship Year

Entry Requirements