Welcome everyone to the Spring 2008 newsletter from the School of Rehabilitation Science (SRS), McMaster University.

Despite the extremely cold winter, faculty, staff and students returned on January 7, 2008 and were soon involved in many new and exciting initiatives.

The School of Rehabilitation Science (SRS) in collaboration with the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) clinched another coup! Following in the success of the 2007 online offers of admission, the first of its kind in the Ontario division of rehab schools, this year on April 3 rd and 4 th, letters of invitations for a personal interview were sent online to 600 occupational therapy and physiotherapy candidates. Both the SRS and SGS are still excited about this recent success and very pleased to have made progress within a year of the inaugural E-offers. Read more about this development in the Activities section of the newsletter!

In the past few months, faculty were busy preparing research grants amidst a hectic teaching and clinical schedule, and we are proud of many who received funding for collaborative studies involving community and inter professional projects. Highlights of their research activities are available in the Research Spotlights section.

We are looking forward to yet another alumni reunion on June 7, 2008. The OT and PT Classes of 1993, 1998 and 2003 will be celebrating their 15-year, 10-year and 5-year anniversaries respectively and are working hard to make the occasion a memorable and successful event. Alumni can read about the details of the reunion get together in the Events section.

As we enter another busy academic semester on April 21 st... Remember to stay connected and share your recent activities with us. We enjoy reading about your undertakings and achievements!

As always, we welcome your feedback and... stories - send them to collinsh@mcmaster.ca

With warm regards,

Mary Law, Associate Dean, School of Rehabilitation Science

UPCOMING EVENTS

INVITATIONS ARE ON ITS WAY... REUNION CELEBRATION!

We are pleased to let you know that the 2008 Reunion Planning Committee met in January and March to finalize the venue for the 15-, 10- and 5-year Reunion celebration of the Classes of 1993, 1998 and 2003 on SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 2008.

The venue for this wonderful celebration will include participation in the annual Helen Saarinen Fun Run in the morning, followed by a luncheon BBQ in the backyard of the Mohawk-McMaster Institute of Applied Health Sciences building (IAHS), Tours of the IAHS, and the Reunion Dinner. During the luncheon BBQ, student reps will keep the children active with various toys and games. The tours of the IAHS will include the PT and OT skills labs, the Learning Commons, the OT/PT Student Resource Centre, and the ADL and nursing stations on the second floor. Tours of the new David Braley Athletic Centre, the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery and other recent campus facilities can be showcased for alumni interested in checking out the University's latest state of the art structures. The Reunion Dinner in Convocation Hall within University Hall, will culminate with dessert, coffee/tea and light music, the perfect ambience for networking and reconnecting with former faculty and classmates.

Class Reps have already been on the phone contacting their classmates to SAVE THE DATE of June 7, 2008 and come back to Mac! A final communication will be sent out in mid May 2008 to ensure that alumni reservations are in and any special requests tabulated.

Looking forward to a wonderful day of fun and enjoyment and good old fashioned nostalgia!

Your 2008 Reunion Planning Committee:

Class Reps:
Rob McCall, PT'93,
Linda Pillinini, OT'93
Taffina Marley, PT'98
Angela and Ian Bladon, OT'98
Giacomo Fabrizio, PT'03
Brianno DiRezze, OT'03

Student Reps:
Julia Williams, OT1
Nicole Sorichetti, OT1
Candice Kwok, PT1
Fiona Cheung, OT2
Chantal Beaudry, OT2
Ross Baker, PT2
Carolyn McIntyre, PT2

Staff Reps:
Helena Collins, Program Administrator
John Pophan, Alumni Advancement Officer
Jenny Thomson, Alumni Advancement Officer

Contact: alumni@mcmaster.ca or collinsh@mcmaster.ca

PRECEPTOR WORKSHOP... MAY 13, 2008

On Tuesday, May 13, 2008, between 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., the School of Rehabilitation Science Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Programs are holding a Preceptor Workshop for OT and PT clinicians who supervise students in placement in the McMaster University catchment areas. This is also open to those who are currently supervising McMaster students, have done so in the past, or are considering precepting in the near future.

We are looking forward to having 2 guest speakers who will present to the attending preceptors: Neera Bhatnagar, who will provide an Online Library Resource Session, and Mary Beth Bezzina, who will present the Preceptor Education Program, established through the University of Western Ontario. A reception to celebrate our preceptors will follow. If you would like to learn more about the workshop, please contact Gioia di Vincenzo at divince@mcmaster.ca or (905) 525-9140, Ext. 27806.

ACTIVITIES

14th ANNUAL CHARITY BALL... by Julie Reid, PT2, 2007-2008 Charity Ball Chair

The annual Charity Ball is an event that students, faculty and community partners look forward to each year... and this year was no exception! Early in Fall 2007, the Kenya Working Group (KWG) was selected as the charity to which all funds raised would be donated. KWG was established in 2004 by Julie Hard, McMaster PT'03 and continues today in its vision to assist in the development of projects to provide health care to people in Kenya living with disabilities.

Fund-raising began last Fall and continued into January 2008 up until the night of the Ball, February 15, 2008. The Ball was a huge success with over 250 guests in attendance and lots of fun was had by all! This year's organizing committee presented Julie Hard and the KWG with a cheque in the amount of $7500 - a record amount in the history of the OT/PT Charity Ball!

I would like to extend a sincere “THANKS” to everyone who participated in the fund-raising events and the Ball. I would also like to express my gratitude to the memb ers of the Charity Ball committee without whom none of this would have been possible. Members of the 2007-2008 Charity Ball committee comprise: Julie Reid, Melinda Wilson and Marley Taylor (Co-Chairs); Shelley Martin, Heather Hickey, Lisa Ditchburn, Justine Bertrand, Ale Perez, Carolyn Chong, Julia Carson and Debbie Lund (Committee Members).

2007-2008 Charity Ball Cheque Presentation Ceremony

SRS Embraces The E-Age!

Since the success of its Online Offers of Admission to new OT and PT professional master's students last May, the School of Rehabilitation Science in collaboration with the School of Graduate Studies, brainstormed to further continue the expeditious service of e communication and discontinue paper service.

On April 3 rd and 4 th, as promised to thousands of anxious applicants, the letters of invitation for personal interviews were sent to approximately 600 successful top applicants...and the letters were undeniably emailed!. Within a matter of hours, the SRS and SRS Admissions office had received approximately 60 e acceptances from PT applicants and about 49 e acceptances from OT applicants. Staff in both departments were jubilant - they had successfully launched their second e module for fast and efficient service, celebrating yet again another first among rehab schools in Ontario.

On April 25, 26 and 27, 2008, we look forward to welcoming 600 applicants to their OT or PT interviews and asking for feedback regarding the electronic invitations to interviews.

The SRS would like to thank John Scime, Peter Self and David Lu from the School of Graduate Studies and Nancy Plews, Helena Collins and Pamela Potts from the SRS for their efforts on bringing about the success of E systems to facilitate the admissions process, an important facet of the SRS' operation.

AWARDS

Congratulations and Best wishes to Heather Burridge, on receiving The 2007-2008 GSA Bursary, to facilitate academic study and clinical education in the MSc(PT) Program.

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHTS!

Congratulations to the following investigators:

P. Solomon, C. Risdon and L. Corby, for receiving $279,035 over the period January 2008 - March 2009 for their project “Promoting Collaborative Practice in the Community Ministry of Health”.

J. Richardson, L. Letts, and Co-investigators, D. Semogas, D. Guenter, D. Price, A. Childs, P. Johnson, B. Smith and M. Taylor for receiving $158,208 to conduct “Pilot Work to support the Project Development of a Community Scholar Program: an Interprofessional Initiative”.

P. Solomon and Co-investigators A. Towle, A. Katz, B. Lown, L. Bainbridge, W. Godolphin, J. Spencer and C. Rees for receiving $25,000 from SSHRC (2008-2009) for the project “Lay Participation - The Patient's Voice in Health Professional Education: An International Collaboration and Research Agenda”.

Jung, B. (PI), Baptiste, S., Salvatori, P., Tremblay, M., and Kravchenko, T. Received funding for $5,468 from The Centre for Leadership and Learning at McMaster University to support the development and evaluation of a workshop on inclusive educational strategies for our educational programs.

MEET OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER

Carrie Stavness

Carrie Stavness received an Honours Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo in 1995. After working for seven years in the auto insurance sector, she enrolled in the Master of Science Program in Occupational Therapy (OT) at McMaster University in 2002 and graduated in 2004.

After graduating from the OT program, Carrie covered for two consecutive maternity leaves as an Occupational Therapist in the Complex Medicine Rehabilitation Unit at the Henderson Hospital. During these terms, she worked with individuals with multiple geriatric, oncology and neurological issues.

Carrie also has an interest in youth with disabilities and their transition to adulthood. Working through CANChild, she helped initiate the development of a prototype for the Youth KIT using participatory action research, focus groups and individual interviews to help youth with disabilities become more independent.

Carrie has a passion for learning. She completed a review article on the effect of positioning for children with cerebral palsy on upper extremity function and was the secondary author on a critical appraisal of literature reviews about the transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities. She also tutors and facilitates problem based and evidence based practice tutorials.

Carrie currently holds a part-time research position through McMaster University working with Dr. Adachi and Dr. MacIntyre in the Osteoporosis area. This research group's current project is to establish the reliability (inter-rater and test-retest) and validity of the Bone Safety Evaluation – an activity-based assessment used to predict if a person is at risk of fracturing and to direct treatment.

Besides working and learning, Carrie enjoys spending time with her family. She is married to Pete Goodger and they have a one-year-old son, Lucas, who keeps them very busy.

Carrie, we are very grateful for the support of a recent graduate, whose ongoing contribution and commitment to the educational and research developments in the OT Program and McMaster are incredible and outstanding! Our deepest and sincere thanks to you!

GOOD and WELFARE

Best wishes and congratulations to...

McMaster graduates, Joe Clement, PT'07, for his feature article in the Delhi News-Record, profiling the opening of Delhi Physiotherapy, a new physiotherapy clinic where he is employed, and Kirsti Reinikka, PT'01 and Esme French, PT'02, for their involvement with their LHIN in their capacity as Co-Presidents of the Northwestern District of the Ontario Physiotherapy Association.

A generous gift in the amount of $100,000 was awarded to the School of Rehabilitation Science from CN, a leader in the North American Rail industry. The CN Graduate Scholarships in Rehabilitation Science are awarded annually to rehabilitation science graduate students studying within the Work and Participation in Society research area of the School of Rehabilitation Science. To be eligible, students must pursue research focussing on the prevention of work-related injuries. The value of each scholarship will be $10K. The scholarships will be awarded over the next 3 to 5 years, beginning in the fall of 2008.

On April 1, 2008, Renee Williams, long-standing professor of the physiotherapy program and faculty member of McMaster University will be retiring after 23 years of service in the area of rehabilitation sciences. Renee began her instructional years in the diploma program in physiotherapy based at Mohawk College, 1977 - 1983. From 1984 to the time of her appointment in a full-time position in 1990, she held a variety of part-time and full-time positions at McMaster that were targeted to meeting the educational needs in the former Bachelor of Health Sciences degree completion program, and the Master of Health Sciences program. In 1990, she became an assistant professor within the School of Rehabilitation Science, and subsequently, in 1999, was granted tenure as an Associate Professor within the School and then awarded promotion to Professor in 2005. In research, Renee was part of a research thrust within the School, which focussed on the development of a Work Function Unit, and subsequently assumed the role of Coordinator of that Unit. She has also been involved in the University community as a member of several committees, including the University Senate and as a member of the Insignia and Ceremonials and Academic Dishonesty committees.

Our heartfelt thanks to Renee for her contribution to the successful evolvement of the School of Rehabilitation Science since the mid 70s. We wish her well in the next stage of her career!

Deb Stewart, Assistant Dean (OT) was granted a university teaching track appointment as an Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science, effective July 1, 2008. As a valued faculty member and administrator in the SRS, the appointment recognizes her excellent contributions to educational activities within the School.

Also appointed to a university teaching track appointment as an Assistant Professor in the SRS, effective July 1, 2008, Liliana Coman is acknowledged for her outstanding educational activities in the PT program, as well as her role as Department Education Coordinator in the School.

GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT

Welcome to new faculty members!

Congratulations to Monica Maly, for her appointment as a full-time anatomy tenure track position in the School of Rehabilitation Science effective July 1, 2008. Monica's teaching activities will focus on OT and PT anatomy, foundation skills and resource sessions.

Monica Maly has a Bachelor of Science in PT, a Master's of Science and a Doctorate of Philosophy from Queen's University. She is currently an assistant professor in Physical Therapy at the University of Western Ontario. Her teaching experience has included the development of several courses, particularly in the area of clinical biomechanics and functional anatomy. As a physiotherapist, Monica's clinical practice focussed on musculoskeletal rehabilitation and work hardening with injured workers. Her major research interests and research funding centers on the interactions between biomechanics and motor performance for persons with knee osteoarthritis.

We look forward to welcoming Monica in July and working with her over the summer in preparation for her new role!

PLACEMENT TALES - AT HOME NATIVE LAND... AND IN BONNY SCOTLAND!

New Brunswick... by Steven Mills, PT’07, November 2007

“My story begins on the Trans Canada Highway. On my travels home to Newfoundland after completing my final course work at McMaster, I chose New Brunswick as my stopping point to rest for the night. As I was driving through the northwestern area, I found it to be a beautiful scenic countryside, with the Saint John River flowing through the valley of the Appalachian Mountain range. At the time, I thought this region, known as the Upper River Valley, would be a great place for an outdoor enthusiast, a real gateway to nature. Fast-forward to a few months later. Unlike some of my classmates, that knew where they wanted to settle upon graduation, I had no idea where I wanted to end up. Anyone from the McMaster program can tell you that I have a strong affection for my native province and I am sure that at some point, I will settle back in Newfoundland but that time has not come yet. I still have a sense of adventure to explore new places and opportunities. So I passed on the prospect to return home to work and searched other locations. In doing so I always ended up looking at postings for the Upper River Valley in New Brunswick. So here I am in a town called Perth-Andover as a River Valley Health Employee working in a split shift between the Extra-mural program home care with a pediatrics caseload, and the local hospital in outpatient orthopaedics. So far I have completed my orientation and just begun seeing patients. I am really excited about the position; it is going to be a challenge balancing the caseload. However, they have an excellent network of therapists, my managers are both great (yes, split position means 2 managers!), and of course my friends and classmates will always be an important resource. It is an exciting time right now and I am thankful for McMaster for providing me with the skills needed for this next adventure in my life.”

A heartfelt journey Steve... melding the rigor of McMaster with the comfort of down East - Many thanks!

A Canadian Occupational Therapy Student's Experience of Placement in Scotland...Terri Malchow, OT'07, January 2008

“Coming to Scotland on placement was really an adventure for me as I had never really travelled much. Remarkably, I have found there to be a lot of parallels between the role of occupational therapy in the community in Scotland and at home. It is great to see that the same benefits for community rehab exist, as well as the same struggles (i.e. funding for equipment and adaptations for homes).

The placement itself, working with the Older People's Team in Barrhead, has been an extremely positive experience as the entire team made me feel welcome. I also had the opportunity to spend time with community OTs working for other agencies which was very enriching. It was great to see some similar assessments and theories being used as sometimes you begin to question if occupational therapists elsewhere in the world are practising the same as we do in Canada. From what I can tell from my visit here, it is very similar. Throughout my time in Scotland, I feel that I have further improved my communication and interviewing skills and feel I am even “fluent” in the Scottish accent! I also think that I have refined my clinical reasoning skills, which will continue to develop as I head into practice in the fall (or Autumn as you say in Scotland!). Beyond developing my skills as a future OT, I think I have also really grown as a person. I have gained a great deal of confidence in my ability to step outside of my comfort zone. I have learned a lot about the Scottish culture and have seen some amazing sites in addition to the traditional “touristy” hotspots! I have even tried a deep-fried Mars bar! It was hard to find a chippy to make one for me... but my perseverance paid off! It was quite enjoyable I must say! I really ower a lot of thanks to Moyra Muir at Glasgow Caledonian University, Bernadette Gibson from the accommodation office at the University of Paisley, the entire Older People's Team (particularly my practice educator, Iain Barclay), and all of the other wonderful professionals I have met on my journey. This country really welcomed me with open arms and I have nothing but great memories to take home with me.”

Terri, thank you for sharing your international experience in Scotland! You have been a very fine ambassador for the SRS OT program and McMaster University.

The Road to Scotland has been Paved... Iain Barclay, Occupational Therapist, Older People's Team-Levern Valley

“I've always been keen to have students around as I feel it is a good way to keep up with what is happening on the academic front. I find it also helps you to continually evaluate your practice as students tend to ask a lot of questions about how you come to decisions.

Taking a Canadian student did seem a bit daunting for a couple of reasons. The first being the reputation Canadian OTs have with regard to very high academic standards. I did have a worry that I would be asked some awkward questions that I wouldn't be able to answer (something I think most fieldwork educators dread). The second concern was the student's place of learning being so far away. Most of my students have been from Scotland so contact with the university has always been on a face-to-face basis. The big worry for having a Canadian student was what to do if there was a problem on the placement which I've always found is best solved with actual meetings with academic staff. I have to say though that the experience for me was very positive. Maybe I was lucky but Terri Malchow, my student, was excellent. She settled into the team really well and was soon fluent in the Glaswegian accent (no easy task) and quickly learned that being called a ‘hen' was actually a term of affection rather than abuse. Terri did explain that she has some Scots blood in her which may have helped.

I think there are challenges for Canadian students and a lot of these are down to the different social models both countries have. Scotland and Canada both try to achieve the same results in health and social care but can have very different methods of achieving these. I found that focussing on the OT goals and the goals of the Older People's Team was best for the students' learning process. I think that Scots and Canadian OTs will tackle problems with the same methods in order to achieve the same goals and this is what the student is on placement to learn and develop their skills in.

Overall, I had a great experience with a Canadian student and wouldn't hesitate to be involved again in a placement. I found that you can learn a lot professionally and culturally. You rarely come across a Scot who does not have a family link to Canada so I'm sure any Canadian student thinking of coming across to Scotland would find themselves made very welcome. Terri is certainly remembered very fondly and even now I still have clients asking after her. I would certainly recommend the experience to any fieldwork educator and student.”

Thank you for being a superb OT practice supervisor, Iain! Terri has paved the way and we hope future classes will continue her Scottish tradition!

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