Michelle L. Webb, OTD, OTR/L, RAC-CT, CAPS, and Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Doctor of Occupational Therapy alumna class of 2015) officially joined our RMUoHP family as the program director in 2017.
Dr. Webb began working here following her time as a faculty member at another institution where she taught anatomy, kinesiology, medical terminology, and other life science classes.
Dr. Webb has grown confident in being the program director from her own experience in being a former student from this very program. In pondering on what has helped her prepare the most for being the program director, she commented on the fact that she knows the pace and rigor of this program first-hand, and that knowing the curriculum and knowing student’s expectations gives her a unique perspective that has paid off in her duties of heading this program.
“As a student, I saw my peers try to juggle their classes with life, work, family obligations, and it was difficult for some of them. I had that perspective when I looked at the revision of our elective tracks as the program director and I thought to myself, how can we make this more manageable for our students so that they can retain the information and internalize this information so that they can deliver what is needed to be successful in this program?”
The Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions is a 16-20 month, primarily-online, post-professional program designed to enable students to continue meeting personal and professional obligations while pursuing their occupational therapy doctorate. The program offers elective tracks in the following areas: Advanced Practice, Administration and Practice Management, Aging, Assistive Technology, Behavioral and Mental Health, Education, Hand Therapy, and Pediatrics. Focusing on evidence-based practice and professional development, the OTD program is for practicing occupational therapists who strive to become leaders in the delivery of health and human services.
Dr. Webb states that her favorite part about being program director is the connections she makes with students and, as close second, the relationships she builds and maintains with faculty. Dr. Webb said, “We have some amazing faculty members. I really love RMU’s ability to bring in faculty who have the background, the experience, and the education to truly support our programs. This adds strength to our programs and to the University as a whole. In addition, I would like to add, the culture of RMU is such that we have the ability of inclusiveness and diversity that comes from the top down, it comes from President Nielsen. It makes a difference.
“We are very fortunate to be in a place where education is respected, highlighted, encouraged—that we have the ability to think outside of the box and the support to do that. I think this is one of the things that makes RMU great.”
There are currently many plans to grow the program in a variety of different ways. Recently, Dr. Webb stated, “We have been working vigorously on our elective track revisions. We will be offering two new tracks, a behavioral and mental health track starting during our summer 2018 term and an assistive technology track starting during our Fall 2018 term. All of our other tracks have been revised as well. This has been a lot of work, but the goal has been to give the students more, so that when they come to RMU, they will receive the information they need. We also wanted to create a lot of content within these tracks, so that if they decide they would like to move on with specializations within their career, or to glean additional certifications within their career, we want to make sure that these elective tracks give them the foundation to do that.”
Overall, Dr. Webb hopes that prospective students be as informed as they can about the program from which they choose to earn their degree. She states, “You need to be informed, you need to see what is out there. If you’re interested in a specialization, look for programs that have a multitude or a variety offerings. In addition, I would encourage [prospective students] to speak to the program director if they can, and to get as much knowledge as they can behind them. It is a major life decision to go back to school. So when you do that, you want to make sure that you pick a program that works for you and your life.”
Dr. Webb continues to express her love of this program and its flexibility as a blended program that gives students the ability to work online, but also come on campus occasionally. As the program director, she enjoys getting the opportunity to see the students, meet them in person, and gain a better understanding of their goals as healthcare providers. Dr. Webb states, “The main takeaway that I hope our alumni gain from this program would be to be proud of the work that they did. They accomplished a lot of hard work to make it through the RMU program—be proud of that. Tell others, encourage others who are out there who aren’t sure about getting terminal degree—give them advice. I think as alumni it is our responsibility to guide the next group of leaders.”
“You need to be informed, you need to see what is out there, if you’re interested in a specialization, look for programs that have a multitude or a variety offerings. In addition, I would encourage them to speak to the program director if they can, and to get as much knowledge as they can behind them. It is a big decision and a major life decision to go back to school. So when you do that, you want to make sure that you pick a program that works for you and your life.”
