Department of Occupational Therapy

History:

The Department of Occupational Therapy is one of the five departments in the Faculty of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences that was created by the Supreme Decree in 1434H/2013G to meet the Kingdom's needs of male and female graduates in the occupational therapy specialty. The first batch of students (boys and girls) started the program in the first semester of the academic year 1439H/2018G. Occupational therapy is known to be a branch of medical qualification science and a profession in health care. Occupational therapy is based on the use of selected information and skills to develop and implement therapeutic programs to care for individuals who suffer from an injury, disability, or disease that limits their physical performance or threatens their job capabilities due to their impact on the structural, muscular or nervous system. Occupational therapy focuses on the means of evaluating the performance of these devices for their functions and on selecting and applying appropriate therapeutic interventions to maintain, improve or return them to their original levels.

Vision:

The Occupational Therapy Department should be a pioneer in the graduation of specialists who are able to provide health care in the field of occupational therapy and conduct scientific research in occupational therapy fields.

Mission:

Providing student with the necessary knowledge for specialization and training to gain skills and behaviors associated with occupational therapy through an integrated program of high quality so that he/she becomes qualified and competent professional to practice in the occupational therapy profession.

Department requirements:

Department requires of 66 credit hours of compulsory courses and 12 credit hours of selective courses.

Compulsory courses:

List of selective courses for the Department of Occupational Therapy :

Student chooses six elective courses from the list of courses in the table below, with two academic units for each course (with a total of 12 academic units)

Courses Description

BCHM-202-Biochemistry for Medical Rehabilitation Sciences

This course aims to provide students with the fundamentals of physio-chemical principles. Course contents include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, vitamins and enzymes, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, nucleic acids metabolism minerals and trace elements, biochemistry of muscles fatigue.

ANTM-204-Anatomy for Medical Rehabilitation Sciences

This course aims to thoroughly acquaint the student with the structure of the human body. The course content consists of introduction to regional anatomy, anatomy of the upper limbs, anatomy of the lower limb, vertebral column, head and neck.

PHYM-204-Physiology for Medical Rehabilitation Sciences

This course aims to provide the students with the basic information on the physiological mechanisms and function of body systems. The course content includes summary of cell structure, skeletal muscle, and mechanism of contraction, respiratory physiology, introduction to the digestive system and regulation of metabolism.

ANTT-210-Anatomy

The course contents include anatomy of the thorax, thoracic wall and diaphragm, thoracic cavity superior mediastinum, anterior mediastinum, middle mediastinum and heart, posterior mediastinum, pleura, lungs, osteology of the thoracic wall, abdominal wall, abdominal muscles, back muscles, nervous system, cranial cavity and meninges, central nervous system, cerebral hemispheres (forebrain, brain stem, cerebellum, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, brachial plexus and lumbo-sacral plexuses.

PHYM-210-Physiology

This course is a continuation of the physiological mechanisms of body systems. The course contents include heart and circulation, endocrine glands, nervous system and autonomic nervous system.

OCTH-221-Fundamental Tests and Measurements

The course is designed to explain the manual muscle testing and joint range of motion and anthropometry evaluations used in occupational therapy. The aim of the course is to provide students with theoretical and practical guidelines in testing for correct and safe muscular and joint evaluation of the upper limb, scapula, lower limbs, neck and face as applied in occupational therapy.

OCTH-222-Therapeutic Modalities (1)

The course content includes summary of the regulating systems of the body, physical properties of water and heat transmission, different electrical stimulation currents, pain, basic principles of hydrotherapy and its different methods and techniques.

OCTH-223-Therapeutic Exercises

The course content includes introduction about the concept of therapeutic exercises and the basic fundamental and derived positions from which the exercises are started then range of motion and isokinetic exercises will be discussed. Stretching, peripheral joint mobilization, spinal traction and connective tissue massage techniques in addition to balance and postural exercises will be explained during this course.

OCTH-224-Therapeutic Modalities (2)

Course Content includes heat and cold physical laws governing hydrotherapy biological effects and clinical uses of different hydrotherapeutic, conduction methods, infrared radiation, shortwave diathermy, microwave diathermy; low intensity laser therapy, ultraviolet therapy and ultrasonic therapy.

OCTH-231-Introduction to Occupational Therapy

Introduces students to the profession of occupational therapy, including: values and beliefs, philosophical bases, foundational concepts, models and scope of current occupational therapy practice. Understanding humans as occupational beings and the importance of occupation to health will also be introduced. Fieldwork will focus on the development of professional behaviors.

PATM-310-Pathology

This course aims at providing students with basic knowledge and general principles of general pathology. The objective of the course is to enable the student to understand, define, and apply basic facts and use appropriate terms in the field of Occupational Therapy. Course content includes cell injury, inflammation, and acute inflammation, chronic inflammation, cell regeneration, wound healing, infections, homodynamic disorders, neoplasia and autoimmune disorders.

PHAM-310-Pharmacology

This course is designed to give students basic information of the general principles of pharmacology. Course contents include mode of drug action, drug interactions, adverse drug reactions, drug addiction and abuse, clinical pharmacokinetics, analgesics, corticosteroids, drugs affecting cardiovascular and respiratory systems and selected muscles, drugs and athletes, drugs used by phonophoresis and iontophoresis.

RADP-313-Radiology for Occupational Therapy

The objective of this course is to provide the student with basic theoretical and practical information about the different techniques of radiology that are used for diagnosis of the common musculoskeletal, chest, heart and neurological disorders.

OCTH-321-Physical Assessment for Occupational Therapist

This course provides theory and technical skills to perform health and physical assessment. The legal and ethical aspects of the examination and documentation will be included.

OCTH-341-Biomechanics

This course is designed to introduce the student to human motion, body mechanics, posture and stability, kinematics and kinetic of motion. Practical application and training on the use of biomechanical devices in biomechanical analysis will be taught.

OCTH-342-Gait Analysis

The course of clinical gait analysis aims to create a basic work learning environment in which health professionals already working within clinical gait analysis in centers and laboratories can develop to become practitioners at the forefront of their discipline.

OCTH-343-Clinical Biomechanics

This course has been designed to prepare students for examining the structure and function of the various connective tissues that comprise human articulations. Principles of biomechanics and arthrokinematics of selected regional articulations and clinical relevance of connective tissue and joint mechanics as related to functional activities will be included.

OCTH-344-Movement Science

 This course is designed to introduce the student to human motion, body mechanics, posture and stability, kinematics and kinetic of motion. Practical application and training on the use of biomechanical devices in biomechanical analysis will be taught.

OCTH-351-Occupational Therapy for Musculoskeletal Disorders

This course provides students with adequate knowledge and skills to evaluate and implement occupational therapy procedures to individuals with musculoskeletal problems. Conservative treatment for pre and post-operative care will be emphasized. Students learn how to perform and document examination of musculoskeletal patients using a variety of measurement tools. Occupational therapy intervention and treatment rationale is emphasized through case study and a multidisciplinary approach.

OCTH-352-Field Work for Musculoskeletal Disorders

This course designs to provide sound subjective history and objective examination techniques, differential diagnoses, treatment options, and rehabilitation protocols for a wide range of common musculoskeletal disorders. In this course, there is an emphasis on the development of clinical reasoning and decision-making skills based on evidence-based practice. In addition, this course helps to enhance communication skills between students and patients, patients’ caregivers, and others hospital staff.

OCTH-372-Behavior and Development of Children

This course is designed to explore factors affecting motor development across the life span as they relate to occupational therapy. Different theories regarding motor behavior will be explored from the fetal period through the years of adulthood.

OCTH-391-Applied Radiology for Occupational Therapist

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an intensive study of radiology. By the end of the course, the student will understand the basic interpretative techniques in the many different areas of radiology. This course will emphasize the systematic approach for radiographic interpretation as well as interpretation of various radiology reports.

PSY-399-Psychology for Medical Rehabilitation Sciences

This course is designed to explore how psychology contributes to the understanding of human behavior either on the personal or group levels. Topics include definition of psychology and its fundamental and applied branches, personality and its different aspects, social environment and its elements, interaction between personality and environment, different psychological functions such as perception, memory and learning, society and its effects on individuals, application of psychology to the different domains of practice. This course will discuss patient compliance and their satisfaction with the medical care they receive, factors which influence the behavior and expectation of health professionals and the efficiency of the care they provide.

PHTH-402-Management for Medical Rehabilitation Sciences

This course provides students with a conceptual framework for moral reasoning in dealing with ethical and professional issues in daily practice. Students will be given basic knowledge in health services, planning and management. Attention will be directed to records, policies and procedure manuals, departmental planning and design, personnel management, leadership, and staff supervision and evaluation.

OCTH-411-Neuroanatomy

This course is designed for developing and improving the course that are being implemented will include use of an interactive methods for teaching the anatomy, posting the anatomy course in the web site of the collage in addition to use of e- learning method in teaching and finally used updated methods of teaching using blackboard program in the field of neuroanatomy.

OCTH-431-Occupational Therapy for Psychosocial Dysfunction and Mental Health

The course will discuss different psychosocial disorders, their diagnosis and occupational therapy treatment approaches. Related approaches from other profession that are used in the mental health settings will be discussed.

OCTH-451-Upper and Lower Limbs Rehabilitation and Splinting

This course is dedicated to lower and upper extremity rehabilitation as a major specialized area of practice in occupation therapy. This course details the anatomy, physiology, biomechanical foundations utilized in the treatment of most of the lower and upper extremity conditions. It also covers evaluation, treatment, techniques of modalities used by occupational therapists in this area of practice. Also, this course covers indications and uses of various upper and lower extremities’ orthotics and prosthesis.

OCTH-461-Occupational Therapy for Elderly

This course focuses on the clinical management of geriatric patients, the physiological and psychological aspects of aging, and common musculoskeletal, neurological and cardiopulmonary problems, biological and function changes due to aging. The course includes field trips to geriatric centers.

OCTH-471-Neuro-Imaging

This course is designed to provide the students with training in both the basic scientific and technological principles of modern neuro-imaging methods of the brain, and their application to the understanding of neurological function and neurological disorders.

OCTH-472-Theories in Motor Control & Learning

This course included an advanced study for the theories for motor control and as a result enable the master degree student to apply the theories of motor learning for all stages of growth for normal human being and the impact of inherited factors upon the physical, environmental and nutritional factors in addition to studying the overall aspect of the changes in the musculoskeletal, nervous, language and optical aspects. In addition, all areas of the course will be directed toward applying theories and research results to occupational therapy practice and further research.

OCTH-473-Field Work for Neuromuscular Disorders

This course includes occupational therapy approach to neurologically disabled children and adult patients. It allows students to be trained in the hospital and taught how to deal with patients with neurological and neurosurgical disorders regarding the assessment and treatment. The course enables students to apply manually and repeatedly the different methods of management to acquire skills.

OCTH-474-Neuroscience

Neuroscience encompasses a broad range of questions about how nervous systems are organized, and how they function to generate behavior. These questions can be explored using the analytical tools of genetics, molecular and cell biology, systems anatomy and physiology, behavioral biology, and psychology.

OCTH-475-Occupational Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders

The course includes occupational therapy approach to neurologically disabled patients. It informs students about problems, assessment and treatment of patients with neurological disorders. Also, the course has a practical part that enables students to apply manually different methods and techniques of management in the laboratory classes.

OCTH-476-Field Work for Pediatrics

This course includes occupational therapy approach to neurologically disabled patients. It allows students to be trained in the hospital how to deal with patients with neurological and neurosurgical disorders regarding the assessment and treatment. The course enables students to apply manually and repeatedly the different methods of management to acquire skills.

OCTH-477-Occupational Therapy for Pediatric Disorders

This course provides the student with an understanding of clinical manifestation and occupational therapy management of selected pediatric neuromotor and sensory integrative disorders. Students learn how to perform and document examinations, evaluations and assessment of pediatric conditions using a variety of tests and measurements tools and setting functional goals. Occupational therapy intervention and rationale is emphasized through case studies and multidisciplinary approach.

OCTH-478-Growth and Development

This course is designed to explore factors affecting motor development across the life span as they relate to occupational therapy. Different theories regarding motor behavior will be explored from the fetal period through the years of adulthood.

OCTH-479-Assistive Technology in Occupational Therapy

This course will provide theory and practice skills to ensure the correct interface between clients' needs, Assistive Technology, occupation, and context. This course also informs students of the theoretical principles, models and practice frameworks used in the prescription (assessment, clinical reasoning, fabrication and follow-up) and fabrication of select orthoses.

OCTH-481-Research Methods for Occupational Therapy

This course is designed to familiarize students with the principles and procedures of scientific research. Each student will choose a research project and write a specific proposal.

OCTH-491-Community Based Rehabilitation

This course introduces the community-based rehabilitation (CBR) as a strategy for community development. It highlights disability and participation and integration in the community as human rights issue not only to individual patients but also to communities. Also, students will understand the development, principles, and structure of CBR both internationally and in Saudi Arabia. Course covers the different models of CBR, issues of public accessibility and the role of occupational therapy in CBR.