Launched in 2023, Missouri State University’s Postprofessional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PP-OTD) program celebrates its first two graduates this May: Caitlan Schasteen and Ellie Murphy.
The duo also received their Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) from Missouri State.
According to PP-OTD director Dr. Sapna Chakraborty, the program was designed “with our alumni in mind, providing a pathway for practitioners with a master’s degree to return, advance their education and expand their career opportunities.”
She added that the program’s first two graduates represent “years of intentional planning, persistence and growth.”
Schasteen
From Paola, Kansas, Schasteen received her bachelor’s degree in child and family development and MOT in May 2017 and 2019, respectively. She can now add a doctorate to her list of credentials.
She pursued OT to help people “find what was meaningful to them and get back to that.”
Being part of the inaugural program was a valuable experience.
“I knew all my professors from my master’s, and they were all very open to learning and trying new things. They were willing to take our feedback and talk to us about changes in the future,” said Schasteen, who works as an occupational therapist at AdventHealth in Ottawa, Kansas.
One of the program’s highlights was the capstone project. Schasteen created four videos on topics educators wanted more information on, such as growth mindset, motivational interviewing, soft skills and generational differences. She did the project at AdventHealth, using coworkers to test the content.
Her favorite part about her time at Missouri State has been the people she has met. She is grateful for her capstone project mentor, Dr. Traci Garrison, a clinical associate professor in the School of Health Care Professions.
“Whether I go into academics or continue clinical work, those relationships will still be there for me,” Schasteen said.
Murphy
Originally from Pleasant Hope, Missouri, Murphy played softball and earned her bachelor’s degree in allied health from Evangel University. She decided to pursue the MOT at Missouri State in 2020.
“I’d heard great things from people who had completed their master’s here, so I decided to take the leap and pursue the program myself,” Murphy said.
After completing her master’s in 2022, she continued with the PP-OTD.
“I already knew the professors and trusted them and their professional judgement. I knew I’d get a good education here,” Murphy said.
She chose OT because it is a broad field.
“You can do a lot of things within OT. You also get to mix creativity and science and help a wide range of people in many different ways,” she said.
She credits the program for preparing her further for real-world practice.
“It gave me a great opportunity to integrate my previous professional knowledge and experiences into the new learning I gained in the program,” Murphy said.
For her capstone project, she completed a scoping review about pediatric telehealth, which is an area she currently works in. She studied its efficacy and outcomes, as well as parent, client and provider perceptions.
Murphy is honored to be one of the first two graduates of the PP-OTD program.
“I’m excited I got to be part of building the program from the ground up. I love the OT department at Missouri State,” she said.
What comes next
Schasteen plans to continue working at AdventHealth. She will also take on some clinical students on their fieldwork rotations this summer and fall to apply what she has learned.
She dreams of becoming a professor and teaching occupational therapy. Completing the PP-OTD degree will help her reach that goal.
As for Murphy, her short-term plan is to keep working in pediatric telehealth, PRN at Mercy Hospital, and at the Missouri State Occupational Therapy Clinic.
For the future, she wants to work in OT education and conduct research to expand the profession’s knowledge base.
