University of St Augustine for Health Sciences Reviews of Doctorates in Occupational Therapy

"Although the program had a rocky start with Covid and being primarily online, I truly feel like the professors put everything they had into preparing us for our fieldwork. The professors are what makes this school. Not even all the textbooks in the world can fully prepare someone to be an OT. The field is a hands on job. But they taught us how to think and view the world like an OT, which serves as building blocks for our careers. I’ve also seen the revisions to the program for current and incoming students and think the changes are extraordinary and will increase the depth of knowledge for students."

"The Occupational Therapy program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) is a great opportunity for students who are willing to be challenged and who believe in the pursuit of excellence. USAHS offers both a doctoral and masters program for aspiring OT's, and even has a flex program wherein you can earn your OT degree and still manage other responsibilities. USAHS supports our military members and their families, and is a great location to attend if your family is stationed on the west coast."

"St. Augustine San Marcos campus prepared me for my future career in occupational therapy. Furthermore the entry doctoral program allowed me to specialize within the first three years of being an OT. I would highly recommend this program for any student wishing to go into emerging practice areas."

"Almost all of my professors show compassion and willingness to help your learning at this school! I feel welcomed and cared for by all of the faculty. I feel that the activities and labs really support my learning and connect the lecture material. The simulations and the actors who come in also support my learning and give me a "real" perspective on client care and how to help clients as early as first term. This school also has great support with tutoring options, helpful feedback from the Writing Center, and a great library with models and devices to check out."

"I liked the smaller setting of the schools, the cohorts became very close to eachother and were a great support system throughout the program. I really liked the hybrid program the school offers (lectures are video-recorded/labs in person). I am overall satisfied with the impact my education has had on my career and the mentors I have gained as an Occupational therapist who were once my professors."

"USAHS truly prepares you for clinical and real-world experience. The flipped classroom format fosters time management, research, critical thinking, and individual initiative. The curriculum is carefully crafted to scaffold your learning starting with the fundamentals and then building on clinical skills. The curriculum as a whole and with each course is also always being improved based on student feedback to ensure the best possible results for learning and clinical/fieldwork preparation. All the OT professors at the Miami campus go above and beyond to make sure each student succeeds. Whether it is with additional review sessions, open lab hours, consistent and open communication, or lecture breaks, the professors make it a point to get to know each of their students and check in on us. The professors are the best part of this school. The facilities are also specifically designed for the programs offered, so there is no better school to get your OT or PT degree."

"In just a few short weeks I will graduate from the St. Augustine campus PPOTD program. I am about to become a double alumni!!! I am so excited and grateful to this institution for supporting me at all different stages of my academic and professional life. If you want to be an expert in your field, and have while you get there, go to USAHS. Some of the highlights of my experience were: working with faculty who are also currently practicing in clinic, the helpful staff of the library who are always able to assist with hard to locate evidence, the faculty who have supported and encouraged me to push through my insecurities and of course the bottomless cups of coffee supplied to all students by the administration. Thank you for helping me be the best OT I can be and for giving me the skills I need to succeed in the best profession ever."

"I am an upcoming graduate reviewing for the full-time OTD program at the Miami, FL campus. The educators are highly knowledgable and significantly influenced my positive experience at USAHS. Educators are experienced OT practitioners, engaging, responsive to questions, empathetic, and willing to support students in areas that they need. Several professors and fieldwork educators have expressed that their support continues beyond graduation. Overall, I am very happy with my experience and learning at USAHS and would recommend the program to those who are interested in Occupational Therapy."

"The residential occupational therapy doctorate program at the University of St. Augustine of Health Sciences San Marcos campus has been an amazing experience so far! Looking for a school that has the same values as I do regarding inclusive communities, environmental stewardship, and client-centered evidenced based practice was a process but St. Augustine made that choice easy and has proven to really prove itself over and over. I am so thankful for this school, community, and all of the opportunities that have been provided. Highly recommend!!!"

"Overall, I was so glad that I attended this program because of the numerous unique opportunities that this campus had to offer, the faculty I met, and the level of preparedness I achieved before level II fieldwork. This university provides many outlets for students to get involved, such as the Student Journal of Occupational Therapy (an open-access journal that publishes student work from across the country). Additionally, this campus has peer tutoring services, writing center services, an active SOTA board, and hands-on experiences during level one fieldwork through various outlets such as the on-campus pro bono clinic and local community sites. The faculty at USAHS are all very passionate about the field of occupational therapy and are strong advocates for student success. Most of the faculty I encountered were very approachable and answered my questions promptly. Furthermore, they all took time to get to know me personally and to connect me to individuals within the community, which significantly contributed to my professional development and success at my capstone site. While in the didactic portion of my time at USAHS, I was provided with my “just right challenge” and was prepared to go into fieldwork (more than I realized), despite having less hands-on time due to COVID. Using the knowledge, tips, and skills I learned from my time at USAHS, I excelled during my fieldwork rotations, with one educator telling me that I was one of the best students she had in her 25 years of supervising students. I attribute that success to the professionalism and knowledge instilled during my time as a student at USAHS."

"To begin, I am rating the St. Augustine, FL campus. Although, I am grateful for the faculty of this institution granting me the opportunity to pursue my doctoral degree in OT. I honestly rate this campus 2/10 on a 10-point scale. I have had few faculty members who were professional and willing to assist me which I am grateful to them. However, the organization structure of the OTD program, fieldwork coordination, and structure of graduation severely needs improvement. I endured a high amount of stress that was not related to classes due to several professors lacking organization of classes and either not answering my questions or answering them halfway. When trying to get some of the profs. to answer (verbally/email) I felt as if I was being a bother. There is a lot to mention; however, the most recent was graduation, myself including some others did not receive an honors cord when we should have because there was not enough cords available. When speaking to someone from registrar regarding this situation their response indicated she was trying to come up with something to make it seem as if it was not their fault. Overall, while attending USA at the St. Augustine, FL campus I had several bad experiences that should not have occurred as a student. Hopefully, this review can provide insight to others."

"I'm not sure if this was due COVID or not but I felt like I had very limited access to resources during my time at the University of Saint Augustine - Dallas Campus. The Dallas Campus isn't really a campus it's more of a business office where you have to check in at a front desk. The staff members are very friendly and accommodating though. There isn't much of a library it's just a single room where you can check out study materials equipment and books. The technology and simulation center they have at the University of Saint Augustine are impressive, but you could hardly go onto campus to practice really outside of lab times to practice. If you plan on going to the ot program, be sure to check out lab equipment and have someone you can practice your techniques on. It's great that you are allowed to check out exam tables. The University of Saint Augustine is blended learning but leans more to the side of online learning as the lectures are pre-recorded. Living alone was not optimal for me. I was not able to thrive in the environment due to a lack of connections with my classmates and an in-person support system. I'm sure other people are capable of learning at the University of Saint Augustine, and it gives you ample time to work as you study. It's very hands-on and quite practical when you do have classes/labs on campus. You will become quite good at bed mobility. I am currently happy in another occupational therapy program that has its labs consistently open to practice even when classes are not in session."

"Where do I begin...I am currently an OTD student at USAHS-St. Augustine Campus. To say that my experience thus far has been atrocious would be a gross understatement. You will be promised professional education and treatment, and will receive less than satisfactory education and treatment. The only thing they can and will guarantee, is to drain your pocket book. Expect to be charged for services you are not provided or allowed to use. If you are a student with ADA accommodations, expect to be mocked and gaslighted. You are not allowed to have a voice and if you do not conform to what they believe, you will be lashed out upon and your grades and professionalism points will begin to decline (without any change from you). The professors and staff are under qualified for their positions and have a huge turnover rate, causing inconsistencies with teaching, grading, and with which "guidelines" will be followed and not. DO NOT WORRY, IF YOU UPSET ONE PROFESSOR OR STAFF MEMBER, YOU WILL BE TALKED ABOUT AND SLANDERED BY ALL. It is very clear that teachers have an ongoing black list where they keep the names of students who do not conform. The slander is so bad, that professors who have "quit" (aka been let go due to not conforming) have come forward to students about what to expect and the real reasons they are no longer employed with the school. As a student, I can tell you personally, I have had several professors speak ill of the school and drama that goes along with the staffing system and student body discrimination. The school has received multiple payouts for COVID relief that was supposed to be divided out to students, we have not received the proper deviations of money promised. COVID will be their excuse to get away with student discrimination and labeling. Unvaccinated students are labeled as just that and are denied access to learning material and experiences. This is just the tip of the list of issues that have occurred. All in all...choose another school, even if it means waiting to be accepted to another program."

"I just graduated from the miami campus and I was in the occupational therapy doctorate program. Let me tell you, this doctorate program is a JOKE. As all the other reviews say, this school is horrible. All they care about is money. When I needed assistance for my capstone project, no one was there to assist me. Not even the two doctoral coordinators who’s job it is to assist the small amount of people in our cohort. And when they did “try” to assist me, they made me doubt my project and kept making me change things and then would forget what they told me to change and criticize it a week later. My coordinators decided to give me an incomplete in my last semester because, in their own words, “they didn’t have enough time to grade my project”. This delayed me taking my license exam for MONTHS. If you, the person reading this, has ANY other option for graduate school, CHOSE THE OTHER OPTION!"

"USAHS is the worst school you could ever invest your money into. I would not recommend any of the campuses they all have issues. When you ask professors to teach you most of them just refer you to videos on blackboard. The program directors don’t care about you either. They are so quick to get their students to drop or retake classes to get money. Don’t recommend this school at all especially the Dallas campus"