Clinician to academician: tips on getting started

Clinicians interested in academia are often hired as teaching faculty due to acquired expertise in their clinical area of practice. They typically assume this role without having prior academic experience, which makes the decision to switch roles more complex (Wakely, 2021). However, it is important to note that the distinct value a clinician brings to the classroom is their “authenticity” (Wakely, 2021). The lived experience as a clinician provides a unique approach to sharing real life conditions, interventions, and case studies in the classroom (Murray et al., 2014). Clinicians may not be privy to the expectations and workplace culture of higher education and may feel like their occupational therapy (OT) or occupational therapy assistant (OTA) education and advanced practice experiences do not necessarily prepare them to be an educator (Sparks-Keeney & Jirikowic, 2020)—but these invaluable lessons can be infused into teaching, which ultimately shapes the future of the profession.