Student FAQs

Students are required to complete 1000 hours of fieldwork.

Students are not allowed to do all of their fieldwork placements in one particular setting or area of practice. All students must complete a breadth of fieldwork learning experiences. Students will track each placement, including the coding of the placement, in their Student Fieldwork Record on InPlace.

Students are prohibited from contacting any Canadian fieldwork sites or clinicians to arrange observation opportunities or to solicit a fieldwork placement. Any such arrangements will not be honoured.

Students who wish to complete Fieldwork 2, 3, or 4 out of the University of Toronto catchment area must attend to all announcements for possible opportunities. See Placement Opportunities Outside the University of Toronto Catchment Area for further information.

Student assignment of placements (fieldwork matches) use a software-assisted process with InPlace. The matching process considers student preferences, program requirements, fieldwork-related accommodations and previously approved special consideration requests.

A LEAP placement stands for Leadership, Emerging/Enhancing, Advocacy, Program Planning and Evaluation. Students must complete at least one LEAP placement during Year 2. Fieldwork learning opportunities in Fieldwork 3 will primarily consist of LEAP placements, however, students may also complete a LEAP placement during Fieldwork 2 or Fieldwork 4. 

Students who wish to engage in a student-initiated LEAP placement must first contact the department’s LEAP coordinator and follow the specified processes prior to initiating any contact or discussions with the intended site.

No, if you do not have a car you will not be matched to a placement that requires a car. Prior to each fieldwork match, you will be asked to answer questions in your InPlace called Student Information for Fieldwork. You will have the opportunity to indicate if you have a license, car or access to a car during the fieldwork placement. You can also provide specific comments about your access to a car. 

While we aim to keep students’ commute time to fieldwork placements at 90 minutes or less, there may be instances where a student’s commute time exceeds this. Students must be prepared to travel to any fieldwork facility within the Toronto catchment area to attend their placement. Students should note the location of the placement when reviewing and preferencing fieldwork offers during each course. (Note: this guideline is meant for students who live within U of T’s catchment area).

Students placed at community fieldwork sites which require a vehicle, are eligible to apply for a car allowance. Students are eligible for this car allowance if the fieldwork placement site within the University of Toronto catchment area specifies in the fieldwork description that the student ‘requires’ a vehicle for travel during the placement. Students will be required to submit a travel reimbursement form following their fieldwork placement.

If you are going to be absent from your fieldwork placement, you should notify your preceptor immediately. If something occurs and you need to take an extended leave from your fieldwork placement, please speak to your course fieldwork instructor as soon as possible. Your instructor can liaise with your preceptor to ensure you are supported and can meet the fieldwork hour requirements for the placement.

If you have moved, please contact the Fieldwork Administrator at ot.fieldworkadmin@utoronto.ca to update your current address in InPlace. Please ensure your address is up-to-date prior to any fieldwork match. 

Health forms are located under Fieldwork Forms. Please ensure you are completing the correct form for your discipline (OS&OT) and your year (Year 1/Year 2). Health forms are submitted through Synergy Gateway through Verified, a documentation, collection, verification and reporting partner application.

Yes, there are fees associated with the services of Verified. Please keep all receipts for income tax purposes. The costs can be related to documentation completion, completion of mandatory immunizations or lab tests and fees related to electronic requirements verification through Verified.  

Occupational therapy students have to undergo mandatory mask fit testing. The Rehabilitation Sciences Sector administrator will contact you to arrange testing. No additional fees are required.  

Students are required to obtain their CPR certification at Level C. The course must include one and two person CPR on adults, children, and babies. Annual certification is required.

Students are required to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Screen (VSS) as it satisfies all site requirements, including those sites requiring Criminal Record Checks. Students are responsible for all associated fees. Please note you must obtain a VSS in the city/region where you live and they can take anywhere from 2 to 12 weeks to process. Allow yourself ample time for the process.