MSOT to PhD Pathway

Three-semester track prepares MSOT students to enter a PhD program

by Michele Berhorst • April 21, 2025

Larson (right) and Hunter Moore (left), clinical research coordinator, learned how to make casts from Maria Coxon, OTD, OTR/L, CLC (center), during a workshop on casting for CIMT in Hoyt's lab.

The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) announced a mandate in August 2017 requiring all entry-level occupational therapy (OT) programs to transition from a master’s (MOT/MSOT) to a doctoral (OTD) degree by 2027. The mandate faced significant pushback from various stakeholders and launched a two-year discussion with the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). In 2019, ACOTE reversed the decision and continued with dual points of entry for the profession. Despite the reversal, many universities independently chose to phase out their master’s programs in favor of the doctorate. WashU Medicine Program in Occupational Therapy decided to continue to offer both MSOT and OTD entry-level degrees to provide students with the most career flexibility.

In both programs, students have opportunities to conduct clinical research or engage in the scholarship of teaching and learning under the direction of a researcher. Doctoral students complete mentored scholarship, a three-course sequence that is a directed learning experience culminating in a scholarly project under their mentor’s guidance. In their mentor’s lab, OTD students conduct clinical research, clinical and community program development, or scholarship of teaching and learning within the mentor’s line of scholarship.

By contrast, the MSOT to PhD mentored scholarship elective is a three-course sequence that provides master’s students with research experience minus the doctoral degree time (36 months versus the MSOT’s 28 months). “Students work on research projects in their mentor’s lab, read and review literature, write papers, and gain other skills to prepare them for potential careers in academia or industry,” explained Susy Stark, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, professor of occupational therapy, neurology and social work, and PhD mentor. “The track allows MSOT students to explore whether a research career is right for them. They can also prepare to apply to a PhD program.”

Recent MSOT graduates Madelyn Yoo, MSOT ’23, OTR/L, and Sophia Larson, MSOT ’24, OTR/L, share why the track was the right decision, the research opportunities presented, and what’s next in their careers.

Madelyn Yoo, MSOT ’23, OTR/L

Yoo was amid her undergraduate studies in human development and family studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign when she first got involved in research. She had joined a research lab studying the maintenance and dissolution of relationships and was learning qualitative research and exploring social science methodologies when COVID-19 hit the U.S. Though seemingly extraneous to her interest in pediatric OT, this experience allowed her to explore interests that contribute to occupational well-being while learning about the research process.
“During the pandemic, I had some downtime to explore more about the scope of the OT profession and came across the ‘Sustainability Matters: Guiding Principles for Sustainability in Occupational Therapy Practice, Education and Scholarship’ report by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists...I thought it was an interesting angle,” Yoo recalled. The report highlights the critical role of environmental sustainability in OT, advocating for its integration into practice, education and research. “I tried to find a similar group in the U.S., and there wasn’t one looking at environmental sustainability and OT. I reached out to the Center for Sustainable Health Care, and they were connected with people in the U.S. who have been doing this kind of work for a long time.” This led Yoo to co-found the Occupational Therapists for Environmental Action, a U.S.-based grassroots organization of occupational therapists working to promote awareness of and action against climate change.

When she was accepted to WashU Medicine OT, Yoo was interested in the MSOT to PhD track elective to explore a research career and her growing interest in environmental sustainability and OT. Yoo selected Parul Bakhshi, PhD, DEA (MPhil), assistant professor of social work, occupational therapy, and surgery, as her mentor. Bakhshi is a social psychologist who examines the state of the research connecting mental health and climate change and highlights weaknesses in how these issues are addressed through the lens of social justice. In Bakhshi’s lab, Yoo engaged in various projects related to the topic of environmental sustainability and OT, including conducting a literature review, drafting a research proposal, and presenting at OT Scholarship Day. However, it was the collaborative experiences related to knowledge dissemination that Yoo found enriching and fulfilling.

“One of the lab’s initiatives was the OT and Climate Newsletter, a monthly electronic publication distributed to students and faculty. We also established an OT journal club focused on climate change, engaging our cohort in discussions about global and local research within the OT field. Additionally, through Dr. Bakhshi’s connections, we conducted interviews with botanists and partnered with local organizations,” Yoo explained. “It was a great experience, because so much of the research was about collaboration, organization and planning with people who share similar interests and goals. Dr. Bakhshi not only guided us, but also brought the same enthusiasm and the sense of community present in her work to ours.”

During her time in the lab, Yoo co-authored a paper titled “Climate Change and Occupational Therapy: Meeting the Urgent Need for Adaptation, Mitigation and Resilience” (Taff, Yoo, Carlson, & Bakhshi, 2023), published in Occupational Therapy in Health Care. The paper critiques barriers to climate action in the U.S. and other high-income countries, including the profit-driven health-care system, consumerism, and the climate change countermovement.

While a student, Yoo worked as a graduate assistant, which furthered her research experiences. After graduation, she was hired as a part-time clinical research assistant in the Health Equity, Opportunity and Education Laboratory run by Kelly Harris, PhD, CCC-SLP. She is now a clinical research coordinator for the lab and is involved in patient recruitment, Institutional Review Board protocols, data collection, and data analysis. As Harris studies environmental triggers for youth with high-risk asthma, Yoo supports research that leads to better health outcomes for pediatric patients with asthma. Additionally, she works part-time in outpatient pediatrics and early intervention.

Yoo also spent her first year out of graduate school applying to PhD programs in social sciences, focusing on climate change and health in the fields of sociology and social work. Although she was not accepted into any programs this round, she remains positive. “That happens a lot when people apply in their first round. It’s very competitive, with only a few spots per program.”

Yoo would recommend the MSOT to PhD elective to a prospective student interested in learning more about a research career. “There’s no real downside to engaging in research — you’re not committing to a PhD, and you’re gaining valuable, unique skills. Taking advantage of mentorship and resources can help build critical thinking skills that will benefit you in many areas of life, from evidence-based practice to leadership roles,” Yoo said. “Not all OT programs offer this opportunity, so if you have the interest and capacity, why not?”

Sophia Larson, MSOT ’24, OTR/L

Larson completed her undergraduate degree in human development and family studies with a pre-health concentration from Colorado State University (CSU). Her cousin, a pediatric occupational therapist, had introduced her to the profession, but she didn’t realize how broad the field was until speaking with CSU faculty and students. That’s when she began exploring an OT career and graduate school.

“There was talk about the master’s being obsolete one day, so I liked the fact that WashU had degree options and that you could switch between the MSOT and the OTD in your first year,” Larson recalled. “I initially chose the MSOT because I felt that I should have a concrete reason or a specific interest in research or leadership to justify the additional tuition and time associated with the OTD route.”

However, as her cohort in the OTD track was selecting labs and being matched with mentors, Larson started thinking more about her professional development: “Although all the faculty are committed to supporting students, consistent and intentional mentorship was something I thought any student should have access to, regardless of their degree track. I wasn’t sure if I wanted a research career, but I knew exploring and engaging in research would enhance my clinical skills and decision-making.”

Larson was still questioning when she attended the 2023 AOTA Conference in Kansas City, where she discussed mentorship opportunities with Catherine Hoyt, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA. “I could tell immediately how intentional she was about her approach to mentorship and that she understands the value of having a mentor,” Larson said. “Even if I didn’t pursue it long-term, I knew research would make me a better clinician and future leader. We agreed to touch base again in the summer.”

That summer, Hoyt welcomed Larson into her Growth and Occupational Well-being of Youth Laboratory (GROWTH Lab). Hoyt’s research primarily focuses on sickle cell disease and constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). Larson worked on scoping reviews, literature reviews and data analyses using statistical software. However, it was through a survey project for the I-ACQUIRE grant that Larson gained valuable research experience. The lab collaborated with pediatric neurologists and CIMT experts from WashU and Virginia Tech to distribute a national survey to providers (occupational and physical therapists) and academic rehabilitation programs.

“When I joined the lab, the survey had already been developed, but the team hadn’t yet determined distribution logistics. I helped gather the various distribution lists to send the survey out. I slowly collected the responses over a few months and compiled them into a paper,” Larson shared. “My assignments mirrored those of my OTD peers, which made lab meetings cohesive. We followed the same timeline for writing assignments, methods, results, and discussions, which created a seamless experience.”

Larson was the first author of the paper titled “Pediatric Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy: Current Practices and Implementation Barriers” (Larson, Smith, Aravamuthan, Moore, Antonoff, Ramey, & Hoyt, 2024), published in OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research. The paper concluded that most providers reported awareness of and local availability of pediatric CIMT. However, they reported that not all children who might benefit from it had access.

Larson also presented a poster at the 2024 AOTA Conference in Orlando on barriers to implementing CIMT for children. “Creating and presenting the poster was a great professional and learning experience, especially in condensing information into a concise presentation. It was great hearing directly from providers about the challenges they faced in offering CIMT so we can find ways to resolve them.”

Additionally, Larson participated in health fairs and recruitment efforts at sickle cell awareness events during her time in Hoyt’s lab. “These experiences taught me how to communicate about research studies and the importance of building connections with communities with a historical mistrust of medical research,” Larson added.

After graduation, Larson started work as a clinical research study assistant in Hoyt’s GROWTH Lab. Looking ahead, she envisions pursuing a PhD. “The timing is a big question — when it will fit into my life and career. I’m planning to apply to the WashU OT RAPS PhD program in the next couple of years, and in the meantime, I’ll keep exploring opportunities. My time at WashU OT has been incredibly formative, and I would love to continue my education here,” Larson said.

For MSOT students considering a research component in their OT education, Larson emphasizes the importance of mentorship and curiosity: “Find a mentor who aligns with your interests or someone passionate about guiding students. And be open to learning for learning’s sake — research enriches your clinical perspective in ways you may not anticipate.”