Alumni Success: Dawn Vigue ’87 Taps Her Roots at MCC for High Quality OTA Interns

Manchester, Conn. (August 22, 2017) –Twenty-five years as an occupational therapy practitioner convinced Dawn Vigue ’87, of Manchester, that MCC prepared her well for this field – so much so that when she needed great interns to support her employer’s clinical needs at her job, she turned back to her alma mater.

Vigue earned her associate degree at MCC and then proceeded to a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy.  She found immediate employment upon graduation, and she credits MCC’s occupational therapy assistant (OTA) program.

Today she serves as in-house occupational therapist for the Manchester public school system. When she was finding it a challenge to recruit well-prepared clinical interns from other area programs, Vigue contacted Donna Sweeney, assistant professor and field work clinical coordinator, at MCC.

“MCC’s program prepared me well, and so I knew it would be a good source of interns who already have what they need to be successful in the field,” Vigue said.

She has since supervised many MCC students, and she said that she has not felt any need to look elsewhere for clinical interns. “MCC has a high expectation of students at a clinical level. This includes dress code and a lot of professional behaviors, such as knowing how to talk with patients and families at a clinical level,” she said.

MCC’s OTA clinical sites train students at three different skill levels. Vigue supervises interns for the first level, which requires them to complete five hours each of training in physical rehab, mental health, pediatrics and a community-based program.

“I never had a student from this college about whom I would say, ‘I’m worried about him or her’,” Vigue said.

She added, “With increased competition in the healthcare system, it is vital that practitioners understand their role in occupational therapy and are current on evidence-based practice.”

MCC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association – the only two-year accredited program in the state. This accreditation qualifies students to be able to sit for the national certification exam, which is necessary in order to be licensed and to seek employment, according to Maggie Moriarty, professor and program director.

Moriarty said, “Our program is widely respected within the clinical community. Beyond the foundation of knowledge and rich lab experiences they receive at MCC, the students are able to observe, shadow and train with superior occupational therapy practitioners throughout the State of Connecticut.”

She added, “A great percentage of the students in the OTA program already hold bachelor’s degrees and some even hold master’s degrees, but either they cannot find work in their field or have only recently learned of OT and are passionate about this career change. The other piece that is pretty terrific is that in the accelerated track, with just three semesters, a student can grow from a first semester OTA student to a graduate of the program.”

MCC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program and its connection with the clinical sites helps students decide if that is what they really want to do. Vigue adds, “It’s always best to get hands-on experience in the field you are thinking about. Investment in college is a big one, and it’s important that the students have an opportunity before graduation to see how it’ll pay off. The practical experiences is also a great part of every resume.”

MCC is holding information sessions about the OTA program on Sept.15, Oct. 13 and November 13. The deadline for applications for the program that starts in the Fall of 2018 is March 1, 2018. For more information, visit www.manchestercc.edu/occupational-therapy-assistant.