Occupational therapy program hosts inaugural Splint-Off: Creativity meets clinical skill

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program in the School of Health Professions turned thermoplastic splinting material scraps into works of art and laughter on Nov. 20 during its inaugural in-house Splint-Off competition.

Forty-four first-year OTD students formed eleven teams and were given one mission: to use only three types of thermoplastic materials to create a sculpture that represents a current or emerging area of occupational therapy practice. The goal of the competition was to help students become comfortable using different kinds of splinting materials and learn how to make them stick together to build static or dynamic splints for their future clients.

The results were nothing short of spectacular. Teams tackled themes ranging from sensory integration to medicinal honey/beekeeping — all while mastering the very materials they had once been hesitant to work with. After four intense hours of heating, molding, and strategic bonding, the winners were announced:

• 1st Place: Team Honey Bunches of OT with Winnie the Beek, OTR, OTD – a “bee-autiful” sculpture celebrating community-based mental health practice.
• 2nd Place: Team Sensory Seekers with Sensory City – a sensory board encouraging self-regulation and fine motor skills.
• 3rd Place: Team Get Yolked! with Quack an Egg – an assistive device that helps young clients separate the egg white from the egg yolk.

Faculty judges praised the craftsmanship, material confidence and clinical reasoning used to create their sculptures. The students began the class with no experience in making splints but will now have the confidence to construct a splint out of one or three different materials. 

While this is the first Splint-Off, the program plans to continue next year and may include first- and second-year students. This year’s custom trophy — a splint-material crown of mastery — will remain in the OT lab until next year’s challenge.

—Kimberly Ferland is an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy.