The Pediatric Fellowship Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is a post-professional clinical and didactic education program designed to significantly enrich the fellow’s preparation as an advanced practitioner in the field of pediatric occupational therapy. It combines opportunities for ongoing clinical mentorship with a scientific basis for advanced practice.

This program is accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association. 

Program details

• This 12-month fellowship has three distinctive 16-week clinical rotations, including: inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient, and acute care.
•  The fellowship has a set curriculum with specialty learning plans, including:
  • Foundations
  • Standardized Assessments
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Orthopedics
  • Neuromuscular Conditions
  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Cardiopulmonary Conditions
  • Special Topics:
    • Amplified Muscular Skeletal Pain
    • Seating and Positioning
    • Early Intervention and School-based Therapy
    • Pediatric Advanced Care Team
    • OT in the ICU (Pediatric ICU, Cardiac ICU and Neonatal/Infant ICU)  
• Mentorship and didactic lectures will also be provided by our OT content experts throughout the year.
• The Pediatric Fellowship incorporates the LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) Program.
• Fellows are hired as salaried, full-time employees but divide their time between direct patient care, one-on-one mentorship, LEND and other educational experiences.
• The Pediatric Fellowship pay is approximately 75 percent of a typical new graduate OT salary.

Program requirements

All candidates for the Pediatric Fellowship Program at CHOP must be eligible for occupational therapy licensure in the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Ideal applicants will have experience in pediatrics or experience in a comparable adult institution.  

How to apply

For more information about the program or to apply, please email OTfellowship@email.chop.edu. Applications are accepted through the end of January, with the fellowship starting in July of each year.

Other requirements

To carry out its mission, it is of critical importance for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to keep our patients, families and workforce safe and healthy and to support the health of our global community. In keeping with this, CHOP has mandated all workforce members (including trainees) on site at any CHOP location for any portion of their time be vaccinated for COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

This mandate also applies to workforce members or trainees performing work for CHOP at non-CHOP locations. Additionally, all workforce members based in or regularly scheduled to work at any New Jersey location are mandated to be both vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19, with booster timing consistent with applicable guidelines. The CHOP COVID-19 vaccine mandate is in alignment with applicable local, state and federal mandates. CHOP also requires all workforce members and trainees who work in patient care buildings or who provide patient care to receive an annual influenza vaccine. Employees may request exemption consideration for CHOP vaccine requirements for valid religious and medical reasons. Please note start dates may be delayed until candidates are fully immunized or valid exemption requests are reviewed. In addition, candidates other than those in positions with regularly scheduled hours in New Jersey, must attest to not using tobacco products.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. CHOP is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor seeking priority referrals for protected veterans.

CHOP is committed to building an inclusive culture where employees feel a sense of belonging, connection, and community within their workplace. We are a team dedicated to fostering an environment that allows for all to be their authentic selves. We are focused on attracting, cultivating, and retaining diverse talent who can help us deliver on our mission to be a world leader in the advancement of healthcare for children.

We strongly encourage all candidates of diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.