The doctoral candidate attended sessions at a pediatric primary care practice which will be referred to as “ABC Pediatrics” throughout this manuscript to maintain privacy and confidentiality of the patients and providers. ABC Pediatrics employs one pediatrician, one nurse practitioner, and one physician’s assistant as well as office managers, front desk staff, medical assistants, and medical scribers. There are also medical translators due to the majority of the clientele being primarily Spanish speaking. On a typical day, the pediatrician sees up to 20 patients and the nurse practitioner and physician's assistant see up to 40 patients each. Services include well-visits and sick visits.
The doctoral candidate observed sessions at ABC Pediatrics in order to become familiar with the culture of a pediatric primary care setting, identify common patient conditions and parent concerns that could be addressed by occupational therapy, and advocate for OT in primary care through informal clinical discussions with providers. The observations at ABC Pediatrics provided the doctoral student with personal and clinical experiences that were incorporated into the educational resource created for PCPs.