Marci Baptista

Programs and Courses Taught

Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Community Participation Lab, Capstone Planning, Adult Physical Dysfunction 

About Me

I was born and raised in metropolitan New York with a background and education in Art and music. After attending 2 years of art college, I worked for 6 years at the United Nations in New York and Europe.  Feeling a strong desire to help people in a creative way, I decided to become an Occupational Therapist. After receiving my Master's degree from Samuel Merritt University,  I began my OT career working in mental health and later worked as an outpatient therapist, treating neurological and orthopedic conditions.  I received my Certified Hand Therapy (CHT) certification in 2005. In 2012, I received certification as an Ergonomic Evaluator.  My interest in teaching inspired me to pursue a doctorate degree, and I later began teaching at Samuel Merritt in 2019 as an adjunct assistant professor. I currently teach part time, work as an outpatient occupational therapist, and perform ergonomic evaluations.

Education

I received my Bachelor's degree from University of San Francisco.  I graduated from Samuel Merritt University with a Master's in Occupational Therapy in 1999 and received my Doctorate of Occupational Therapy in 2018 from Loma Linda University

Teaching Interests

research, community occupational therapy services, physical dysfunction, splinting and orthopedic conditions

Scholarly Interests

Community occupational therapy, serving underserved populations, aging in place occupational therapy services, hand therapy and splinting.

Publications

Baptista, M. et. al. (2018).  Functional outcomes of a community occupation-based hand therapy class for older adults.  Journal of Occupational and Physical Therapy in Geriatrics, 36:(4), 380-398.  https://doi.org/10.1080/02703181.2018.1556230

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

AOTA, WFOT, OTAC, NBCOT, Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist