The Roles of OTC Mentors and Students

1.	Upon acceptance into the Diploma or Collaborative Program, each entering student is assigned an OTC faculty member with similar health services research interest and expertise and who is responsible for mentoring the student. Usually, the OTC mentor is the same as the student’s supervisor.
2.	The initial task of the student and OTC mentor is to develop a Learning Plan that will guide the track of courses and activities through the Program.  A blank copy of the Learning Plan as well as an illustration are available on this website.  This website includes references to available onsite and online courses that are relevant in meeting health services and policy research competencies.
3.	In preparing the Learning Plan, the student and mentor need to
	a) assess the extent to which prior learning and learning experiences in the degree program have supported OTC competencies development (i.e., first blank column of the Learning Plan); b) discuss what courses and other learning experiences the student will complete as part of his/her degree program; c) identify the extent to which courses and experiences discussed in b) above will foster the development of additional competencies needed by a health services researcher (i.e., second blank column of the Learning Plan); and d) determine what additional learning activities (e.g., courses, research practicum, and policy practicum) are required to achieve the remaining competencies through the Diploma or Collaborative Program (i.e., third blank column of the Learning Plan).
4.	Once completed by student and mentor,
	a) The Learning Plan will be reviewed and signed off by the OTC Site Director to ensure standardization across OTC students at the particular university. If changes are required, the OTC Site Director will advise the student accordingly for re-submission.  It is expected that completed Learning Plans in 2007 should be submitted to the Site Director by early to mid July. b) copies of the approved Learning plan will be provided to the student, the OTC mentor, the thesis supervisor if different from the OTC mentor, and the corresponding graduate office. The OTC Site Director will forward a copy of the approved Learning Plan to the OTC Program Manager for central filing.
5.	Mentor and student are expected to meet regularly to monitor both the implementation of the learning plan and progress toward is fulfillment.
6.	All Diploma and Collaborative Program students are required to attend full-time one Summer Institute (usually the third week in June) and participate in a research or policy practicum offered by the OTC as part of their learning experiences for the Diploma.
7.	Students are required to maintain a learning portfolio containing all evaluations from faculty for courses, practica, and summer institutes.  When all objectives have been met, the student submits this portfolio (plus the Final Report on the Achievement of Core Competencies, available from the Program Manager)to the OTC Admissions Committee who also serves as a Graduation Committee and verifies that the student has accomplished all learning objectives as identified in the learning plan and may be awarded the Diploma or equivalent qualification through the Collaborative Program.