USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Hunter Wookey, OTD

Hunter Wookey

Degree: Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Current Position: Occupational Therapist, Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Hunter Wookey grew up in Watertown, South Dakota and earned his undergraduate degree at Minnesota State University Mankato. When it came time to choose a graduate program, he knew he wanted to stay close to home, but he was willing to go further afield to find the right fit.

"There are a lot of Occupational Therapy programs, so I definitely shopped around all over the country before deciding," says Wookey. "USD is known for their quality therapy programs. Their coursework, clinical work, and faculty are all top-tier."

Three years into his career on the inpatient rehabilitation unit at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, he is more convinced than ever that he made the right decision.

"I knew early on that I wanted to work with adults with neurological disorders who aren't ready to go home yet…people with stroke, spinal cord injury, MS, brain injuries, etc.." says Wookey, who also offers aquatic therapy and wheelchair seating clinics. For him, the program's clinical rotation structure was especially appealing.

"USD has arrangements with sites all over the state and the country so you get to decide what you want to do and where you want to go. Not a lot of schools offer an opportunity like that."

Wookey also gives credit to his 14-week capstone project, developing a sleep hygiene program for patients with Parkinson's disease, for opening even more doors.

"The capstone project is kind of like doing a dissertation," he says. "They really give you the wheel as a student and let you drive."

But what Wookey says he values most about his time at USD is the ongoing relationships he has built with the faculty. He still reaches out to former professors regularly with questions from his current practice.

"They take such an interest, even well beyond the classroom," he says. "They really care about the individuals that they send out into the profession. Looking back, I'm so glad I chose USD."