Trainee experience

The Occupational Therapy Neurorehabilitation Fellowship will prepare you for professional practice through independent patient care opportunities. Learning experiences include:

• Mentored clinical time
• Didactics
• Scholarly projects such as community education, quality improvement, and/or research
• Learning and leadership development opportunities such as teaching, journal clubs, and community outreach 

You will receive over 350 hours of dedicated time that includes didactics, labs, research time, and specialty observations that are integrated throughout the curriculum

Clinical training and rotations

You will experience more than 1,800 hours of clinical practice and individual mentored time from highly-trained neurorehabilitation therapists. 

Schedule and hours

You will work 44 to 50 hours a week. Schedules may vary from week to week. Independent learning and assignments may occur outside of this time frame 

Department and faculty

The fellowship is coordinated and taught by the clinical staff of Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota. Faculty members are chosen for their commitment to teaching, clinical practice, and research. Many are board-certified specialists or specialty certified by the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Program leadership

Stephanie Kannas, C.H.T., O.T., O.T.D.

Stephanie Kannas is a nationally recognized occupational therapist and certified hand therapist with over 24 years of clinical experience at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She currently serves as the Program Director of the Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program, and Hand Therapist while also holding an academic appointment as Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Her leadership and expertise have shaped advanced clinical education for occupational therapists completing Fellowships at Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.

As Program Director of Mayo Clinic’s Occupational Therapy Fellowship Programs, Stephanie oversees specialized training tracks in acute and critical care, hand therapy, and neurorehabilitation. She mentors fellows and clinicians, fostering advanced clinical reasoning and research integration into practice.

Stephanie earned her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of St. Catherine in 2000 and completed her Post-Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2016. She holds certifications as a Certified Hand Therapist and a Certified Lymphedema Therapist.

She is actively involved in professional leadership, serving on the AO North America Hand Education Committee and multiple committees for the American Society of Hand Surgery. She is a past Affiliate Member At Large for the American Society of Hand Surgery, in addition to her membership in the American Society of Hand Therapists and the American Occupational Therapy Association. Her clinical expertise and dedication to education have made her a respected voice in hand therapy, frequently sharing her knowledge through international conferences, national conferences, webinars, and podcasts.

Darcy Erickson, O.T., MAOL, ATP

Darcy Erickson is a nationally recognized occupational therapist with over 24 years of experience in neurorehabilitation. She serves as Assistant Program Director for the Neurorehabilitation Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program, where she is also a mentor and faculty member. Darcy is a therapy supervisor specializing in spinal cord injury rehabilitation and holds an academic appointment as Instructor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of St. Catherine and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Saint Mary’s University. Darcy is certified as an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) and serves as a program surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

Darcy is actively engaged in professional leadership, currently serving as President-Elect of the Therapy Leadership Council section and on the Governance Board of the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals. She is also a member of the Clinician’s Task Force and the American Occupational Therapy Association. She has presented nationally and internationally on spinal cord injury rehabilitation, wheelchair seating and mobility, and occupational therapy leadership.

Allison Bauer, O.T., O.T.D.

Allison Bauer is a licensed occupational therapist and a therapy supervisor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She serves as the Assistant Program Director and Program Coordinator for the Neurorehabilitation Occupational Therapy Fellowship, where she is also a mentor and faculty member. Allison holds an appointment as an Instructor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

Allison earned her Bachelor of Arts in Health and Exercise Science from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2013 and her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Creighton University in 2016. She achieved her Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist (CSRS) certification in 2024.

As a clinician at Mayo Clinic, Allison has worked with patients having diagnoses of neurologic impairment since 2016 across the continuum of care. This includes patients imbedded within the intensive care units, acute hospital setting, inpatient rehab facility, and outpatient neuro-based practices. Allison has additional training and provides continuing education in areas related to both visual rehabilitation and disorders of consciousness. She served as clinical brain lead for the OT neuro practice at Mayo Clinic from 2022-2025. Allison is also an active member of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Evaluation

The Occupational Therapy Neurorehabilitation Fellowship uses these evaluative tools:

• Written examination
• Demonstration of skills
• Self-assessment exercises
• Faculty reviews

Mayo Clinic's system of evaluation provides students and faculty with a comprehensive look at individual performance. This allows faculty and administrative staff to direct fellows who are experiencing academic difficulty to the appropriate support resources, including tutoring programs and counseling opportunities in student services through the Mayo Clinic School of Health Science.