Catherine Gooch, CTRS, MS Ed
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Health Sciences and Public Health
HSHP Pre-Health Professions Program Director
HSPH- Internship/Fieldwork Coordinator
Center for Life Skills, Program Director (former)
Faculty, School of Health Sciences and Human Performance
Specialty: Interprofessional Education, Stroke Rehabilitation, Community Partnership Programs, Student Engagement, Student Success, Student Fieldwork/Internship Opportunities.
Phone: (607) 274.3087 Pre-Health Professions Program Office
E-mail: cgooch@ithaca.edu
Office: Pre-Health Professions Program Director, G40 Hill Center
Welcome! I am Catherine Gooch, a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences and Public Health at Ithaca College. I am the Director of HSHP's Pre-Health Professions Program and Coordinator of the HSPH's Fieldwork and Internship Program. From 2000 to 2023, I was the director of the Center for Life Skills is an interdisciplinary program consisting of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology students working with individuals from the community living with traumatic brain injury. The CLS program is a model interdisciplinary, experiential, and student centered learning opportunity and an integral part of the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance curriculum while providing a service to the community. Since its beginning in 2000, over 1400 students have been involved in this wonderful program. (www.ithaca.edu/hshp/clinics/lifeskills)
The HSHP Pre-Health Professions Program is designed for first and second year students interested in exploring health or human performance-related careers. This flexible program gives students up to four semesters to strategically sample courses, meet faculty and fellow students, and learn more about themselves and their interests before applying into a specific degree program. I enjoy, along with a team of faculty advisors assist students in making decisions about courses and the best career path for them.
My scholarly interests include: interprofessional education and practice (IPE/IPP), societal leisure practices, stroke rehabilitation, the development of community partnerships for student/community engagement and fieldwork/internship opportunities.
I have had the exciting pleasure in developing and implementing community partnerships within the courses I teach giving the students exposure and practice in developing professional skills. Community partnerships have included programs with the following local groups: New York State Parks, New York State Special Olympics (Polar Plunge!), Franziska Racker Center's residential group homes, and Tompkins County Mental Health Association. I thoroughly enjoy assisting Ithaca College students to flourish into creative, innovative, mature, and problem-solving individuals which will serve them well as they advance into internships and careers representing Ithaca College as the next remarkable professional generation!
Courses I have had the pleasure of teaching include: Leisure Education (Clinical Approach), Administration of Therapeutic Recreation, Introduction to Therapeutic Recreation, Therapeutic Recreation Process, all in the RLS program as well at Occupational Therapy course, Play and Leisure in the Department of Occupational Therapy. I also teach Health Sciences: Foundations and Careers course that all Pre-Health Professions Program students take their first-year fall semester as well as a Health and Wellness Seminar.
Please feel free to contact me for any questions regarding the Pre-Health Professions program. Thank you!