Catherine Picard OTD ’26

Describe your educational and/or professional background before coming to occupational therapy.

I majored in sociology in my undergraduate, and received my bachelor’s degree in Winter 2021. During the pandemic, I was offered a position as an HR Assistant for the non-profit organization I worked for at the time. After graduating, I became the full-time HR Coordinator, gaining valuable skills in professionalism, collaboration, leadership, accountability and time-management. During that time, I sought volunteer opportunities at OT clinics in my area to gain more experience in the field prior to going to a graduate program. I worked in HR for three years before coming to USC Chan.

What area(s) of practice are you interested in?

I am interested in working in advocacy, in particular advocacy for adults/older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in adult day centers or community-based settings.

In a biopic movie about your life, what actor/actress would play you?

Lily Collins

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USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is in Accreditation–Inactive status by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org.

Professional program graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. Program results from the NBCOT can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.