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Home ⟩Education at USC Chan ⟩Entry-Level Doctorate (OTD) ⟩Meet the Students

Kayla Brown MA ’23

What brought you to occupational therapy?
I always had an interest in health promotion and in education. When I took my first occupational science minor course with Dr. Morris (Creativity Workshop) in undergrad, I learned about occupational therapy and was excited to be able to combine my passion for educating others and address areas related to health promotion / wellness.

What area of practice are you interested in?
When I first began the master’s program, I was convinced my career would be practicing as a clinician in pediatrics. Now that I have exposure to research as a research assistant and have completed the adult rehab immersion, I find myself interested in adult outpatient neurology and in pursuing a career as a researcher. I haven’t decided where my career will lead me but I am excited to continue learning about the various practice areas in OT!

Tell us about your favorite memory from the program so far.
My favorite memory so far in the program happened during the summer semester. We had the opportunity to create an extra credit project for neuroscience and my friends and I did a music video of the spinal cord to YMCA. It was such a silly video and so fun to make but also really informative. I used that video to study spinal cord injury during the adult rehab immersion.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
If I could travel anywhere right now, it would be to Italy. In 2020, I was supposed to go to Italy for spring break. I created the most detailed list of everywhere my friends and I would go, how much it would cost, and what food options were popular nearby. The trip was canceled but my list and dream of riding vespas to Lizzie McGuire “What Dreams Are Made of” still exists.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
My favorite piece of advice I was ever given is that the journey isn’t linear. Anytime I have dealt with disappointment, my mom always reminds me that my journey isn’t linear and that disappointing results do not impact my overall progression. As long as I keep trying and continue to be driven, I will still find myself to my desired endpoint regardless of if it took me longer or wasn’t the way I anticipated.

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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 master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE). The USC entry-level OTD degree program (cost of attendance) has been granted Candidacy Status by ACOTE. View our program’s ACOTE standards public data. ACOTE c/o Accreditation Department, American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, (301) 652-6611 x2914, acoteonline.org

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for certification by 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.