Students share new perspectives in USC-PKUHSC peer exchange
April 22, 2022
The USC-PKUHSC Peer Exchange continued in Spring 2022 with a total of 12 students from both USC and PKUHSC.
China Initiative Community and Partners Global Initiatives International
The USC-PKUHSC Peer Exchange Program resumed where it left off, at the start of the new year and a new semester. For this Spring 2022 semester, a total of 12 students from both USC and PKUHSC committed to participating in three virtual Peer Exchange events. The Peer Exchange Planning Committee consisted of the USC Chan China Initiative doctoral residents (Calvin Lee and Christopher Chu) and the USC Chan Global Initiatives doctoral residents (Brendan LaScala and Maggie Chen). As a reminder, these events center around the goals of forging connections between the two institutions and learning about occupational therapy in cross-cultural settings.
The first Peer Exchange of the Spring 2022 semester was held in Feb. 2022, where students focused on introductions of all attendees and collaboratively engaged in a discussion related to leadership in occupational therapy. Students shared their perspectives on what they were looking forward to in the Peer Exchange, as well as how they hope to engage with leadership opportunities as students and aspiring practitioners.
PKUHSC and USC students get to know each other in their respective breakout rooms and discuss what leadership looks like to them, as well as the externship opportunities they are interested in pursuing.
The second peer exchange, held in Mar. 2022, focused on a discussion around de-stressing and wellness strategies. The USC Chan Global Initiatives doctoral residents, Brendan LaScala and Maggie Chen, facilitated this session, filled with activities and perspective sharing. PKUHSC and USC students engaged in a “Pass the Stress” activity that involved sharing what stressors were burdening them in terms of school, life, and more. Additionally, students engaged in a “Build Your Stress Animal” activity where they “drew” their stress in the form of an animal. At the end of the activity, students were empowered to dispose of their drawings as an act of alleviating their stress.
The “Pass the Stress” activity included having everyone pick another student to share their stress with, and converse with that student on their perspective and how they would cope with it.
PKUHSC and USC students displaying their drawings from the “Build Your Stress Animal” activity
The third and final Peer Exchange of the Spring 2022 semester was held in Apr. 2022 and centered around occupational therapy month. PKUHSC and USC students were introduced to the concept of “OT Month,” videos about the distinct value of OT, international professional OT organizations and ways to celebrate and promote OT. Students also participated in a fun trivia-style activity that included questions related to occupational therapy in both U.S. and Chinese contexts.
Students were introduced to ways on how they can celebrate and promote occupational therapy during OT month.
As USC students will be engaged in full-time fieldwork in the summer, the Peer Exchange will resume in the Fall 2022 semester. We look forward to another exciting series of Peer Exchange events in Fall 2022! The China Initiative team would like to thank the USC and PKUHSC students who engaged in this Peer Exchange Program as future global citizens of occupational therapy! Congratulations to all those wrapping up this semester and for those graduating as well!
PKUHSC and USC students and future graduates “Fight On!” during the last Peer Exchange of Spring 2022
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