Home ⟩The People of USC Chan ⟩Meet Our Trojan Family ⟩Entry-Level Doctorate (OTD)

Daniel Padilla Vega MA ’20

What brought you to occupational therapy?
During my introductory Kinesiology course at CSUN, I was exposed to occupational therapy (OT). While completing OT volunteer hours I learned more about the profession’s holistic approach and the different populations I could make an impact on. I wanted to pursue a career that would teach me different tools to help people in my community (i.e., low-income, immigrants, undocumented, Latinx).

What area of practice are you interested in?
The area of practice I am most interested in is primary care. Growing up I accompanied my mom to all her doctor appointments, serving as her primary translator and seeing her struggle to implement changes into her daily routine to manage her pre-diabetes and chronic pain. My goal is to work in a primary care setting that will allow me to use the cultural wealth of my community to maximize the well-being of people who live within challenging contexts.

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
My favorite occupations consist of being physically active. I enjoy going to the gym, running, and finding new ways to challenge myself physically/mentally. I believe exercise is essential to living a healthy life.

If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
I would simply like to be known as someone who advocates for social justice and people’s rights. Growing up in a low-income, immigrant family, I learned the value of helping others and standing up for what is right.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
The best piece of advice I’ve received over the years is from my mom, “Echale ganas” and “things will work out”. This is a popular saying in the Latinx community that means “put effort into” or “try your best”. The memories of my mom telling me this reminds me to keep a positive attitude and motivates me every time no matter how hard things get.

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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 accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited 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 apply for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. All states require licensure to practice; a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® OTR certification examination or attain state licensure. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.