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David Saldana MA ’19

What brought you to occupational therapy?
In 2009 my older brother sustained a TBI from a car accident and he had to relearn how to speak, eat, and walk. He went to rehab at Rancho Los Amigos in Downey where I was really inspired by the occupational, speech, and physical therapists as they helped my brother regain his independence.

What area of practice are you interested in?
I am really interested in inpatient adult rehabilitation for a population with neurological conditions. I saw my brother go through this intense and challenging rehab process and I want to help others become more independent just like my brother.

Tell us about your favorite memory from the program so far.
In the summer we had a Kinesiology course and we had some amazing activities and amazing professors which made this challenging course super fun. It was a blast to learn about OT and Kinesiology at USC.

What do you think is the greatest invention of mankind?
Virtual Reality is pretty awesome. It has some promising potential for adult rehab interventions.

If your childhood had a smell, what would it be?
Probably Sour Strawberry Belts. I ate a lot of those as a child.

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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.