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

James Lee MA ’19

What brought you to occupational therapy?
I’ve always had a passion for helping others, especially the elderly. Although I was a business major in college at USC, I took an OT course in Lifestyle Design and everything about the course resonated with me. I had the opportunity to intern at a nursing home that had a rehab unit. I really enjoyed the creativity of every OT, their kindness, the bonds they created with their patients, and how happy they were to go to work every day. That’s when I knew I wanted to pursue OT and the rest is history!

What are of practice are you interested in?
I am interested in working in Adult Rehab and mainly in geriatrics, but am looking forward to exploring Mental Health and Pediatrics.

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
Two of my favorite occupations include hiking and eating ice cream.

If we opened your fridge, what would we see?
If you were to open my fridge you would definitely find an assortment of fruit, yogurt, and lots of ice cream.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
If I could travel anywhere in the world it would be through Southeast Asia. It would be cool to travel around the region getting to learn about the different languages, cultures, and of course eat my way through.

Note: James is now Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy in the Chan division.

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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.