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

Jennifer Nguyen MA ’23

What brought you to occupational therapy?
Growing up, I knew I always wanted to help people, but I wasn’t sure which career path would be the right fit. A friend introduced OT to me a year into post-grad. After doing some research, I fell in love with the holistic aspect of OT; it was the perfect blend of the arts and sciences. OT is special in a way that it focuses on what is important to the client/patient. What makes you happy? What activities are meaningful to you? How can I help you improve your quality of life? These are the important questions! I personally believe that life is already hard enough. If I am able to help someone in some way, no matter how small or big, I know that they’re a step closer to living the good life that they deserve. It’s all about celebrating the small wins!

What area of practice are you interested in?
I am interested in hand therapy and working in inpatient pediatrics.

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
Some of my favorite occupations include lifting weights and working out in general, cooking (love experimenting with new recipes), putting on makeup, and shopping (definitely would shop more if I had the money). I also have two cats: Kyrie and Mishka! Spending time and playing with them makes me really happy; they’re literally like my children.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
Once again, if I had the money, I’d travel and eat all day everyday. I want to travel to Bali, Thailand, Bora Bora, Australia, Greece, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Korea.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
When I was going through a rough time in my life, I would write little messages to myself on the mirror. “Do it for yourself. It’s only you from here on out, babygirl.”

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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®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status 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. The program must complete an on-site evaluation and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®).

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.