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

Kaho Ishizuki MA ’20

What brought you to occupational therapy?
I thought I wanted to be a doctor, but I realized over time that I wanted a career that held more long-term relationships with people and had deeper personal interactions. I took a fun quiz online to see what my ideal job was and I was matched with OT. I fell more and more in love with it as I learned about what it was.

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
I’ve tried almost every sport growing up, but I’ve stuck with dancing, swimming, and skiing/snowboarding for the longest. I love to travel and backpack, and basically anything involved with the outdoors.

Tell us about your favorite memory from the program so far.
The white coat ceremony! Even though it only marked the beginning of my journey to becoming an OT, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment and it really got me motivated and excited for the next few years.

If your childhood had a smell, what would it be?
The smell of my mom’s cooking. I LOVE to eat and my favorite food is whatever my mom makes. Because I have three older brothers, I feel like my mom was constantly cooking to feed us hungry children and the house always smelt like something yummy.

What song can you sing entirely by heart?
1, 2 Step by Ciara. It’s the first CD I ever bought and I remember reading the lyrics card over and over along with the music until I memorized every word by heart. Even the rapping. 😊

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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.