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

Mina Delavar MA ’20

What brought you to occupational therapy?
The harmonious combination of science, psychology, creativity, and health and wellness promotion drew me to OT. My mom is an elementary school teacher, and she initially introduced me to this field. Once I learned about its eclectic facets across the lifespan, its flexibility in different settings, and its profound role in shaping people’s quality of life in personalized ways, I knew occupational therapy was the field for me. This quote beautifully captures OT’s philosophy, “Medicine may add days to life, but occupational therapy adds life to days.”

What area of practice are you interested in?
I take great interest in occupational therapy’s role in oncology. Additionally, Lifestyle Redesign® synchronizes with my interest in health prevention and promotion for chronic conditions. After all, health and wellness are key factors in performing daily occupations.

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
I love discovering new restaurants to try (avid yelper), going to concerts, kickboxing, journaling, cooking, traveling, and watching documentaries.

What song can you sing entirely by heart?
Honestly, there are too many to count, but I can guarantee anything by John Mayer.

What are some small things that make your day better?
Meaningful conversations with strangers on public transportation (or Uber/Lyft drivers), ice cream, re-watching episodes of The Office, and drives by the beach!

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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.