Student Blog
What I Wish I Knew When I Started the Program ⟩
April 28, 2020, by Kaho
– I belong.
Immediately after starting the OT program at USC, I was astounded by my classmates and future colleagues’ fiery passion for occupational therapy. I was inspired, motivated, excited, and grateful to be learning with them and growing alongside them. However, at some point along the way, it began to make me question my own passion. Perhaps it was because I was going through the adult rehabilitation immersion – the most rigorous immersion in my opinion – in my first semester of grad school and I was losing confidence in my capabilities. On top of that, anyone that has sat through lecture with me would know that I am not one to raise my hand and share my thoughts in front of the whole class. I don’t have a problem with public speaking or small group discussions, but I am reserved when it comes to my opinions and prefer to learn just by listening. I have found that I focus and absorb the material better this way anyway. While American culture often values traits of extroverts, I grew up in a culture that values the opposite. This quiet characteristic of mine made me feel like I was somehow inferior to my more vocal classmates. I wondered if I preferred not to speak up because I didn’t care enough about the topic, because I lacked passion.
Additionally, I couldn’t help but feel like an outsider when I entered the program because I faced financial hardships, as well as a complicated and difficult past. Committing to USC was a tough decision, but I still chose this program because it was my top choice, it was highly ranked (#1 in the US woohoo), and I believed it was worth the additional loans. As a financially independent first-generation immigrant and first-generation graduate student, I had difficulty finding community and people that were in or had been in similar situations. I couldn’t find a community that I identified with or related to because my situation and the challenges I faced differed from typical international students. I had difficulty finding a space that I felt comfortable discussing various topics about being Asian in the United States. Now as I reflect, I figure I just didn’t look hard enough or give existing resources a chance. I was internally perpetuating the model minority stereotype by assuming that there were no supports for Asian Americans, who are “supposed to be” successful and well off. I isolated myself by refusing to share my insecurities and thoughts with others. I felt alone and confused. “Should I have gone to a more affordable school?” “Am I here by mistake?” “Am I the only one that’s struggling?” I would get hit by waves of self-doubt.
As I approach the end of my last semester and prepare to graduate with a master’s degree, I wish I could tell myself from 2 years ago to relax and look up because I belong. My passion for OT has been reaffirmed and I can confidently say that I chose the right career path for myself, whatever my learning style may be. Even if I may not be the most outspoken participant in class, I found my own way of expressing my love for OT through the student ambassador position. Two years may seem short, but there’s a lot of growth that can happen within it. Furthermore, there are resources for everyone and anyone who seeks support, regardless of race, background, etc. I have access to friends, faculty, and alumni in the Trojan family that come from diverse backgrounds and have various experiences. I wish I knew to open up more, break down my walls, and seek support because needing help does not make me incompetent or less deserving of my admission to USC. I am extremely grateful for my friends, coworkers, professors, and mentors for their continued support and guidance, and helping me to come to these realizations. Whether you’re applying to the program, starting the program, going through the program, or finishing the program like me, I hope you know and believe this to be true: you belong too.
Next Steps
Once I finish finals and take the comprehensive exam, I have one last level 2 fieldwork this summer for the master’s program. Then, I am continuing on to pursue my doctorate degree and completing a clinical residency at Keck Medicine of USC. As sad as I am that my role as a student ambassador is coming to an end and I have to say goodbye to some friends/classmates, I’m super excited for this opportunity and to see what all is in store for my OT journey. I’m also happy that I get to stick around campus for another year. Thanks for reading my blog or blogs this past year and I hope to see you all around. 😊
Special shout out to the ambassadors team and the best cohort ♥
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Excited for the Future ⟩
April 27, 2020, by Catherine
As I wrap up the Spring semester and prepare to depart from my role as the OTD ambassador, I have reflected on impact pursuing the clinical doctorate degree has made in my future as a clinician, and how this particular year of the program has shaped how I view occupational therapy as my career choice. To say the least, this has been a whirlwind year of change, achievements and unforeseen challenges. Transitioning from the master’s program into the OTD, I have transitioned from an OTS to an OTR/L, found new inspiration and meaning in our profession through my residency in support of the Occupational Science Symposium, and have alongside my Trojan family, faced the unforeseen challenges of COVID-19 as a community.
It is no doubt that this novel global pandemic has drastically changed our daily occupational routines. The normalcy of occupations may change when we re-emerge from social distancing, but we are adaptable. As occupational therapists, I am grateful to my mentors, peers and colleagues that have provided the insight to make these changes positive, and training guide them through meaningful occupations. We are armed with clinical reasoning, therapeutic communications, and the OTD has enriched my experiences to see through a holistic lens rooted in evidence-based practice.
In the seminal paper, “An Introduction to Occupational Science, A Foundation for Occupational Therapy in the 21st Century”, Yerxa et al. (1990) wrote:
The concept of occupation and its application in occupational therapy are great ideas whose time has come. For, one of the greatest challenges society faces today is understanding the relationship between engagement in occupation and health. We are filled with excitement about what this idea has to contribute to humankind in the twenty-first century. It has the potential to improve the lives of legions of people, both people with disabilities and other people, if we can nurture its development and maturation. (pp.1-2)
It is as though the early founders of occupational science had a crystal ball. Because as we collectively re-integrate into our society and continue to face safety measures to guard against COVID-19, the challenges we face will no longer solely depend on our infection rates, but how to thrive and live well in the process. Like the founders were 30 years ago, I am excited for the possibilities that lie ahead in our profession. As health professionals we stand in solidarity, focused on our short-term goal of the upmost importance, contributing our part in the efforts to flatten the curve; but we also have the long-term goal. The long-term goal to live our best lives, through the engagement in occupations, towards improvements in the health and well-being of our clients and communities, as we OTs do best.
I continue to be grateful and inspired by our Chan community’s resilience, hope and compassion, and continue to look forward to the contributions future Trojans will pave the way for in the future. It has been an honor and privilege to share my journey through the OTD. Fight on!!
Reference
Yerxa, E. J., Clark, F., Frank, G., Jackson, J., Parham, D., Peirce, D., . . . Zemke, R. (1990). An introduction to occupational science, a foundation for occupational therapy in the 21st century. Occupational Therapy In Health Care, 6(4), 1-17. doi:10.1080/J003v06n04_04
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Make Yourself Known ⟩
April 21, 2020, by Kat
It is important to make yourself known during your graduate studies. I found myself struggling with this when I first started the entry level masters program. As time went on, I realized I was cutting myself short and not optimizing my learning or taking advantage of the knowledge the expert professors had. I had to challenge myself to speak up in class and to seek help during office hours. I had to insert myself in class discussions to truly experience and benefit from the team based learning that is embedded in many if not all of the classes throughout the program.
I recently asked a few professors and previous fieldwork clinical instructors (CI’s) to write letters of recommendations for me for different positions that I am applying for. In reflecting on this process of asking for letters of recommendation as well as professors and CI’s actually being able to write them for me, I realized that I had been working on this process of being known for a while now. I was able to email a request along with my resume, and professors and CI’s were able to do me the huge favor of helping me with this. How? Because I made myself known.
This process involved my time and effort both inside and outside of the classroom. Inside of the classroom I came prepared by having done my readings and being ready to discuss. I also brought up relevant questions which connected the class content to the populations I am interested in working with. Outside of the classroom I sought extra help and clarification with difficult concepts. Outside of the classroom I was involved in things such as being a student ambassador and attending DAE meetings.
Making yourself known does not only benefit you when you need letters of recommendations. It is also important because once you graduate and enter the workforce, your professors may become your colleagues. Building professional relationships with them can open doors for you and can provide valuable mentorship as well.
All of this is to say:
- Participate in class
- Ask questions
- Go to office hours
- Seek mentorships
It Matters!
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GI’s IG takeover! ⟩
April 14, 2020, by Japeth
First and foremost, I want to say that this blog post is dedicated to Global Initiatives, headed by Dr. Danny Park together with his team members James, Mariah, LiShan, Maggie, Katie, and Prutha. They have been doing a wonderful job in making the international students at USC Chan feel at home by organizing different activities (not to mention the free food that they always prepare!!!).
Some of the activities that we all enjoyed were:
- Global Corner (Meet and greet with local and international Chan students)
- Beach bonfire (I remember this happened around November and it was one of the best activities for me!)
- Thanksgiving dinner (It was their way of letting us feel the American culture during this occasion. I actually made a blog post about this!)
- Chinese New Year dinner (We had dinner in Chinatown together with faculty and staff; they also prepared games and activities)
- International Alumni Panel: Life after Graduation (This was supposed to be an in-person event, but due to the work-from-home set up, we had this online. It was an informative session where current international students like me, learn from alumni from different batches about tips on finding jobs, OPT processing, visa sponsorship, and many more!)
Sharing with you some snaps of the Life after Graduation event:
Actually, below is the highlight of this blog post — their latest Instagram Takeover where each of the team member has a day to show what their life is like! Being far from them and not having the usual bonding time that we used to enjoy makes me (and I’m sure the other students as well) really sad; but this takeover project made a way for us to know each other more despite the distance!! The photos below were just screen-captured from their official Instagram account. You may follow them on instagram (@uscchanosotglobal).
This is Maggie, one of my good friends here in LA! We became close because we see each other often at the office and extended our hangouts by drinking boba and eating Asian food! I couldn’t agree more with you on your explanation about OT, Maggie!
Although Areli and I only started seeing each other at the office during spring semester, we already had fun conversations about life, school, and everything in between. She’s also a coffee lover! Nothing that a coffee can’t fix, right Areli?
This is my small group leader LiShan! She was one of the first people who welcomed me at USC Chan and she also prepared a birthday cake for me last year during my birthday — that’s how thoughtful she is! Thanks for sharing some ergo tips too! We all can’t thank you enough for your thoughtfulness, LiShan.
No one can ever balance life better than this lady! Katie has organized many activities outside of school just to make sure that we are all enjoying our time here in LA. From oganizing fun activities to study session, Katie does it best! Thank you for allowing us to “Grow Together”!
Greetings from Minnesota to the world! Mariah is one of the Doctoral residents under Global Initiatives (together with James, another good friend!). She always fascinates me with her insight about life, politics, economy, and many more! And oh, you just made me crave tacos, Mariah!!
And that’s just the first wave of their Instagram activities. Rumor has it that they will do another takeover where they will share their travel pictures — exciting!! I hope they have pictures where they do a Fight On pose!! LOL
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A Day in the Life of Zoom University ⟩
April 13, 2020, by Marilyn
Throughout my undergraduate and graduate career, I avoided taking online classes for the simple fact that I enjoy interacting with peers and professors in a classroom setting. Due to the unprecedented circumstances with the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been receiving questions from prospective and newly admitted students about how I have been navigating the change to online class instruction. I share in this video strategies that I have incorporated into my home environment to support my online learning. I also discuss how I engage in mental health check-ins to assess how I am doing with the various transitions I am navigating as a student — both professionally and personally. We can get through this together and do not forget to FIGHT ON!
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