Student Blog

Finding my Squad in Black Excellence ⟩
October 14, 2019, by Kat

Diversity

This past weekend I went to the Black Graduate Student Network’s (BGSN) Kick the Day Back event. It was lit and I had so much fun! I had the opportunity to meet other Black grad students, network, and had a great time doing so. USC BGSN is a student organization that emphasizes “building a family we can utilize as a network”. This resonates with me as a Black student in the OT program. Finding community and belonging can be difficult. But having student orgs like BGSN that put on events that promote unity and community make it a lot easier for a minority student like myself. This past weekend I met PhD pharmacy, law, and masters of education in PASA students. It was an incredible feeling to be in a room filled with Black excellence. The BGSN hosts a variety of events throughout the school year such as their upcoming tailgate that will be held on the quad at the main campus this Saturday (10/19/19). They even have Spotify playlists you should check out for great music! 

During my undergraduate studies, it was easier to find communities I belonged to because of living on campus, sports I participated in, and having classes everyday. Graduate school is a whole new ball game when it comes to finding your niche. Luckily USC offers a number of student orgs specifically for the minority population such as the LatinX Student Assembly (LSA) and the Sistah Circle. The Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs (CBCSA) is a great resource for Black students looking for empowerment and engagement with campus life.

After this weekend, I know I found my crew with the BGSN! Periodt!
Don’t be afraid to branch out, be social, and find your squad, if you haven’t already.

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To Be, or Not to Be, a Trojan ⟩
October 10, 2019, by Kaho

Admissions

As students begin to apply to different occupational therapy programs and the Chan Division’s November 30th deadline creeps up, one of the most common questions I’ve been receiving is, “why did you choose USC?” “Is it worth it?” A former student ambassador wrote a blog that briefly shares her reasons for choosing USC and it also has helpful tips on how to finance. Graduate schools are not cheap and it’s no secret that even among them, USC is on the pricier side. I understand that finance is a huge factor for everyone when making decisions about their future and no one looks forward to the multi-digit loans they’re about to take on. The financial burden was an immense worry for me as well, and it still is. However, there are pros and cons to everything in life. It helps to weigh both sides and look at the bigger picture. So, to answer your question, attending USC has been worth it for me personally and I’ll explain my reasons why. Before I do that though, I’d like to note that everyone’s situation is different, everyone’s values are different, and only you can make the best decision for yourself because ultimately, you’ll thrive most in an environment that you’re whole-heartedly committed to.

• The school itself, the students, and its faculty
  There’s a reason that the Chan Division has been ranked as one of the top OT programs in the world repeatedly. There are numerous, cutting edge research projects going on at any given time and graduates of the program go out to be leaders in the world of OT every year. Being in an environment like that, where I’m surrounded by intelligent, motivated, passionate, and dedicated students and faculty, I’m inspired to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone to be the best OT that I could be. The professors that I have met are all so personal and genuine. I can sense that they truly care about my learning and success. Despite the large student body compared to other OT programs, I feel that my individual needs are heard and met and that I am fully supported in my education.


My cohort after a Thanksgiving potluck

• The size
  While some people may prefer a small class of 25 students, I appreciate the fact that there are 136 other students going through the program with me at the Chan Division. It has given me the opportunity to meet a variety of people with different passions and styles. Personally, the big class keeps things interesting because each individual brings a new perspective. Each graduating class is also divided into 3 cohorts of about 40-45 for most lectures and in labs, the cohort is further split into 2, so I still get the benefits of a small class like individualized attention from professors and close relationships with classmates as well.

• The resources and connections
  As you already probably know (because I mentioned it in my first reason), USC Chan’s faculty is pretty amazing. The researchers, educators, and clinicians are all passionate about what they do and they’re respected across California, the nation, and even the world. Now imagine being able to walk into any of their offices and start a casual conversation. All of the faculty have an open door policy, where students can seek for guidance, mentorship, or just a fun conversation. It’s incredibly comforting to merely know that I have access to all faculty with an array of different experiences within and outside of the profession of OT. Furthermore, students have resources outside of the division. Every fieldwork site I’ve been to, there has been at least one USC Chan alumnus working there. As soon as I say that I’m from USC, their eyes light up and I instantly feel a connection as “a fellow Trojan.” They willingly share with me about their career path and any advice they have. Because OTs can work in such a vast range of settings, everyone’s story is unique and insightful. Speaking of fieldwork, USC has connections to over 950 sites nationally and internationally. The possibilities for your professional development is endless!

With all that being said, I can’t stress enough that this is just my own experience. Everyone’s priorities are different and what makes USC worth it for me, may not be important to you. In addition, I have only experienced USC’s OT program, so I can’t compare it to other schools and speak for it. In the end, any school will be what you make of it. Talk to the people around you that know you well and can help you figure out whether what USC has to offer is what you’re looking for in a graduate program. An application process can be a stressful experience and it involves some big decisions, but I’d be happy to be a resource so don’t hesitate to shoot me an email! You can also sign up for one of our info sessions. Just remember, you’re not alone in your concerns. Good luck!

*a little disclaimer in case you were wondering: everything I’ve written is my honest opinion and I was in no way required or encouraged to say positive things about USC 😊

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California Love ⟩
October 8, 2019, by Noelle

Getting Involved Living in LA

I have been based in Los Angeles for four years now and have lived in Southern California my whole life. Not a shabby place to be by any means but when I found out that we could go “out of area” for level II fieldwork, I jumped at the chance. Now the story of how I got to New York is a long one involving waiting tables, countless meetings with the fieldwork team, and a lot of persistence . . . but I’ll save that for another blog post.

I spent three glorious months in the city that never sleeps and as much as I missed the beach and predictable weather, I was not ready to come back home. In an attempt to ease the blow, I returned with a new resolution — to rekindle my love of Los Angeles. When I was in New York, I was determined to make the most of the limited time I had. I spent many happy hours on rooftops and patios, took side trips to museums, flea markets, parks, walked home from fieldwork on nice days just to take in the city. What’s stopping me from doing those things in LA?! Well, besides school, work, and traffic, NOTHING! But seriously, I have taken this city for granted and considering I don’t know how long I’ll be here after graduation, I thought I’d better start taking advantage of it.

So here are some things I’ve been doing to keep “New York Noelle” alive:

• The Graduate Student Government (GSG) hosts fun outings (with discounts!) like happy hours at trendy bars, local sporting events, and volunteer opportunities — all of which are great ways to explore the city and meet other grad students. I would recommend getting on their email list to get regular updates!


Me and my best friend at a Dodgers game in September. We got to sit in the section that had unlimited food so thanks GSG!

• There are also lots of social events that happen with other OT students. Student organizations like OTSC and PTE plan fun outings like happy hour hangouts and roller-skating.
• I’m on an informal trivia team with a group of math PhDs (I actually met them at a GSG event). University Park Campus has a weekly trivia at Tommy’s Place, but we also like to try different restaurants/bars too.
• To make studying a little more exciting, I’ve extended the radius of my study spots. I live at the OT House close to the main campus so the local coffee shops and libraries are convenient and lovely, but after 4 years, very familiar. I’ve found some hidden gems in Korea Town, Echo Park, Hollywood, Santa Monica etc. that make studying for adult rehab feel like an event!

So far this resolution has served me well. My wanderlust is satiated and I feel lucky to call Los Angeles home.

This week’s song rec: Who doesn’t love 2Pac’s “California Love”? But if you want to try something completely different check out Joni Mitchell’s “California”.

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It’s Interview Season! ⟩
October 8, 2019, by Catherine

Admissions Life Hacks

Hello everyone!  I hope you are all enjoying the beginning of the fall season.  Along with pumpkin spice, and everything nice, the Chan residency interviews have begun.  It thought it might be helpful for share some interview tips.  Remember, interviewing for a residency is like interviewing for a job, and these tips can save to apply to when you interview at external residencies later on as well.

• Dress for success, and strike pose.  I know you’ve heard it a million times, but I will say it again for good measure.  While you don’t need to go outside of your means to purchase an entire new outfit, it really does make a difference when you dress for the position you want.  Not only does it reflect a level a respect and professionalism, it can be helpful to get you into “the zone”. What also helps is to do a power pose.  Take 5 minutes to do a power pose before going into your interview to level up on your confidence.
• Prepare an elevator speech.  You’ve written countless ones of how you will describe occupational therapy, but it’s also good to have one about yourself.  Writing an elevator speech about why you want the residency you’re applying for will not only have a handy go to answer if you are asked this question, but it will give you an opportunity to identity your strengths!
• Practice talking about yourself.  If you’re like me, and feel uncomfortable talking about yourself under pressure, practicing talking about yourself can be really helpful.  Find a safe space with someone you feel comfortable and do a “mock interview”.  This can get your interview jitters out and help you feel more prepared on the big day.
• Write yourself a LTG. I mentioned this in a previous post, but setting a clear goal for what you want to achieve during your residency will help anchor your talking points.  This will especially come in handy if you get a question you weren’t prepared to answer.  Just tie it back to your goal(s).
• Be yourself!  While sometimes it may seem like there is a “right answer” to an interview question, it’s always best to be true to yourself.  One of the goals of an interview is find a good fit between the candidate and the residency site.  Trust the process and be yourself.

Remember, take a deep breath, count to ten, use whatever relaxation strategy works for you, because you got this! Fight on!!

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Don’t say yes, if you want to say no! ⟩
October 4, 2019, by Marilyn

Life Hacks

Humans are innate social beings that thrive on reciprocity. Our internal nature often leads us to people pleasing, in order to not disrupt a potential bond professionally and personally. When we make the decision to provide a quick yes, instead of the difficult no we overcommit. Overcommitting often leads to a decrease in energy, time, overall health, and sometimes finances, so it is important to really evaluate the weight of the yes.

The need to please others comes from the feeling of “I want to make everyone happy and I want to make sure that everything is okay.” However, sometimes making others happy leads to one’s own unhappiness. The recognition of my own people pleasing tendencies and lack of saying no were revealed to me during my first semester of grad school. I began to take on colleagues work shifts, was engaging in late night roommate conflict mediations, supporting residents during moments of crisis and providing them with referrals, driving home every other weekend, studying late hours, working hard at my fieldwork placement and the list can go on. All to say, I ended up getting sick for a week. My body was telling me that I needed to slow down and take a breather. As I was lying in bed trying to pinpoint when I began to feel sick, what came to mind was the different times I was saying yes to others and inadvertently saying no to me (spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally).

This week, I had conversations with mentors about the two lettered word: N-O. I wanted to learn about the strategies they developed over the years professionally and personally, in order to share it with you!

1. Opportunity Cost

When making decisions there typically is an opportunity cost. Will I go to the movies this evening versus spending that time at home completing school tasks? Will staying up till 3am to study be effective or should I get some more time for sleep? Should I apply to this educational program when I need to make ends meet at home financially? These questions become overwhelming overtime, so it is important to be able to evaluate the opportunity cost. In the end it is important to understand that opportunities will continue to arise regardless of the one no you decided to say. Being able to weigh the pros and cons can provide you with clarity to move forward with one semi-solid decision, even when the unknown outcome seems daunting.

2. Be Intentional

There is a difference in saying no just because you don’t feel like it versus being intentional and strategic about your motives. This strategy is one that I find that helps me out the most when determining my intentions behind saying yes or no to an opportunity. Depending on the urgency in response time provided to me, I try to give myself at least 24hrs before I say yes or no. By giving myself time to process my answer, I can begin to evaluate if it is manageable to say yes. Choosing to invest most into the things that I am passionate about and being intentional with not overcommitting myself will help both parties involved.

3. Being Transparent

Honesty is the best policy, even when it regards saying no. I remember being asked if I was reapplying for the RA position in residential housing for my second year of grad school. It was challenging for me to say no because I had learned tremendously from my supervisor both professionally and personally. However, I knew that my second year of grad school would be a busy year with deciding to move back home, being selected as a student ambassador, looking for potential post-grad job opportunities, and beginning to apply to occupational therapy doctoral programs. I decide to be transparent with my supervisor about my workload for my second year and I left the conversation beyond encouraged. She was understanding of the new responsibilities I had taken on and she reminded me that I would be more than fine regardless of the outcome. She taught me about the importance of reframing the no into a yes, “I am unable to take this on because I need to take care of my spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health.” Many times situations seem worse because you react and frame it as a negative thought, “I am a horrible person for saying no” “I can’t let her down.” In reality, if we just tried being more honest about our thoughts and how we are feeling the reframing would be useful. The reframing of “no I unable to serve in this capacity” is often the YES we need for ourselves to protect our wellbeing.

4. Accepting the “No’s” you will receive

Saying no is a two-way street. As we begin to learn how to say no to others, it is equally important to be understanding when someone tells you NO. This past week OTD applications were submitted and interviews will commence soon. As I reflect on my decision to apply to the OTD program, I recognize that I am saying yes “I am ready to start this next chapter professionally”. However, there is a possibility in receiving a no from potential residency sites that I am interested in. That “no” may initially feel as rejection, but in reality it is possible that the no is necessary for a new opportunity to arise. Stepping back and regaining perspective after a no is important. No’s will continue to come whether that be in receiving a no from residency sites, no from future employers, no because it is not the right time yet, or no from someone in your personal life. In the end, it is about accepting the no in a respectful way, not taking it personally, and seeing it as a period of growth.

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