Student Blog

Gratitude Attitude ⟩
November 26, 2018, by Jessica P.

What are OS/OT?

Coming back from Thanksgiving break, I always have such an appreciation for some of my favorite things in life: family, food, friends, and football. This time of year it is so nice to take a step back and remind myself of everything I have to be grateful for, especially for having the opportunity to pursue the career I love (occupational therapy, duh!) at the best university, USC!

This semester has truly been a whirlwind, full of making plans for the future and slowly coming to terms with the fact that I only have one semester left as a full-time student in the master’s program. It can be easy to get caught up in applying to different OTD residencies or figuring out where to go for my leadership capstone externship next semester, but at the end of the day I always know that I am so lucky to have found this profession.

In one of my undergraduate classes on performance science, Dr. Glenn Fox discussed the power of gratitude and it has always stuck with me. Some people choose to practice gratitude by making a written or mental list at the end of each day of a few things that they’re thankful for or they may practice through larger gestures, such as getting a loved one a gift. For me, the best way I practice gratitude is to always have a gratitude attitude. I try to remind myself moment to moment to be thankful for everything, instead of being caught up in the small details. That being said, as an OT student this is what I’m currently most grateful for.

My group members

In two of my classes, a majority of the coursework is done amongst groups. I have been blessed to have gotten the best group members who make even the longest days enjoyable! From sending friendly texts to bringing each other snacks, my group members always go above and beyond.

Cohort B

I know, I know — everyone says their cohort is the best but let me tell you, my cohort actually is THE best. My cohort has been the best support system throughout this program. From planning potlucks on weeks where we are all a little run down to staying after class to help each other practice transfers to even planning weekend handball games, my cohort truly does it all.

Student Ambassadors

I am so lucky to be a part of the wonderful student ambassador team. While I love giving tours to prospective students and being a part of information sessions, my favorite part of this job is my amazing co-workers!

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Health and Wellness . . . with a little Cardi B ⟩
November 20, 2018, by Serena

Classes Videos

What does a USC OT graduate school class look like? Well let me show you . . .

In our program, it is truly all about work-life balance. As we near finals, our Health and Wellness Professor, Dr. Dieterle created an activity that allowed us all to engage in a novel or relaxing occupation while in class. My classmates and I had the ability to choose two activities to participate in for our 2 hour class. The options were salsa dance, meditation, Yoga, or arts & crafts. As you can see from the video, I selected salsa dance led by two OTD students and a meditation seminar led by Dr. Payne.

In the salsa dance class, the OTD students taught a partner routine. Then we all performed the routine with a partner. My lovely partner of the day was Melissa. Once we became familiar with the routine, we then switched partners so we danced with nearly every person in the room. I was incredibly impressed by my very talented classmates. The OTD students were taking song suggestions (very client-centered) so I requested “Mi Gente” (the remix of course with Beyoncé), “MIA” by Bad Bunny featuring Drake, and “Taki Taki” by Dj Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B. We also took it back to the early 2000s and listened to “Beautiful Liar” by Shakira and Beyoncé. However, the song of the day was “I Like It” by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny & J Balvin.

Well now that I have laughed and released some stress in the Health and Wellness course, its time to get back to studying for finals!

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My SChedule ⟩
November 17, 2018, by Jessica P.

Classes Fieldwork School/Life Balance

As an ambassador, one of the most common questions I get from prospective students is “what does your typical schedule look like?” Along with this, people ask if there’s time to work, time for self-care, and balance in your weekly schedule. My fellow ambassadors, Joyce and Evan, recently discussed working and having a baby in grad school. From my personal experience, I think it all has to do with balance.

Throughout the program, it is typical to be in the classroom 3 days a week, 1 day in fieldwork, and 1 day off. For the days that we’re in the classroom, it is normal to have class 9am-12pm, a lunch break 12pm-1pm, and then class again from 1pm-4pm. For many people, like myself, a three-hour class may sound daunting, but it’s not. Luckily, all of our professors give us breaks with plenty of time to grab coffee, snacks, or simply take a quick walk outside to get some fresh air. Most of our classes utilize team-based learning, meaning that we usually are not getting a lecture for the entire class time. For example, in my Adult Physical Rehabilitation course we spend class time doing hands-on case applications where we apply what we have already studied on our own.

Everyone’s fieldwork hours will be slightly different, as you will follow whatever hours your clinical instructor works. The hours occupational therapists work may look different in the various settings. For example, my pediatrics level I fieldwork was 10am-6pm as many of our pediatric clients were coming after school. This semester, I just finished my last level I fieldwork at an outpatient lymphedema clinic where my hours were 8am-4:30pm.

As a student ambassador, I have the privilege to work 10 hours a week for the division doing various tasks and events. I have found working 10 hours per week is manageable, but it is something I have to plan for. I know that I have weekly quizzes on Tuesday, so on Sunday’s I study for my quizzes instead of cramming late on Monday night. Many of my classmates also work around 10 hours, doing other student worker positions at USC, such as being classroom assistants or research assistants. We probably would all agree that working that amount is doable, but anything more than that could be stressful on top of your coursework.

One of my favorite days though is my day off. While I love being in the classroom and at fieldwork, I depend on my day off to recharge and prepare for the upcoming week ahead. By having a day off, I think it really allows us to have a balanced schedule with time to have doctor’s appointments, work, catch up readings, etc.

Throughout grad school, there will definitely be weeks where it can feel overwhelming. My best advice is to listen to your own body and what balance looks like for you. You may need a full 8 hours of sleep while some of your classmates seem to fully function off of only 5 hours, but always listen to what is best for you. Transitioning to grad school is definitely a transition into a new role in life, but once you get a hang of the schedule and what works for you — you will own it!

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Financing USC: What You Need to Know ⟩
November 16, 2018, by Melissa

Life Hacks

As we’ve gotten closer to the application deadline, one of the questions I’ve gotten the most concerns paying for USC and whether the “financial burden” is worth it. Thus, I wanted to take the time to give you guys some insight as to what my thought process looked like when I was applying, and why I feel like coming to USC was the best decision I’ve ever made.

First of all, I want to validate your concerns and let you know that it is completely normal to be intimidated by the cost of tuition at our program. It is more expensive than most programs, and it may feel like a lot to take on. However, I think it’s important that you know what your financing options are before you make a decision. I will admit that to me, it was a bit of a no-brainer. Despite the fact that I was intimidated by the cost of the program, that intimidation was offset by my excitement to be a part of USC Chan. Our program is known to be a leader in the field of occupational therapy, and I truly wanted to be a part of that. In addition, my fears were further ameliorated when I attended an information session and learned more about the aid USC offers, as well as the Federal Loan Forgiveness Program (which I will talk more about below). I was happy to know that I had options, and that made my decision far less daunting, which is why I want to share that information with all of you!

Jessica, a previous Student Ambassador, wrote a “Financing USC” blog series which consists of a couple of blog posts outlining how you can pay for the program. They include information on federal loans available to graduate students and the Loan Forgiveness Program, division scholarships and research assistantships, and student worker positions! Student worker positions are a great way to get involved in the division, and they include the Student Ambassador position that I’m in right now! I also work as a research assistant for one of the many research studies currently being conducted by the division, which is a great opportunity students have available to them as well. 

Lastly, I want to talk to you a bit more about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program available to students that have taken out federal loans and work in a non-profit setting after they’ve graduated. This program requires that you make 120 payments towards your loans (which is about 10 years), and then waives or “forgives” the remaining balance after you’ve made those payments. Examples of non-profit settings include — but are not limited to — hospitals, some outpatient clinics, and even universities. As OTs, there is a high chance that we may end up working at a site that is considered a non-profit, which means we can qualify for this program! I do want to add that this program only waives federal loans, and not private loans that have been taken out in addition to federal ones.

I highly encourage prospective students to weigh their options before making a decision, and not to let the finances intimidate you from applying/attending USC. After being here for the last year and a half, I truly feel like I made the best decision coming to USC, as the education I’ve received is of the highest caliber. In addition, I have had access to professors and clinicians who are leaders and innovators in the field, which has been instrumental in my own career development. Just know that you have lots of options, and I would be happy to talk to you guys about this further if you have any other questions or concerns!

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Latino College Expo ⟩
November 15, 2018, by Serena

Admissions Diversity

What a great turn out at this year’s 5th Annual Latino College Expo™!

What is the Latino College Expo?
Mostly comprised of high school and middle school Latino students, the event had recruiters from higher education (like me) and positive post-secondary pursuits (like recruiters from Disney Animation). The event had resources on grants, loans, and the Dream Act; additionally, information on internships and career opportunities were given. 

What did I do at the event?
While raising awareness about USC’s OT program with Diego Lopez, an occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) student, we spoke to over 300 high school students and even middle school students, (yes 8th graders :0) about OT. I wish I would have known about OT when I was in 8th grade! It was such an incredible sight to see so many young students not knowing what OT was but then realizing that their unique interests could be found in OT. For example, there were students interested in design and mechanical engineering and they realized that they could become an OT focusing on helping individuals live a more meaningful life by designing more functional prosthetics. Other students with a desire to pursue a major in criminology came to learn about OT’s role in forensic mental health and OT’s ability to work in the criminal justice system.

Given the age of the crowd, the middle and high schoolers were mostly interested in USC’s accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s in Occupational Therapy program. They were amazed and thrilled to learn that they could receive their Master’s in just 5 years and their doctorate in occupational therapy in just one subsequent year!

The highlight of the event!
One of the highlights of the event is when the host of the event came up to the USC Occupational Therapy booth and let me have the microphone! I was in utter disbelief. My face completely lit up! I was so surprised since I was the only booth she had given the ability to speak on the microphone in front of the ENTIRE crowd! You know I took full advantage of the opportunity! I politely yet firmly grabbed the microphone and proudly stated my OT elevator pitch with a huge smile on my face. I mean, the opportunity to spread awareness about the best profession in the world 😉 to over 600 people does not happen that often.

In the Future . . .
I am most definitely looking forward to attending the 6th Annual Latino College Expo next year. Maybe next time they will let me go on the main stage with the microphone!

20th Annual Black College Expo
Stay tuned for a post about the 20th Annual Black College Expo, which will take place at the LA Convention Center on February 2nd. If you are a current USC OT student or alumni of the program, please message me if you would like to attend the event and help raise awareness about USC’s OT program!

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