Student Blog

My Mental Health and How It Led Me to OT ⟩
October 22, 2024, by Dana

Beginnings and Endings First-Gen

As an immigrant, the idea of the “American Dream” was the main path that every immigrant aimed to achieve. All my life, I was told to keep learning and going to school to achieve higher education so that I can make more money and live that “American Dream”. So, being in an Asian immigrant household, I was expected to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or entrepreneur of some sorts in high positions. My first time ever where I thought of a career path for myself was in middle school. Low and behold, I thought of becoming a lawyer. I had this immense confidence that I could argue anything and everything with those around me whenever I disagreed with them. However, that did not last very long when high school came along and my confidence and mental health plummeted.

High school was an interesting time, but it was also a traumatizing time for me that is buried all the way in the back of my mind. I was not given sufficient guidance nor opportunities to explore what I potentially wanted to do in the future. It was a time where academic excellence was ingrained in my mind by my parents and teachers. Excelling in classes and engaging in educational organizations were the priorities of what other people wanted for me. It took me some time to process, after the fact, that that was one of the causes of my mental downfall. In addition, a huge life event of my mom passing away during my sophomore year created even more mental turmoil. As much as I expressed what was happening to me in my high school, they wanted me to focus on strengthening my college applications with grades, standardized tests, and personal development. Ironic because the only personal development my high school allowed was to develop our academic skills. With no guidance there, I fought to find my own path.

Getting past the grief of my mom being gone was what felt like the longest mental journey of my life. However, her passing sparked my love for healthcare. There were some things I wished the healthcare system could have done for her to increase her quality of life by maintaining her independence and promoting occupations in which she could still engage in. Watching her lose all her ability to do things for herself was difficult as a teenager because I had seen her do almost everything for our family. Because my high school wasn’t helping me explore career paths, I took it upon myself to research healthcare professions that aligned with my values and goals of helping people with terminal conditions have some independence and internal satisfaction with what they can do while they are still alive. With extensive research, I came across Occupational Therapy.

I didn’t follow the traditional path that was expected of me, but I found something better: a career that aligns with my values, one where I can help others maintain their dignity and independence, just as I once wished for my mom. Occupational Therapy became more than just a profession — it became a way for me to honor her, and in some ways, to heal myself.

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My Summer at a Play-Based Sensory Integration Clinic ⟩
September 27, 2024, by Kimberly Rochin

What are OS/OT?

This summer, I had the chance to be a camp counselor at Play 2 Progress (P2P), a sensory integration clinic that uses play as its core. As someone who’s all about pediatrics, this experience wasn’t just another job — it was eye-opening. I got to see how powerful play can be in helping kids grow and learn.

Every day at camp was buzzing with energy. The sounds of laughter, excitement, and even frustration filled the air as the kids worked through different challenges. Even though I’ve worked with kids before, P2P was different. Instead of just giving directions, I learned how to empower kids by letting them take control. With sensory processing in mind, I started to find ways for them to use their senses to better understand their behavior and choices. One of my favorite parts of the summer was watching the kids tackle sensory-rich games. These games weren’t just fun — they helped with balance, coordination, and fine motor skills. We turned obstacle courses into mini-adventures, art into sensory experiences, and group games into lessons in teamwork and patience. It was amazing to watch the kids grow more confident with each challenge they faced.

But what stuck with me were the differences between the three, four, and five-year-olds. Even though their ages were close, their attention spans and social skills were worlds apart. That taught me that you can’t expect every child to engage the same way. Each kid has their own developmental pace, and it’s important to meet them where they are to truly support their growth.

While I did come home sometimes covered in slime or my pants splattered with paint, this experience was worth every messy moment, leaving me with unforgettable memories and a deeper passion for helping kids through play.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about my experience, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Till next time!

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A Legacy of Hard Work, Perseverance, and Occupation ⟩
September 27, 2024, by Mason

Beginnings and Endings School/Life Balance

Hi everyone! In my introductory blog post, I talked to you all about why I chose to take on the challenge of becoming an occupational therapist. In case you missed it, let me give you a refresher. My mother is a pediatric occupational therapist and has served various populations of children with special needs and developmental disabilities for over 30 years. Growing up around my mother and watching her treat and impact the lives of the children she worked with sparked my passion and lifelong goal to help others. My mother always taught me that no matter what you do, you should leave the world better than you found it, and use your energy, health, and opportunities to help those who have less or do not have the same luxuries. Throughout this program, there have been many times when I doubted myself and my abilities to succeed as a student, clinician, and overall individual. But in those moments I have always had my mother and her lessons to support me.

My mother has always been a key pillar of support in my life. However, my mother was also not shy about pushing me to do my best. Growing up, my mother always had one rule: it was okay to fail as long as you tried your best. In every moment of failure or setback throughout my college years so far I always tried to remember that simple lesson because I knew that my best was within reach if I worked hard and put in the effort. It wasn’t easy to move across the country to a state I had barely visited, work multiple jobs to support myself throughout my education or start a full graduate course load while my friends moved on to full careers after their undergrad. College is not an easy challenge, and it’s not meant to be. After 4 years of strong effort, I still find challenges and overwhelming moments every other week. But I know I can get through it because I have the people around me that make me feel supported.

In a funny way life always comes full circle. This year to my utmost pride, pleasure, and enthusiasm my mother started a new journey of her own and returned to school to earn her post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy. Despite not being in school for almost 30 years and diving into an educational landscape that has changed fourfold, she’s taking on this challenge to grow and better herself, and I couldn’t be more proud. As children, you always view the relationship you have with your parents as a one-sided transaction. They teach you, they support you, and they help you grow to dreams and goals they know you can accomplish. However, as you inevitably grow up and expand in your ability to understand those around you, you begin to realize how much you impact their lives as well. We can teach our parents, we can help them grow, but most importantly we have the ability to support them amid the vulnerability that makes change so scary.

My mother inspired me to become the person I am today, and today I’m lucky enough to inspire my mother to reach the exact same potential she has always seen in me. So when you’re reflecting on the challenges and obstacles that stand in your way, don’t ever forget about the people in your life that lead you to greatness. Cherish those who have always supported you and take any opportunity you can to return the favor by supporting them.

That’s all for now, and remember to Fight On!

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From Worker to Student: A New Occupation ⟩
September 26, 2024, by Tanya

Beginnings and Endings Community International Life Hacks Living in LA School/Life Balance

It is week 3 of school and perhaps with the exploration of Occupational Science, it made me reflect about the current journey I’ve chosen to embark on; a new occupation. I am no longer a working adult but one who is back in school — an adult student. It has been approximately a month since I said goodbye to the familiar, the known and the expected. Things are no longer as familiar, and navigating through this change has not been the easiest, to say the least.

I have stepped into the unknown and the unfamiliar in the decision to pursue the Post-Professional Master’s degree here at USC Chan, and if I were to use the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) Model (Law et al., 1996) to frame my life, you could say that I am still learning to maximize the fit to attain the same occupational performance I had back home. There is not just a literal change, in the physical change in environment, but also a change in my social environment. Social supports that I could turn to immediately had a 15 hour time difference. Even though this is not the first time living alone in a foreign country, it does not get any easier. There are some days I still get teary looking at pictures or Instagram videos and wish I could teleport home to be part of a special event, to comfort a friend or just to get a physical hug from a loved one. Leisure activities which I could engage in frequently are harder to access as I do not drive, or are things that I could not bring over (e.g., my sewing machine).

Even the most simple things require unlearning and relearning — take the metric systems — I am still learning how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, Pounds to Kilograms and Miles to Kilometres. It does get better with practice and of course, consulting with Google Converter, especially when I am at the grocery store, has been such help to me. Exploring the transportation systems might be a little tricky, but I am thankful that I got the chance to explore with my course mates, who are becoming a different sort of support system.

Having a new occupation as a student comes with new expectations and responsibilities. I used to read journal articles that I received from my monthly BJOT subscription or when I was reading up on the evidence of interventions that I would like to use. However, being a student means reading and trying to synthesize the contents of the articles for each module that you take. Living alone also means that that are other things you need to manage and set aside time for, such as meal-prep, household chores, figuring out how the dryer works and grocery runs.

Though the Occupation and Environment has changed, one thing that remained constant is the Person (that’s me). The changes might seem overwhelming initially but your abilities that enabled you to navigate the challenges, difficulties and new seasons in your life in a place of familiarity and comfort do not change amidst the change in the environment. The routines that you have created for yourself back home can also be replicated here — it just takes a little time to figure and analyse what is better and suitable. I’ve resumed my curiosity in cooking and explored the different dishes and cooking hacks on social media. This has not only provided me with affordable and delicious meals, but it has been a nice and relaxing activity and a way for me to connect with my housemates.

Being a planner, I have plans to crochet and hit the gym with my house/course mate Kate — we will get to it soon! Being away makes you grow as an individual as you reflect and learn to see things from a different perspective — who knew that just having dinner and chatting by the pool with friends is something so enjoyable and refreshing, an activity that I hope will be part of my new routine. Change is hard but it can also be an experience that will shape, develop and make you a better OT as you view things from new and different perspectives. It is also important to be intentional, not just here, but with the people back home, technology in this case is truly a blessing. Being 8811 miles away does feel shorter with the texts and calls.

One thing I am thankful for are my course mates, they make home feel a little less far. My new social environment, but one I am thrilled to share the remaining year with as we learn, laugh and eat together.

Stay tuned if you are interested in finding out what my remaining year will be like as a new adult student — I personally know it will be an amazing one and one that I will proudly say that I have maximized the PEO fit at the end of it.

Reference
Law, M., Cooper, B., Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L. (1996). The Person-Environment-Occupation Model: A transactive approach to occupational performance. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63(1), 9–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/000841749606300103

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More than Observation: Insights from My Shadowing Experiences ⟩
September 26, 2024, by Cara

What are OS/OT?

In preparation for applying to OT school, I was intimidated by the requirement of 80 observation hours. How could I accumulate that much experience in just one summer? Luckily, with a little networking through family friends and help from Google, I shadowed across three different settings: inpatient (acute care), school-based, and outpatient. Each experience not only exposed me to the field but taught me the importance of learning with an open mind.

Starting with inpatient (acute care), I explored a variety of specialties, from ICU to neurology, burns, orthopedics, pediatrics, cardiac, and trauma. The focus is to help the patient get better and decide where they go next, whether it’s home, a nursing facility, or daily rehab. As patients recovered from heart surgery, spinal injuries, strokes, work-related injuries, neurological trauma, or burns, the OTs addressed bedside mobility, dressing, personal hygiene, range of motion, and consciousness. They assessed how well the patient could do the above without assistance.

While I had always thought I would end up in pediatrics, my visit to the burn unit sparked a newfound interest. Seeing such severe injuries is not for the faint of heart, but there’s something about the strength and progress of the patients that drew me in. I felt more challenged because of the complexities of the burns and the intricacies that come with treating them. Moreover, the reliance on visual aids, such as the burn itself and images of post-surgery skin grafts provided greater insight into a patient’s range of motion, independence, and pressure tolerance than written notes. As a visual learner, this resonated with me.

Moving onto school-based OT, I observed high-functioning students as OTs focused on improving fine motor skills like handwriting, pencil grasp, and line spacing. It was interesting to see differences in letter formation and recognition; some reversed letters or wrote from bottom to top. I also couldn’t help but notice a fisted grasp pattern among the students, and that I, too, grip my pencil incorrectly instead of the proper tripod grasp. Furthermore, I learned standardized tests like the Beery VMI and Bot-2, which determine eligibility for OT. These included activities like drawing, comparing shapes, and transferring or sorting objects to assess visual and motor skills. I got to test these on myself, in which I discovered that I needed to improve my manual dexterity.

Finally, in an outpatient setting, I got to be a little kid again, recognizing how play can help make learning fun. Here, OTs used play-based interventions to improve kids’ independence and achieve their goals. Equipment included a rock wall, hammock, and interactive games. At first glance, it seems like this is just a setting to let loose. But, play-based therapy addresses skills like problem-solving, fine motor, bilateral coordination, and self-control. For example, I learned that playing on a scooter can strengthen the core, playing with slime helps with sensory integration, and using tweezers to sort colors develops the pincer grip needed to hold a pencil or utensil.

From the hospital, classroom, and indoor playground, each experience has made me realize all the ways I can make a difference as an OT. Maybe you’re someone who already has their heart set on a certain specialty. Still, I encourage you to explore the many faces of OT. You might discover new interests, identify skills that need improvement, or even realize that you could use some OT as well!

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