Student Blog

Pre-OT Me ⟩
January 23, 2017, by Kimmy

Admissions What are OS/OT?

Before deciding to enter a graduate program, you may have asked yourself, “Can I be an OT?” I may not know you too well yet, but I have a feeling the answer is yes! While a Master’s degree in occupational therapy is required to practice, many professionals arrive at this destination from vastly different origins.

My path was a bit more direct as I entered USC directly in the Bachelor’s to Master’s program. However, in the effort to gain a well-rounded undergraduate education, I also pursued a major in psychology and a minor in nutrition & health promotion. By studying these diverse fields, I feel enabled to blend multiple perspectives to inform my future practice as an occupational therapist.

Occupational therapy stresses the importance of client-centered practice and treating the whole person. Because each OT exudes a unique therapeutic style, one’s practice can be informed by his or her background. An OT with a background in business might differ from one who studied sociology, but they can both provide valuable treatment for their clients. Further, these varied perspectives allow therapists to share knowledge and exchange ideas with each other, which improves therapists’ clinical reasoning and the profession as a whole!

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128th Rose Parade ⟩
January 18, 2017, by JRoe

Getting Involved Living in LA

We had a float in the Rose Parade and it was the coolest!

In case you missed it, there was a float in the 128th Rose Parade on January 2nd celebrating the centennial of occupational therapy. You read that right, the centennial. Occupational therapy was founded in 1917. We have been raising money for the float for a long time now and it was rewarding to see the finished product. The float featured images of OTs working with patients. One image featured our very own Erwin with another USC student who sustained a spinal cord injury and lives in the OT House! There was also a replica of the Hull House where OT was born. Those riding the float were occupational therapists, including the former chair of the division, Dr. Florence Clark, and those who have received OT services.

I was able to volunteer to decorate the float on a very rainy New Year’s Eve. It was an exciting day with lots of commotion between volunteers, tours, and judges. I brought my parents to join in the fun and we helped glue the eucalyptus leaves on the roof of the Hull House. We also were able to see some of the other floats up close. It’s amazing to see the detail and the fresh flowers are beautiful!

My parents and I also went to the Rose Parade to see the float in action and the USC Band! What a great day to be an OT and a Trojan with that win at the Rose Bowl!

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Location, Location, Location ⟩
January 17, 2017, by Kimmy

Housing and Transportation

When starting graduate school, housing is a big consideration. I have moved each year throughout my time at USC and have been fortunate enough to live by both the University Park Campus and the Health Sciences Campus. Everyone has different priorities, but for me, I specifically sought out places that came furnished, were located near campus, and created a welcoming environment for students. 

The OT House is a convenient option full of future occupational therapists — what could be better?! Despite its name, it is an apartment building, not a house. It is located near UPC with a tram stop right outside. Students usually take the morning tram to commute to HSC, which makes it manageable to live without a car. A portion of the OT House is dedicated as a special interest housing community for occupational therapy students. The recreation room on the second floor is home to Engage, a student organization focused on engaging community youth in meaningful occupations. Because it is managed by USC Housing, the rental cycle aligns with the semester schedule of the OT program. 

This year, I live in Currie Hall on HSC, which was just built last year. The facilities are new and the location is incredibly convenient; I can see the OT building from my balcony! Complete with a pool, hot tub, gym, and fire pit, Currie Hall is the place to be. Don’t worry parents — there is a study room, too, and it offers free printing! Aside from all the amenities, I especially appreciate the opportunity to live in a community full of health science students. Many of my OT classmates live just down the hall (or next door!), but I have also met students from other professional programs, as well. In fact, my roommates consist of an occupational therapy student, a medical student, and a gerontology student. We have learned from each other and become close friends as a result of living together.

These are just two student housing options, but there are surely more out there.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or the other ambassadors!

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New Year, New Courses ⟩
January 17, 2017, by Jessica

Classes

Happy New Year, everyone! 2017 is a big one — last semester of OT school, graduation, last fieldwork experience, taking the boards (and passing hopefully), finding a job (hopefully), and getting married! AH!

This semester is an exciting one since we’ve finished our immersion courses, and can now take electives. This is something unique to USC, since other OT schools don’t necessarily give students the option to take electives in the practice area they are most interested in. For me, I’m most interested in pediatrics, so I geared all my electives towards that. There are so many electives to choose from, so no matter what you’re interested in, you’ll find something to fit your interests.

Here’s a peek at my schedule this semester:

It just so happens that all of the classes I decided to take fell on only Monday and Thursday. This worked out well for me since I also work part-time, giving me three weekdays to work.

Here’s the courses I’m taking this semester:

OT 567: Contemporary Issues: Occupational Therapy in Early Intervention
OT 540: Leadership Capstone
OT 565: Sensory Integration Interventions
OT 564: Sensory Integration
OT 545: Advanced Seminar in Occupational Science
OT 575: Dysphagia Across the Lifespan: Pediatrics through Geriatrics

The electives I chose are in bold, and the other two courses are required for all students. Check out our course descriptions for more detail about all of our electives and other courses in the program.

Looking forward to sharing all the exciting things happening in my last semester with you all!

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Smell the Roses ⟩
January 17, 2017, by Erwin

Community Living in LA What are OS/OT?

Exciting things were happening in the world of OT during the holidays. On January 2nd, occupational therapy had the honor of having a float at the 128th Tournament of Roses Parade.

If you didn’t know, 2017 marks 100 years of occupational therapy. That’s an awesome achievement for our profession and a testament to OT’s contributions to society. The float is a celebration of our wonderful profession and provided exposure about what OT is to the millions of people that watch the Rose Parade.

In anticipation for our 100 years as a profession, the American Occupational Therapy Association decided on a centennial vision:

“We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society’s occupational needs.”

This float was an excellent opportunity to support our profession in meeting its centennial vision of being “widely recognized” and “globally connected”!

This float could not been done without the support of the Occupational Therapy Association of California, which sponsored the float, and its volunteers. Many USC faculty members and students dedicated their time to help with this awesome project, and being one of those volunteers, I can proudly say it was worth the time and effort! Read more about the float.

Here are some photos of the float and the volunteers that helped to make this float possible.

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