Student Blog

All Work and No Play? No Way! ⟩
September 27, 2013, by Clarissa

Fieldwork

I have two midterms and my fine motor toolkit for the pediatrics immersion due next week, so this week has been madness with studying, various extracurriculars, and fieldwork. I enjoy everything I do, though, which at least makes it merry madness.

I’m having a great time at my Level I pediatric fieldwork site. I am currently placed in a school-based setting and see children in various elementary schools throughout the day, as well as in clinic. This week, my clinical instructor reviewed my ideas for my fine motor toolkit and I was mind-blown by how creative pediatric occupational therapists can get with simple, everyday objects. Am I going to become that creative?

It also definitely helps relieve midterm stress when fun is incorporated into our curriculum! Since play is a major occupation for children, we do activity analyses of play to learn about treatment strategies utilizing play as motivation. For us, this means learning while playing! Whoever said classroom time has to be all work and no play?

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Sensory Integration Lab ⟩
September 26, 2013, by Jen

Classes What are OS/OT?

This week in my pediatric lectures, we have been learning about sensory integration, which is a theory based on neuroscience that provides perspective for appreciating the sensory dimensions of human behavior. When someone is not processing sensory information appropriately, they may have sensory integrative dysfunction. During an occupation therapy assessment the occupational therapist may notice signs of dysfunction, including: delays in fine motor and gross motor development, decreased strength and endurance, low muscle tone, decreased balance, poor body awareness, poor self-regulation or difficulty with social and emotional development. The occupational therapist may then choose to use fun sensory integration intervention strategies to enhance information processing so that a child can engage more appropriately in everyday life. Pediatric occupational therapy can look a lot like play, but it takes a lot of skill to make it appear that way.

This week in my pediatric lab, we experimented with the different equipment in the sensory integration laboratory in the CHP building at the Division. The laboratory is full of equipment that provides tactile, proprioceptive, and vestibular exploration opportunities for a child (and even for an adult!). The equipment promotes both sensory and motor activities. We discovered different ways to challenge each other in terms of coordination, balance, and body control, and had a ton of fun doing it!

Here is a photo of some of my fellow classmates:

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First Day of Fieldwork! ⟩
September 24, 2013, by Ryan

Fieldwork

We started at our Level I Fieldwork sites last week . . . very exciting!!! I have been placed in the area at a hand therapy clinic since I am currently in the Adult Physical Rehabilitation and Disability Immersion. It is a small clinic with two therapists that made my first day quite nice and pleasant. I was able to meet patients recovering from surgeries such as carpal tunnel and trigger thumb or healing from lacerations caused by a power saw or broken glass. I have to admit, I am a little nervous about protecting my hands after that one day. It was interesting to see how each person was impacted from the loss of their hand function.

Since it was my first day and I am still learning (or trying to remember what I have already learned in Kinesiology a year ago . . . or Anatomy and Physiology even before I started the program, yikes!!!), I decided to interact with the patients. I definitely had the time, since I was told by my CI (Clinical Instructor) to just observe that day and with only two therapists in a small space, there really wasn’t much to else to do. I had a great time meeting people! As people were set up (paraffin wax and heating compress for 10 minutes) I would ask people how they started coming to the clinic. Everyone was happy to share their stories and I ended up having a great laugh with a lovely older woman who was very funny and obviously loved life! She had the best outlook on life. My CI was quite knowledgeable and also really great at explaining what she was doing, then asking me about certain conditions I saw. It really kept me on my toes. I think I am going to learn a lot this semester, so make sure you check in to see what fascinating hand conditions I see next!

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Another Test Conquered!! ⟩
September 24, 2013, by Kate

Classes

This morning I had my second exam in my Adult Physical Rehabilitation and Disability immersion and boy, am I glad it’s over! Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy the OT program and graduate school in general, but let’s be honest — tests are not that fun. However, I feel that I studied enough for this exam, and I think I did pretty well on the multiple choice and the practicum portions (the practicum is a short-answer/written reply that relates to what you have been covering in the class). Last night a fellow classmate who lives down the street from me came over, and we quizzed each other on the lecture and lab material. It was great to have someone to help me out!

Now, it’s off to prepare for my exam coming up next week in our Health and Wellness class! Although it may seem as if these exams are never-ending, it is awesome to learn this material and build upon it. I can see my future as an occupational therapist coming closer every day. And when I look at the bigger picture, I know the studying and hard work is worth it!

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Visiting San Luis Obispo ⟩
September 23, 2013, by Jen

Classes What are OS/OT?

This past weekend I took a short break from my life in Los Angeles to visit some friends at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. I graduated from Cal Poly in June 2012 (exactly one week prior to beginning the occupational therapy program at USC) with a BS in Kinesiology and a Minor in Psychology. My visit brought back numerous memories from my undergraduate years and reminded me how much my education at Cal Poly helped me get to where I am today.

As a kinesiology major I took courses such as Biomechanics, Motor Control and Learning, Anatomy, Physiology, Neuroanatomy, Adapted Physical Activity, Psychosocial Aspects of Physical Activity, Gerontology, and Sports Nutrition. When I took each of these courses, I never thought about how much I would be using what I was learning in the future. Let me tell you . . . I’ve been using what I learned a LOT since beginning graduate school. Majoring in kinesiology especially prepared me for the physical rehabilitation aspects of occupational therapy.

As a psychology minor I took courses such as Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Behavioral Disorders in Childhood, and Environmental Psychology. What I learned in these courses did a fantastic job of preparing me for the mental health and pediatric aspects of occupational therapy.

I’m so grateful for my undergraduate experience and know what I am learning now in graduate school will be VERY useful when I become an occupational therapist.

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