Student Blog
Feeling Like A “Real” OT! ⟩
February 11, 2013, by Amber
This semester I am taking several elective courses, all of which are very exciting because I have chosen to take them based on my interests. They are all very hands-on and full of practical knowledge that I will use every day in practice. The most hands-on of these elective courses is Enhancing Motor Control for Occupation. In this course we are learning how to facilitate the recovery of motor control after an individual has sustained an upper motor neuron lesion, as may happen during a stroke or traumatic brain injury. We learn different theories and techniques, such as Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) and apply them to occupational therapy treatment. Best of all, the instructor is a working practitioner at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center and the class takes place onsite in the inpatient unit.
A requirement of this course is that I observe occupational therapists using motor control during real treatment sessions for two hours per week. One of the first patients I observed was an elderly gentleman with a goofy sense of humor. He had a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and had recently suffered from a stroke. The occupational therapist completed a visual assessment with the gentleman to confirm that he displayed left-sided inattention. This means that he consistently ignored information on the left side of his visual field. For example, when reading an eye chart he only read the right half of each line. The therapist mentioned that in subsequent sessions he would be working with the man to help him pay attention to his left side.
During the session I spoke with the man’s wife and asked her what sort of things he liked to do before he was limited by his conditions. She mentioned that he was someone who could “fix anything” and that he was an avid golfer. At the end of the session, I related these facts to the occupational therapist and suggested he may use these activities to facilitate attention to the left. He was not previously aware of the man’s interest in golf and thanked me for my input. I saw the gentleman again at his next session. The occupational therapist had found a golf ball and fashioned a club out of a cane turned upside down (a testimony to the creativity of OTs!). The therapist situated a target to the left side of the man, and like a pro he overcame his left inattention to hit the target every time! It was wonderful to feel that I had contributed to a small breakthrough for this man who is struggling to regain the function he had lost. During that session I felt like a “real” OT and it was fantastic! I’m looking forward many more moments like this in the future as I gain confidence in my abilities.
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Color Run ⟩
February 10, 2013, by Paula
This past weekend, The Color Run came to Dodger Stadium! There was a large group of OT color runners and a group of my friends from college also came down for the event so it was a great mix of people. I was a bit skeptical at first of how much I would enjoy running a 5k with people intermittently dousing me with colored cornstarch, but it was a lot of fun!
Being raised up as a little water baby and playing competitive water sports for 15 years of my life, I am normally the last person to suggest signing up for any sort of set length of running. Many people have told me that they hear swimmers have a certain incoordination when it comes to moving their body through space in “normal” popular sports such as soccer, basketball, etc. There is a certain amount of truth to that — I happen to be a prime example. If you ever see me on a skateboard or trying to master a hurdle (which you will never see), then you will understand.
Regardless, the run was a lot of fun and constant entertainment with all of the people being doused with colored powder throughout. It made me really excited to pursue more runs in the future. I am thinking of doing a Tough Mudder or a Warrior Dash next. Always important to try new things, right??
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Happy OTs ⟩
February 8, 2013, by Kendra
I have had the awesome opportunity to interview at a couple of incredible fieldwork sites this past week. And while these opportunities are definitely amazing and a dream, what makes me even more excited is the confidence I will have that where ever I choose to go, happy OTs will greet me when I’m there.
Did you know that OTs are some of the happiest professionals in the work place? Did you know that OT is one of the top ten degrees that pays you to play?
I love those statistics. And they are so true. When you walk into an OT clinic or OT rehab unit, you’re greeted with smiles. You see people working together with other therapists and actually ENJOYING what they do.
People this is RARE!
OT offers many, many things: job security, the feeling that you’ve helped change a life. But enjoyment? Fun? The pressure to get a good job is so high these days, you don’t often think to expect happiness throughout your career as well.
So as you make your decision about what career path you may take or whether or not choosing OT was the right choice, look at the mood of the OTs in that clinic, and when you see them laugh, smile, and share their joy, I think you’ll have the same feeling I did.
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“Say yes to play” ⟩
February 7, 2013, by Alisa
Growing up in Thailand, oftentimes I would get scolded for playing or being playful. At a young age, I felt that I had to grow up. Even though I wasn’t the oldest child, I felt that I had to be mature. Was I trying to please the adults? Probably. I was the well-behaved one growing up. I would feel guilty for playing. It was like a stigma if you’re an adult and still play, but that didn’t stop my uncles. Maybe that’s why I admire them so much. Although they are very busy as business owners, they embrace me whenever I visit them. One of them enjoys playing golf and being a Thai Elvis. He seriously has one of the best voices — his tone is amazing. Another one knows everything about technology and video games. I realize that what drew me to them was their playfulness. They have many interests and are willing to share the joy of playing and being playful with me. Now I realize that playing is okay. It’s a form of self-care. Play continues throughout the lifespan. I am thankful for choosing the path to be an occupational therapist because I will be getting paid to play! The profession has instilled in me the balance of work, rest and play. Although it could be tough to make time being that I have many roles and responsibilities, it is important.
From reading Dr. Erna Blanche’s Play and Process: The experience of play in the life of the adult, I learned that there are different types of play: restoration, ludos (light-hearted play like joking around), self-awareness, mastery, adventure, and creativity. Now that I’m getting older — ahem — as evidenced by the amount of gray hairs I have, I enjoy more of a restorative play. I engage in this type of play through yoga. I find that I am able to put my mind into the practice and forget about everything else for just a bit, but that is probably the most refreshing part of my day.
How often do you play? What kinds of play do you engage in?
This is a photo of my dog, Summer. He likes to do leaps in the air.
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New Digs ⟩
February 7, 2013, by Ricky
Housing and Transportation Living in LA School/Life Balance
Some of you might remember me venting about all the things I had going on last semester. Winter break gave me some time to reassess and consider making a few changes. I concluded that the likely best thing I could do was rent a room nearby campus, just for the last semester. But being the budget-conscious ex-accountant that I am, I was still hesitant . . . up until my first week of classes. After sitting through all 6 classes for the first time, I was like, “oh heavens no. I need to move closer . . . and then I have the comp exam to worry about . . . oh my . . . looks like I’m moving to LA.” All I really needed was a place nearby to lay my head and shower — I planned on going back home on weekends anyway. I came pretty close to renting a couch in someone’s living room — so glad I didn’t. I ended finding a great place down the street from campus, with my own bed and bath for a very affordable price. It’s in “not-the-nicest” area of Los Angeles, but it’s really not so bad for a guy who can hold his own. It’s close, clean, gated, has pretty much all my preferred amenities, and my landlady is great. While I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, I just thought I’d let ya’ll in on the fact that options like this exist. While searching for a place, I looked on Craigslist, asked classmates/friends, and checked for postings around campus. Take note of that last point because the best places I saw came from ads in the med-school buildings across the street from our building. I’ve only been living there for 2 weeks and so-far-so-good. I’ll be sure to give ya’ll an update later down the road. Cheers!
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