15th Annual Afternoon Tea with a Scholar

September 30, 2016
by Erwin

Getting Involved

This past Sunday was the 15th Annual Afternoon Tea with a Scholar. Each year, the Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC) hosts this event to highlight exciting research that is being done in the field of OT!

This year, Ann McDonald, MA, PhD, OTR/L, spoke about the dynamic role of occupational therapy in support of families due to the oftentimes difficult talks of meeting the needs of a family member who has a physical, emotional, or neurodevelopmental challenge.

The event was awesome and there were two main things I took away from this event: the importance of research in occupational therapy and the importance of our state organization.

Research plays a pivotal role in advancing occupational therapy. Science is ever evolving and it is important that occupational therapy works to develop the best forms of treatment possible for our clients. USC is one of the leaders for research in the field of occupational therapy. In fact, Occupational Science, the science that informs our practice, was founded here at USC.

Another takeaway from this event was the importance of our state organization, OTAC. Supporting our state organization is so important because it fights for our right to practice — specifically in California. Many people know that OT is one of the top jobs out there, but it did not happen overnight. OTAC works tirelessly to advocate for our profession and support its members so we can work in this wonderful field.

Four students and I had the pleasure of volunteering for this event. Not only was volunteering fun but it gave us an opportunity to serve our OT community. So whether you are a prospective student or a seasoned practitioner, get involved in our state organization and the promotion of scholarship in occupational therapy.

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