Student Blog
Kate

The Sound of Music ⟩
September 23, 2013, by Kate

Living in LA School/Life Balance

This weekend was full of studying for me. We have some exams coming up this week, and so over the weekend, I had to sacrifice some of my social time to hit the books, which is just part of being a graduate student. However, since I’m learning so much about balance and the importance of play and leisure, I did take some time this weekend to hang out with some of my friends from the OT program. About 27 of us got together and went to The Sound of Music Sing-a-Long event at The Hollywood Bowl. It was pure joy and the most fun I have had in a long, long time.

There was a costume contest before the movie started, where little kids and adults alike dressed up as characters or lines from the movie. There were “charming sponges” (in reference to Uncle Max’s character), “bowing ladies” (in reference to the lady who wins an award during the festival performance), and nuns galore. The winners were 13 nuns, each with a number on her costume, strung along with rope, to represent “a long line of governesses” that had come before the character of Maria at the Von Trapp household.

When the movie began, the entire auditorium sang along to the words of the songs, cheered when Maria and the Captain were on screen, and booed and hissed at the Baroness and any mention of the Nazis. During “Edelweiss,” we all put our cell phones in the air and swayed back and forth. The evening was full of magic and friendship, and it was just what I needed to recharge my batteries going into this week.

Good news for you: this happens every year! Each year, The Hollywood Bowl does this sing-a-long event to The Sound of Music during September. I know I will try my best to attend next year!

Here’s a picture of me with my mittens on, enjoying some hot cocoa! Although it is Los Angeles, it got pretty chilly this night and I came prepared!

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Fieldwork Out-of-State? ⟩
September 17, 2013, by Kate

Fieldwork

I have lived in Los Angeles for 11 years now, which is such an amazing feat. I can’t believe that in August of 2002, I drove from Denver, Colorado, to Los Angeles with most of my belongings, ready to start a new adventure. My undergraduate years at USC were the best four years of my life, and in 2006, I decided to stay in the City of Angels. My parents moved to Seattle, Washington, when I graduated from USC in 2006. I have loved visiting them and exploring a new city that is similar to, yet different from, my hometown of Denver.

As I made my way into a new career path and my journey with occupational therapy, I have a new and exciting adventure to begin. USC’s outstanding team of fieldwork coordinators offers over 750 placements across the country, and I’ve decided that I am going to take advantage of these out-of-state opportunities. I just put in a request with our fieldwork team to be placed somewhere in Seattle for my Level II fieldwork next summer! What an exciting (and a little bit scary!) decision! Now it is in the hands of the fieldwork coordinators to place me in a facility where I can use my existing skills to learn and grow even more. What can I say?? I CANNOT WAIT!!!

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One of My True Loves: USC Football ⟩
September 9, 2013, by Kate

Living in LA School/Life Balance

Let’s be honest: this past weekend was bittersweet. I am a huge, and I mean HUGE, USC football fan, so let me explain a bit more . . .

Once of the best perks about being a USC student (undergraduate or graduate), is that you can buy a discounted season pass for all the home football games. Before each home game, occupational therapy students put on a joint tailgate with the students from the physical therapy program. We rally around all things USC and spend time getting to know each other better outside of school. It is a great way to spend your Saturday!

However, not all Saturdays end with a “win.” This past Saturday was USC football’s home opener against the Washington State Cougars. I attended the OT/PT tailgate with two of my best friends. We laughed, played games and were excited for our USC Trojans to beat the Cougars! The game itself was exciting. It was a perfect summer night, not too hot, not too cold. But when the game was over, it was not the ending we had all wanted. The Cougars beat the Trojans 10-7, and we left a bit broken-hearted. Not all was lost, though; I remember the great time I had with my friends, fellow OT students and new PT friends. And like all Trojans, we will Fight On!!

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My First Week Back! ⟩
September 3, 2013, by Kate

Classes Fieldwork Getting Involved

What a rush! Last Monday was our first day back at school and my first week as an official USC OT Student Ambassador. It was so great to see friends that I hadn’t seen all summer and to catch up on our first Level II fieldwork experiences. I enjoyed hearing about the different sites where my friends interned as OT students — from the Department of Veterans Affairs in Hawaii, to a pediatric clinic in Denver and beyond! My own fieldwork experience was so interesting and such a great learning experience. I had the chance to work at a forensic treatment agency, collaborating with social workers, MFTs and case managers, to help formerly incarcerated individuals regain their independence and become involved in healthy, meaningful activities. I learned so much about the value of occupational therapy and how it can help change lives. But for now, it’s back to school!

I am currently in the Adult Physical Rehabilitation and Disability immersion and so far, it is fascinating! We have begun to learn about the different settings in physical rehabilitation, dive into Medicare and where OT fits, and take a short field trip to the Keck Medical Center of USC for actual chart reviews. As a second year master’s student, I am also taking a class on Adulthood and Aging, which complements the Adult Rehab and Disability immersion perfectly. I am lucky to be learning about this area of occupational therapy at such a critical moment in time. I also attended my first elective course this fall, which covers occupational therapy in primary care. I am very excited about this “new frontier” in OT, and I cannot wait to learn more. This elective offers a plethora of volunteering opportunities where we as students learn through experiencing a primary care setting first-hand. I know that this fall will be busy, but I am looking forward to it all!

To cap it all off, I have begun this journey as an ambassador for the USC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. I am so excited to share my love for OT and my love for USC all at the same time. I’ve attached a picture of my fellow ambassador, Ryan Thomas, and I in the office before we had lunch with two visiting international students. I have learned this past week, that when you’re doing what you love with such great people, it is pretty hard to have a bad day! Until next time . . .

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