My Guide for Finding Volunteering and Shadowing Opportunities
October 5, 2025
by Makayla
When considering a career in occupational therapy as a high school or undergraduate student, it can be daunting to figure out where to start. As students, we may have a limited scope of practice in what career fields will best suit us in the long run. Therefore, volunteering and shadowing are the best ways to experience what it’s like to be in the shoes of an occupational therapist or any other healthcare practitioner of interest.
While engaging in these experiences can validate your own personal passions or align your own career goals, they may also serve as crucial experiences to help narrow down aspects of a potential career that you dislike. It is beneficial to keep the purpose of your experience to be to explore and discover areas of healthcare that may appeal to you, even if only by observation. A set number of volunteering and observational hours is not required for USC Chan’s Entry-Level Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program Admissions; however, they are highly recommended, as they can help you see the breadth of the field of occupational therapy and the different pathways it can take you on your academic and career journey. Especially being a college student, gaining these experiences can not only help visualize your future in this profession but also provide unique insight and personal contexts that can help inform a great personal statement for applying to occupational therapy school.
Lucky for you, I want to share a few helpful resources to find prospective volunteering and shadowing opportunities that can be a touchpoint to finding new and rewarding learning experiences!
Helpful Resources I Have Found Volunteering/Shadowing
1. USC Chan Website: OS/OT Volunteer Opportunities:
The USC Chan Website has an amazing database of opportunities that highlight opportunities for experiential learning (Volunteer, Internship, Aide, and Observation) for current and prospective students of occupational science and occupational therapy. Unique to this database are organizations and sites that span across Southern California, the East and West coasts of the United States, and even internationally! Opportunities are organized by physical area, and within each physical area by Zip/postal code. Within each of the site’s descriptions, you will find valuable information about the site, whether it be the particular practice area of occupational therapy, who to contact, volunteer expectations, and further requirements.
OS/OT Volunteer oppotunities are organized by physical area, and within each physical area by Zip/postal code
Additionally, you will find that many of these sites are owned or led by USC Chan alumni, which I believe enables an added layer of relatedness and connection when reaching out to them in the first place. Above all, this truly attests to the connections within the Trojan Family and supportive networks that can give you greater confidence in the pursuit of your academic and professional career in the future. Don’t believe me? Take it from me, and read my next blog coming up! This leads me to my next piece of advice:
2. Cold-Emailing:
Cold emailing can feel really intimidating, and sending a message to a healthcare professional or alumni can take great courage and initiative. However, in the long term, this one step can open the doors to so many meaningful connections, invaluable insight, and potential mentorship! What are the most effective ways of reaching out and networking with professionals whom I have never met before? Check out this blog guide by Kimberly Rochin, a 2024-2025 Chan Student Ambassador, who clearly outlines how to build connections with occupational therapy practitioners that can help you score volunteering or observation experiences.
Once you do your proper research and find a potential coordinator or liaison for a potential site, craft a thoughtful email to them. Have a clear subject heading and use the body of your email as an introduction. Include your name, major, and specify your interests in occupational therapy. Think clearly about what ways your personal or academic endeavors empower you to support a particular site that you are interested in or the populations you would like exposure working with. By researching beforehand, you can really drive home how a site’s goals or mission align with your desire to take part in an enriching learning experience. If you are reaching out to multiple sites, it is okay to have a template that you use; however, tailor your emails with site-specific personalization while keeping professionalism at the forefront. This goes for crafting CVs, cover letters, and resumes as well! Before you click send, do not forget to proofread!
Once you (potentially) get a response, be open to opportunities a professional can provide, or, in some cases, if they are unable to help, look into their recommendations for helpful opportunities that can be provided elsewhere. An effective thank-you email can make all the difference in continuing a relationship with a site for the future. Let’s say you don’t hear back? Follow up politely, and a quick nudge doesn’t hurt. If you do not receive a response, just know that rejection is redirection; plenty of other volunteer sites would love to have you.
3. Utilizing LinkedIn and USC’s Trojan Network platform
LinkedIn and USC’s Trojan Network are platforms with the same capabilities of cold emailing, if not more. Using USC’s LinkedIn, you can keyword search for specific titles, such as “Occupational Therapist,” to find alumni to reach out to.
Search USC Alumni whom are Occupational Therapists by navigating to the Alumni Tab > Type into Keyword Search
Similarly, USC’s Trojan Network allows you to do the same thing, in addition to advanced search features, such as filtering by location or education.
On the Trojan Network, navigate to the Connect tab > Type into Keyword Search > Filter by Advanced Features
Additionally, one of the best features that USC’s Trojan Network allows for is to connect with alumni with options for crafting a message with them based on different templates, and you can schedule a meeting with them right on the platform. This can help take the stress off of initial communication with prospective professionals or occupational therapy practitioners.
On the Trojan Network, click on the individual you want to message, and recommended templates will follow!
Also, be sure to be clear with your ask! Are you asking for advice, a volunteer position, or mentorship? Whatever it is, say so very clearly, and do not forget to touch on why you are interested in a position, given your personal experiences or academic goals.
3. Trojan Health Volunteers (THV) - USC Joint Educational Project (JEP)
I am personally involved in Trojan Health Volunteers an organization under USC’s Joint Educational Project (JEP), which pairs undergraduate students with opportunities to gain valuable volunteering experiences in diverse healthcare contexts. Through THV, I have volunteered at USC Keck Hospital’s medical/surgical orthopedic unit floor. Fun fact: Dr. Rafeedie, fellow USC Chan Director of the Entry-Level Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program and Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy, had worked on this floor, and I met her here! Check out Student Ambassador Cara’s recent blog about Dr. Rafeedie and her role as the president of Occupational Therapy Association of California
My Keck Hospital Uniform
What makes this organization unique is that they have agreements with volunteer partner sites such as USC Keck Hospital, the Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, amongst many others. In doing so, you essentially can bypass traditional volunteer applications associated with different clinical sites. As a THV student, you are not only required to volunteer at your site, but also required to complete service-learning requirements. This includes weekly site journals, participating in required discussions on contemporary healthcare topics, attending speaker events with established healthcare professionals, and participating in a journal club focusing on literature within healthcare.
THV comes with its perks, too! In my experience, by being a volunteer at Keck, you are allotted money to spend at the cafeteria every time you come in for a shift. Yay, free food! Also, THV has a Big/Little Program as a resource for all THV students to help one another navigate through different pre-health tracks. THV is definitely a hidden gem, and I cannot encourage participating in this organization enough!
My “Big” and I last year!
My current “Littles” and I this year
The USC Dornsife Department of Pre-Health Advising is an office that serves students interested in pursuing a career in healthcare by providing services, programming, and support tailored to meet the needs of every student on campus. The USC PreHealth Office is located on campus at HNB 120 (Hedco Neurosciences Building, Suite 120). Their advising support not only empower students to be competitive applicants in their chosen health professional schools, but also connects students with a wealth of knowledge and resources including, but not limited to:
- Weekly newsletter
- Drop ins with Peer Advisors and Mentorship
- Wellness Initiatives: The Den (an in-office, multi-use lounge and study space)
- Pre-Health Job Board
- Dornsife/Keck Shadowing Program
- Pre-Health Leadership, Services, and Learning Involvement Opportunities
- Events, Panels, Discussions posted on their social media
- Learn more here!
6. Reach out to the USC Chan Ambassadors
Feel free to email us: (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) All of us come from diverse perspectives and experiences, so please use us as a resource to find what you are looking for! Check out our student blogs for a wealth of great information and resources that may pique your interest!
If you have read this far, congratulations! I hope these tips were helpful to you or at least can give you some direction on where to start looking to find volunteering and shadowing opportunities. The opportunities are out there and waiting for you; you just have to seek them out!
If you would like to add to USC Chan’s OS/OT Volunteer Opportunities page, please let us know by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and it may help future students as well!
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