Student Blog
Mari

Hello! =) ⟩
January 6, 2010, by Mari

What are OS/OT?

I was first introduced to occupational therapy when I was in high school from my older sister who is currently working as a physical therapist. At the time, I had no idea what OT was and didn’t look into it further. I went into college thinking that I wanted to become an elementary school teacher. I took many education courses and student-taught at a couple schools, but during my sophomore year, I discovered that I didn’t really like the dynamics of teaching in front of a big class. I knew that every student had a different learning style and various needs which would help them to succeed, but it was difficult to individualize my lesson plans because of limited time and resources. So, I decided to look into the therapy thing that my sister had recommended and see what it was all about. In the next couple years, I shadowed and volunteered at as many OT sites that would allow me to do so, and I loved it! I have never met an OT who didn’t love what they were doing! The client-centered, one-on-one interactions with clients are what drew me to OT — and through my schooling here at USC, I have learned that this is an inseparable, absolutely necessary part of OT! =)

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