You’re Studying Occupational Therapy . . . huh?

June 1, 2020
by Nmachi

What are OS/OT?

As an Occupational Therapy major in the Bachelor’s to Master’s Program, I constantly get the same two questions asked by friends and family: What exactly is occupational therapy and how did you get into it? Since information about what occupational therapy can already be found on this site, I’ll just expand on why I chose to pursue OT.

From a young age, I have always been passionate about direct service and improving quality of life. Being a teacher, pediatrician, and physical therapist have been past career goals for me because each of them were rooted in helping others with their livelihood.

In high school, I began to narrow my interests down to what I actually could consider making a career out of. I came across the field of occupational therapy upon researching different academic programs at my top schools, browsing the USC website, and talking with my sister (an ‘SC alumna).

I became interested in OT because of the opportunity to provide the longitudinal patient interaction needed to help individuals reclaim their health. Because I cannot imagine losing the ability to perform seemingly simple everyday tasks, my desire is to be in a position to give others the hope of regaining their independence.

The day that I received my acceptance package and found out that I was going to be an Occupational Therapy major was probably the most exciting moment I’ve had thus far! Out of all of the universities I applied for during my senior year of high school, the only one that really stood out was USC. I knew that attending USC would completely prepare me for a career in OT (couldn’t pass up the #1 school for OT in the nation!).

With the countless resources that USC provides their students, I continue to look forward to building an educational foundation in OT and taking advantage of service experiences outside of the classroom to ultimately change my community for the better. I am more than ready to make my dreams a reality.

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