Student Blog

The Highs and Highers of 2015 ⟩
January 14, 2016, by Rashelle

Classes School/Life Balance

Happy New Year everyone!

In a nutshell, 2015 was a tremendous year! I graduated with my Bachelor’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from USC, I completed my final two practice immersions in pediatrics and adult physical rehabilitation, then, I ultimately said farewell to my amazing cohort.

I developed a community project proposal, which I could envision myself implementing as I become a more seasoned clinician; I learned how to cook easy, cheap and healthy meals; and I created everlasting friendships with my OT friends through our class trips to Big Bear Mountain, Las Vegas, and every pocket of Los Angeles from Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Korea Town, Little Tokyo, Hollywood, Pasadena and Downtown Los Angeles. 

Through all of these events, I’ve grown as an individual professionally, personally, socially, spiritually, and thankfully avoided growing horizontally! When thinking about all the ways in which I’ve matured, I’ve realized that I can owe almost all of it to being in this program. The occupational therapy program at USC truly embraces the holistic lens of our profession, cultivating individuals in every aspect of their lives. For example, in classes such as Health Promotion and Wellness, we are guided in exercises promoting self-analysis and goal setting, in order to integrate healthy habits into our daily lives. Not only is stress management crucial for our future patients, but also relevant in our own lives as graduate students! Furthermore, in the OT & Faith bible study, which took place during lunch, we learned about the overlap between our personal beliefs and professionalism.

Then, just a few days ago we had our first class in our leadership capstone course. While each class we have taken thus far emphasizes becoming a leader in whichever practice area we pursue, I am excited to learn about specific qualities, traits, actions and leadership styles that will help me excel further in life. Lastly, while we are no longer studying our practice immersions in cohorts, I am looking forward to delving into electives of interest with new classmates — particularly those from the Post-Professional Master’s Degree (MA I) Program, and the Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program. While 2015 was glorious, I know that 2016 will provide even more memories to cherish as we come to the end of our program, and enter the real world.

Ready or not, here we come (shortly)!

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Ellen Loves Occupational Therapy ⟩
January 12, 2016, by Ariel

Videos What are OS/OT?

Hey guess what! Ellen Degeneres gave a shout out (and a whole lotta love) to occupational therapy on her talk show the other day.

Meet Ashlyn: Ashlyn works as an occupational therapist in one of the nation’s most poverty-stricken counties, and is making an amazing difference with her positive energy and generous spirit.

”. . . these kids make it so worthwhile. The best part of my job would have to be helping these kids and putting a smile on their face, knowing that I’m helping and making a difference. That is the most amazing thing.”

Happy Tuesday everyone!

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Hellooo Electives! ⟩
January 12, 2016, by Ariel

Classes What are OS/OT?

Aaaand we’re back! Everyone’s getting back into the swing of things now that winter break is over. For second year students, this means ELECTIVES! For our final semester, we’re given the opportunity to choose classes from the OT department, or even look outside of the department to create our own focus. As an aspiring pediatric occupational therapist, I’ve chosen to take electives that will give me a stronger background in early intervention, sensory integration, and dysphagia. Here’s a little about the elective courses I’ve chosen for this semester.

Early Intervention
In early intervention, we will learn how occupational therapists treat babies and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities. We’ll be learning how to help children attain brand-new skills ranging from physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional, and self-help.

Sensory Integration
In our sensory integration courses, we’ll be learning how to help children process sensory information efficiently in order to learn, move, and interact appropriately with their environments. What is sensory integration? The basic principle is that we are constantly receiving sensory information from our environments in the form of sights, smells, sounds, tastes, gravity, etc. All of these different senses must be registering in our brains correctly in order for us to receive the information and respond appropriately (e.g., the pan feels hot, so I will respond by removing my hand). For many of us, this process occurs without us having to even think about it! But for others, integrating the senses is a challenge. For these children, occupational therapists use different types of sensory input to challenge their patients’ nervous systems and help them better process information from their environments. The end goal is for the child to be able to move efficiently, learn, and live a happy and full life!

Dysphagia
In our dysphagia course, we will be learning how to help patients who have difficulty swallowing foods, liquids, or medicine. The inability to swallow negatively impacts overall health, nutrition, and quality of life. Occupational therapists treat patients with dysphagia by using compensatory strategies, encouraging modified diets, introducing patients to adaptive utensils, teaching proper positioning, and providing exercises prior to mealtime that enhance safety and swallowing abilities.

For more information on Electives through the USC OT department, check out our curriculum here!

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Community Programming and Research ⟩
December 4, 2015, by Heather

Classes

On Thursday, the USC Chan Division held their annual poster presentation evening featuring the students’ community programming and research projects. Every student, either individually or in a group, presented their project to the students and faculty.

My group partner and I finished our project that focuses on upper extremity ergonomics and proper body mechanics as it relates to the musician. We created a program that explores the prevention of repetitive motion injuries in musicians, and further investigated psychosocial factors that contribute to the development or exacerbation of musculoskeletal disorders in the musician population. The program was developed into three tiers: pre-season, season, and post-season. We incorporated the expertise of certified hand therapists, and guest lecturers to focus on health, wellness, nutrition, and stress related to performance anxiety.

Here are some of the other poster projects from some of our fellow classmates.

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Just for Kids! ⟩
December 2, 2015, by Heather

Classes

This week we had the opportunity to learn more about pediatric splinting. Making a splint is a pretty cool, but making a splint for a kid is even cooler!

Some pediatric hand conditions that might require hand splints include congenital anomalies, neurological disorders, peripheral nerve injuries, and traumatic injuries. These splints may protect the kiddo’s joints, muscles, and tendons depending on their specific condition.

I look forward to learning more about hand anatomy and function when I take the hands elective course next semester!

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