Student Blog
Leadership Externship in Ghana ⟩
March 24, 2014, by Clarissa
In the Spring semester of your second year, we take a Leadership Capstone class, where we learn how to be leaders and advocates for our beloved profession. This class includes a 2 week leadership externship where go to different sites to learn the necessary skills that aligns with their goals. Thus, it’s a very personalized experience. It’s also different from fieldwork in that we’re not trying to learn clinical skills — we are building that extra set of skills to help our own careers as well as OT flourish.
As you can imagine, the externships can look very different — I know people who have gone to the American Occupational Therapy Association’s headquarters in Washington DC to learn about legislation and another who went to New York to learn the administrative side of running a private practice. Some stayed local in Los Angeles while some went abroad.
I chose to go to Ghana! International advocacy and improving my cultural competency has always been an interest of mine. Ghana is a great program and is organized by a USC OT professor, Dr. Bonnie Nakasuji. There were 32 students that attended and 11 practicing therapists. We stayed at a boarding school for children with disabilities and we came up with vocational activities for them to determine which vocation in Ghana is best matched with their strengths — we focused on sewing, woodworking, and leatherworking. This was so valuable because I learned how to gear activities to a low-resource population — we used rocks and sticks that we found at the school for some of these activities. Here’s a picture of me and one of my assigned kids Francis doing some woodworking!
Another role that the students had in Ghana was to pair with Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) workers. These were students at the local university whose job is to go into the community, identify those with disabilities that need intervention, ensure they access resources, and also encourage them to follow through with therapist recommendations at home after discharge from therapy. We educated them about the scope of OT and taught them basics in assessment and treatment. It was great just making new friends too! I did some student ambassador work off the job and gave them some OT buttons so they can spread the word about OT!
The externship occurs right before our spring break so I had some time to travel with 5 of my close friends. We flew to Northern Ghana and spent time in a national park, where we saw wild savannah elephants up close. Disclaimer: these elephants are not mating — that is a baby elephant playing with its friend!
I learned so much about myself on this trip. I’m still missing the kids in Ghana and am hoping that I’ll get to see them again.
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Snow Before Sun ⟩
March 2, 2014, by Clarissa
Externships International School/Life Balance
I’m about to embark on my leadership externship in Ghana where it’ll be over 90 degrees every day. I’m going from one extreme to the other because right before the trip, the socials chairs, which includes myself and a first year, of the Occupational Therapy and Science Council planned a cabin trip up in Big Bear for the OT program!
Getting there was quite the ordeal — it’s usually a 1.5 hour drive but it took my car 8 whole hours to get there. We got caught in a snow storm! So the traveling was stressful but it was worth it because, when we woke up the next morning, there was fresh, powdery snow everywhere for us to play in.
It was so fun building forts and having snowball fights with one another! We also cooked, watched movies, took walks to Big Bear Lake, and just talked in our down time. Being in a house together for 2 whole days was optimal for bonding time, which I LOVE.
It was a great trip and I’m looking forward to the next big one coming one — Ghana! In the meantime, I’m going to stress out because I haven’t packed at all.
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FAQs ⟩
February 26, 2014, by Kate
Housing and Transportation Living in LA School/Life Balance
As more and more students are admitted for the upcoming school year (which begins in June), I am fortunate to be in contact with more and more of them. I feel so lucky to be in the position to connect with the newcomers in our program, the class of 2016, and share my experiences and knowledge with them. I’ve received many questions about housing. “Where should I live?” is a big question I get almost on a daily basis. I always reply with the same answer — it depends on what you’re looking for! That’s one of the best things about Los Angeles: there are many neighborhoods that offer a variety of different things. My classmates live all over the greater Los Angeles area, some as far as Orange County! Many people look for a shorter commute than that, and so Pasadena is a great option. Some people like to be closer to the beach areas, so they look into Brentwood or Santa Monica. It really all depends on what is important to you in a place to live; the best thing is that Los Angeles offers a lot.
Another question I have been receiving frequently is about student life. “What is student life really like?” people have asked. I mention my blogs and those of my fellow ambassadors and I hope prospective students have read our posts. We are 5 very different individuals whose interests and tastes differ. I hope that these blogs give readers a diverse perspective on what it is truly like to be a student in the program, and that the readers can identify with one or some of us. In my opinion, student life is great! I make sure that I have balance in my life, meaning equal time commitments to work/productivity, leisure, rest and self-care. I make time for friends and I make time for my studies. I make time for myself with an hour spent at the gym and an hour each night reading a book for fun. I stay updated on my favorite TV shows (Real Housewives on Bravo). I have two internships this spring and I work as an ambassador representing the Division. I love my life and I’m a really happy graduate student. Of course, there are stressors; but with preparation and dedication, I stick to my routine in how to combat them. There are things I wish I could make more time for (I’d love to cook more!!); but I know that will come. I take things week-by-week and try to not sweat the small stuff.
I hope I have given you a glance into my life as a student and my thoughts about where to live in Los Angeles. Life isn’t shabby as a USC student.
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Preparing to Travel ⟩
February 25, 2014, by Jen
I cannot believe how fast this semester is flying by. This Saturday I will be leaving for a two-week externship. The goal of the externship is to build leadership, communication, and professionalism skills and independently explore topics that have been presented in our Leadership Capstone course this semester. This is different than another fieldwork or clinical experience. The externship allows you to create your own unique experience. Many people use this as an opportunity to travel abroad. I have many classmates that are going to Africa and working witch children with disabilities. I also have classmates that are traveling to Asia and Europe. I decided I would stay on this continent for my externship. I will be heading to Alabama to explore research within Auburn’s School of Kinesiology. I am very excited for this experience. I have never flown outside of California on my own before, so it will be a little out of my comfort zone. I am really looking forward to this opportunity and cannot wait to share my experiences with you when I return!
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I Love Dogs! ⟩
February 24, 2014, by Kate
There is no denying that I am a dog-lover. I grew up with a big Alaskan Malamute in Colorado. He was like a loveable wolf. When I was learning to read, I tried to teach him the alphabet, and later, I took him on my runs during high school lacrosse practice. Misha was a great dog, and the month after I left for college, he passed away from a heart attack. A couple of months later, my parents adopted a Golden Retriever and named her Ladri. I always joke that this dog replaced me as the “favorite blonde” in the family. My parents spoil Ladri like crazy! It’s so great to go home and visit my family with a great puppy who knows who I am even if I’m not always there. Recently, Ladri was diagnosed with cancer, and a couple of weeks later she had a stroke. Her facial muscles were greatly affected, so she has trouble closing her mouth completely. Her muscles above her eyes no longer work, rendering her effectively blind. However, Ladri is still loving life. My parents have “OT-ed her,” by raising her food dish off the floor and leading the way to certain areas with kibble. Ladri still loves to go for walks and play with her toys. She doesn’t love baths, but that’s to be expected for a canine. She is a member of my family through and through and I am so glad she’s still with us. When I graduate in May, I’ve discussed getting a dog because I’ve never owned one since becoming an adult. Since I live in a small apartment, I’d get a smaller dog. It is definitely something to think about and consider — what’s my lifestyle like and which breed would do best for me? I hope I’ve narrowed it down to a couple breeds that have rescue shelters locally.
This past weekend, I was able to dog-sit for one of my best friends. Izzy is a 4 year-old Yorkie who weighs 6 pounds. She is feisty and fierce; however, when no one is looking, if you rub her paws, she will melt. Izzy is a great companion and it was great to spend time with her this weekend. I’ve included a picture so that you can see us snuggling. Woof woof.
Izzy
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