Student Blog
Paula
A Weekend Away ⟩
November 27, 2012, by Paula
School/Life Balance What are OS/OT?
Last weekend, I was able to take a break from the normal school and work schedule and go to one of my favorite places: San Luis Obispo. The weekend was so refreshing being able to engage in some of my most valued occupations and spend time with family and friends. I went to my favorite coffee shop and worked on letters for family and friends (this is a lost art, I encourage you each to try writing letters again — they are so much more personal than emails and texts 😉), was able to share special dinners with close friends, hiked some of the most beautiful coastal lines I have seen and was able to just relax in the presence of loved ones.
While I was there, I was also able to spend time with the family who first introduced me to Occupational Therapy. When I was in college, I took a part time job taking care of a little boy who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA is a neuromuscular disease which specifically involves the individual’s motor neuron function and results in muscle weakness and atrophy. Seeing the effect that occupational therapy services had on the little guy’s physical health and overall self efficacy was incredible to me and so I started volunteering at the outpatient clinic where he had his appointments. This family has become family to me and I am inspired by the experiences and frustrations I have shared with them in the struggles to receive necessary services and equipment. The thing is, this is a family full of innovative OTs. They are constantly modifying the environment to be more comfortable, accessible and supportive of their son’s success in the world. Despite the frustrations, they continue to keep a positive attitude and use the opportunities they have to educate care providers and other families of the approaches that work for them in caring for their child and allowing him to be a kid, regardless of the label of disability which is often placed on him. Currently, this little guy’s goals are to convince Santa to bring him a dog and a Wii U gaming system for Christmas. 😊 Read more about SMA.
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Interdisciplinary Health Fair ⟩
November 13, 2012, by Paula
Community Getting Involved What are OS/OT?
Last Saturday, USC Occupational Therapy students participated in a health fair at the YMCA of Alhambra with our Health Science Campus neighbors! The PharmSC Clinic hosted this student-run health fair with support and involvement of the USC School of Pharmacy, USC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, USC Physician’s Assistant Program and UCLA School of Dentistry. The event was a collaboration of efforts in order to educate the community and honor National Diabetes Awareness Month.
At one point in the day when there was a lull in the community attendance, a student from our tabling neighbors turned to our table and asked, “So, what is OT, anyway?” As an OT student, we often hear this question from the community and are used to educating others about OT. Providing this education to students of the other disciplines is just as valuable in order to advocate for our profession among future interdisciplinary professionals. Overall, it was a great morning of educating community members and students from the other disciplines. Many of the consumers who approached our booth had either not heard of Occupational Therapy or were familiar with OT but unsure of what OTs do in practice in terms of Diabetes management. Student volunteers educated consumers about the importance of a balanced daily routine. We also described how Occupational Therapists help clients find new strategies to stay on top of blood sugar levels, medication and insulin timing throughout the day. Another hot topic was the importance of good grooming and activity levels to improve general health and thus also help with Diabetes management.
Consumers responded with interest in learning more about OT and also an appreciation of what we do as a profession for such a variety of individuals and settings we serve. It was a great day of spreading the news of how valuable Occupational Therapy truly is!
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Homecoming Weekend ⟩
November 12, 2012, by Paula
This past weekend was a busy one for USC. The University was celebrating Homecoming weekend and nearly every division and organization associated with USC had something planned to properly celebrate the weekend. Here at the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, there were a number of events. Many OT alumni witnessed an unveiling and ribbon-cutting of the new Pediatric and Rehabilitation Laboratories and a reception in which Dr. Florence Clark spoke to the past and present of our department and of our profession.
I was lucky enough to be able to tend to some of the guests for the day’s events. Little did I know that these women would happen to be the same ones whose photographs don the hallways of our department because, oh that’s right, they are not only alumni but they are movers and shakers of OT. It took me a moment to realize that I was chatting with Dr. Elizabeth Yerxa and Florence Cromwell. Florence Cromwell, USC alumnus, served two terms as President of the American Occupational Therapy Association from 1967-1973. In 1974, she was instituted as Acting Chair of the USC Department of Occupational Therapy. Dr. Yerxa was named the Department Chair in 1976 and played a vital role in the USC Department of Occupational Therapy initiating the world’s first PhD program in Occupational Science in 1989. These two women were such a joy to spend time with, not only knowing how much they have done for the profession but also to see how excited they both are to see the Department growing and flourishing. And they were even interested in supporting our current student council by purchasing some USC OT shirts.
As a student ambassador, one of the most frequent questions I receive from prospective students is, “Why USC?” This past weekend was a perfect example why :]
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OT Global Day of Service ⟩
November 2, 2012, by Paula
Community Getting Involved What are OS/OT?
Last weekend, on October 27th, was the Occupational Therapy Global Day of Service in which occupational therapists worldwide become involved in volunteer efforts in observance of World Occupational Therapy Day. This year, students from USC’s Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy took this opportunity to go out with friends to lend a helping hand while also educating others on the all that the profession has to offer. Students were involved in many different ways for the Global Day of Service.
I was lucky enough to volunteer with an organization called CFY. This group helps families set up their own computer-based Home Learning Center at the beginning of the workshop, learn basic software operations and get hands-on experience using their Home Learning Center to improve reading, writing, and mathematics. In the sessions, we assisted families during the workshop and helped keep the day running smoothly. At the end of the trainings, families pack up their Home Learning Center and take it home. This was a truly humbling experience to be able to volunteer with this group and extremely applicable to occupational therapy as we were enabling families to learn in which was some of their very first exposure to a computer and we were able to give them the tools to interact in an educational manner with their children.
Having grown up in a generation which is so completely engrossed in all things technology, this was an extremely valuable experience for me and a reminder of how different lived experiences can be from one person to the next. I was so excited to participate in this day of service and I am proud of my fellow occupational therapy students and practitioners who also took the time out of their Saturday in order to give back to the community, to pay it forward, and to educate someone else of the importance and applicability of occupational therapy.
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Splinting 101 ⟩
October 23, 2012, by Paula
This week, the focus for our Adult Rehabilitation lecture and laboratory experiences is on the human hand. Honestly, the hand has always been an intimidating part of the body to me. It is vital to so many occupations and one small change to function can cause such a global influence in the daily routines of the individual. I realize that it sounds obvious but if you stop and think about what you do not use your hands for throughout each day, I am sure that you cannot think of many. After some wonderful presentations from our peers covering various medical conditions which have a large impact on hand function (some of which included Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Dupuytren’s Disease, Skier’s Thumb, and Peripheral Nerve Injury), we were able to dabble in fabrication of orthoses (more commonly referred to as thermoplastic splints). This was a great experience as a student, not having to worry about making a splint perfectly for a patient who may be in pain or may have a limited range of motion or motor control. It was also not without frustration. This process takes the right TLC in order to form the plastic material properly to the skin’s surface without being too snug, without having pressure points or indentations, and without causing discomfort. We had the opportunity to make three different splints: a volar wrist cock-up splint which may be useful to an individual with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, a thumb Spica splint which may be useful for an individual who has sustained a scaphoid fracture, and a resting hand splint which can be useful to an individual who experiences symptoms of arthritis. Although we are nowhere near the ability or practice level of one who would be suitable to use these skills in practice, it was a great experience to be able to try out this process.
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