When a Planner’s Plan Doesn’t go to Plan

July 21, 2020
by Savi

Fieldwork What are OS/OT?

You never know where you are going to end up. This was a comment I heard from a lot of USC faculty and staff during my first summer in the Master’s program. I would chuckle and dismiss these comments because I have always known what setting I wanted to work in as an occupational therapist (OT). When I have a plan I rarely sway from it. After deciding to pursue a career as an OT in acute care during my junior year of high school, I did everything I could to fulfill this dream of mine.

Upon entering into my first immersion, mental health, I had already convinced myself that this was not the field I was going to work in. As I attended more classes, participated in group discussions, and immersed myself in an eye-opening fieldwork placement, I soon came to realize that my plan to pursue a career in acute care may not be my goal after all. In this fieldwork setting I listened to my clients’ stories and worked with them to overcome the mental health barriers they faced to become better mothers. This experience made me realize that my love for working with clients to improve both mental and physical health in order to engage in meaningful occupations can be applied in a variety of settings. For the first time in a while, I was confused about where I was going to end up, and that made me feel uneasy. 

It was not until I was introduced to my faculty mentor, Kimberly Perring Lenington, that I came to terms with the fact that my confusion was a good thing and not something to be afraid of. I instantly admired Dr. Lenington for achieving my original goal of working in the acute care setting directly after graduating from USC. I remember asking Dr. Lenington if this was her goal all along and recall her explaining that this was not her plan. She fell into this setting and loves it. I was shocked. I didn’t have to plan my entire career from high school in order to be successful in my field of choice?

While learning more about Dr. Lenington I discovered a niche specialty I was never aware of. Dr. Lenington also treats individuals with various pelvic health diagnoses including incontinence, pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction. After diving deeper into this pelvic health specialty and learning more about OT’s role in sexual health in my OT 534 Health Promotion and Wellness course, I became fascinated by the opportunity to work with women to help them holistically. In this setting, I could tackle the mental and physical barriers to achieving pelvic health in order to help women participate in meaningful occupations. Let’s just say I was immediately hooked! 

Although I am still passionate about the possibility of working in an acute care setting, I have come to the understanding that I must allow myself to keep an open mind. Without doing so I would have never discovered the pelvic health specialty that I am now extremely excited about. It is ok to be confused about where you want to be once you graduate. This confusion is truly a gift. Allowing yourself to keep an open mind, in turn, widens the realm of possibilities. So to those who are planners like me, know that it is all right to redo your plan. Keep your options open . . . you never know what opportunities could be coming your way!

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