Student Blog
Beginnings and Endings

The POT of LUCK at the End of The Year Rainbow ⟩
April 28, 2016, by Rashelle

Beginnings and Endings Classes Community What are OS/OT?

Today is officially my last day of classes within the the Two-Year Master of Arts degree program for Occupational Therapy! This week my biggest stressors were preparing enough food to accommodate all of the potlucks that we have in celebration!

On Monday, the second year bible study leaders handed off the torch to the first year leaders with a wonderful picnic.

On Tuesday, we had our final practicum in OT 599: Occupation-Based Adult Neurorehabilitation, then celebrated with a giant feast!

Then, today for my final class assignment, I will facilitate a group in OT 583: Lifestyle Redesign. I am a member of the group focused on, “Sensory Strategies for Wellness,” which Joe had previously mentioned in his blog. To lead this session I prepared different food items for my group members to sample. Each item was intentionally picked to serve as either an alerting or calming gustatory stimuli, in order to regulate one’s emotions and stress throughout the day.

While my session is targeting taste as a sensory strategy for wellness, my classmates have led the groups prior, which discuss the other senses. Thus, to summarize and provide closure to our group, I also created this worksheet to remind everyone of what we have learned throughout our semester.

Essentially, we built a toolkit of sensory strategies, to serve as a visual reminder, whenever we experience those emotions listed. I can’t wait to be able to utilize this with clients in the near future!

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The next step . . . ⟩
April 14, 2016, by Heather

Beginnings and Endings

Happy OT Month!

As we are winding down the semester, these cohorts of students are getting ready to graduate in a little less than a month.

Cheers to walking across the stage on our way to the next journey!

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New Beginnings ⟩
September 7, 2015, by Samar

Beginnings and Endings What are OS/OT?

Hello everyone!

Since my last post, I graduated from the post professional master’s program and I’ve become a licensed and registered therapist in the US! Now, I am enrolled in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program and I’m doing my clinical residency at Therapy West to learn more about Sensory Integration and working with children in both clinic-based and school-based settings. Words can’t describe how excited and happy I am! I have been planning to come to USC since 2012 when I took the Sensory Integration Perspective Course offered by the USC Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and Western Psychological Services. As I was located in Saudi Arabia at the time, moving to Los Angeles and getting accepted at USC required some logistical and financial planning on my part. However, I feel that it was totally worth it! I’m doing what I love, learning something new every day and I’m one step closer to achieving my goal of being certified in sensory integration. More than that, I feel like am at the right place to do so at USC. Stay tuned for more updates!

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All good things come to an end . . . ⟩
May 19, 2015, by Leila

Beginnings and Endings Classes Fieldwork Getting Involved

I can’t believe the time has come to close one chapter of my life and begin another. My time as an occupational therapy master’s student has come to an end and it is bittersweet. Time really does fly by when you are having fun, and I have to say my time in the program has been a phenomenal one. From the amount of knowledge I have learned to the amazing individuals (students and faculty) I have met, I will forever cherish the past couple of years. If someone would have told me 2.5 years ago that I would be graduating from the top occupational therapy school I would not have believed it! I can honestly say that the endless hours of assignments, studying for tests, and long commutes was all worth it. Is it hard? Of course! But every sacrifice made was worth it and I cannot think of a greater moment in life than finding a profession that you are passionate about and achieving that dream. Fortunately, USC’s OT program, wonderful faculty, clinical instructors and peers have prepared me to continue on this journey in becoming an amazing occupational therapist.

I look forward to my upcoming Level II fieldwork experience where I will be working in the pediatric inpatient unit at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, CA. Completing my final Level II fieldwork this summer will officially label me as a “Master” of Occupational Therapy, but not until I pass the NBCOT (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy) exam will I be marked as a licensed occupational therapist! The last few weeks have gone by so fast and I am sad to say that this will be my last blog post as a student ambassador. I really have enjoyed my time working as an ambassador and will miss it greatly! It’s time your current student ambassadors pass the torch to the incoming student ambassadors who will be here to help you. On the plus side, you will get to hear from different students!

Nevertheless, USC’s occupational therapy program is fun (and hard work) and like I stated above, it is great finding a profession that you are passionate about. Discovering occupational therapy and deciding that you want to make a career out of it is one of the most important steps to achieving your dream! Keep your head up. It may seem like a long road ahead, but no one or nothing can stop you from reaching your goals. I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors. Thank you for reading my blog as a student ambassador!

— Leila A.

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WE DID IT!!! ⟩
May 18, 2015, by Kristy

Beginnings and Endings

Well the time is finally here, graduation day! Other than the fact that it was raining, and it NEVER rains in southern California, it was a great day and experience, and I am so lucky to have been able to share that with a great group of classmates that I am lucky enough to call friends. These last few weeks have been a whirlwind, from having our last day of classes, to studying for the comp exam, finishing out my time as a student ambassador, celebrating at the end of the year party, passing the comp exam, and graduating! It is a strange feeling leaving behind something that you have been so accustomed to, but it is time to open up new doors and move on to the next chapter. I am excited to begin my second level II fieldwork and my doctoral residency in the fall, and then finally become a licensed occupational therapist! Dreams do come true and they are so close, I will finally be able to practice in the field that I am extremely passionate about and am so fortunate to have found it! To all of you just beginning your journey as an occupational therapy student, or if you have just found the profession, you are heading in the right direction! This is a great field to be in, and this is the best program that will prepare you for the profession! Best to all of you. 😊 Farewell my friends!

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