Student Blog
Beginnings and Endings

The End and the Beginning ⟩
May 12, 2014, by Clarissa

Beginnings and Endings Classes

I’m graduating this Friday! Time really has flown. So much has happened this Spring semester and I have a dream that I will still post 15+ blog posts this week so I can update all of you about the past 3 months. Get ready for my blog binge!

Life has been crazy. I was so busy the week before this studying for the comprehensive exam, which took place last Monday. The exam consisted of 6 classes of material that spanned from Fall semester of first year to Spring semester of our second year. Yes, when I say “comprehensive,” I really mean comprehensive! Our class was great, though, about making study guides together for the test.

So I found out a couple days later that I passed it! It looks like my Master’s is in the bag (given that I pass this summer’s clinical internship). WOOHOO! Here’s my fellow student ambassador Rob and I celebrating our victory! We’re moving on to bigger things!

What bigger and better things, you ask? I have 3 months of clinical internship this summer at California Children’s Services, which is a pediatric physical disabilities site. This is the practice area I want to go into, so I’m really excited for my experience there this summer!

Another big experience on the horizon is my doctoral residency next year! At USC, we have a doctorate program that takes 1 year to complete after we finish the Master’s. The residency has several tracks and I’m doing the “Advanced Clinical Practice” track. I’ve been researching and interviewing at different potential residency sites throughout this semester.

After doing observations last week at a couple of sites, I finally decided on spending the next year at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center as a doctoral resident. I actually took the motor control class here last year and I fell in love with this place — hooray for more learning and growing at this amazing institution next year!

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Reflections of my OT Journey ⟩
April 16, 2014, by Kate

Beginnings and Endings

There are 4 weeks and 2 days until our graduation ceremony. I can’t believe my last 2 years at USC is coming to an end. This is the culmination of a 3 year journey for me. I took a year off to take my pre-requisite courses and the GRE, to volunteer and apply to OT programs. And in May, I will walk the stage to receive my diploma. I know I have one more year here to work towards my OT doctorate degree, but it is still mind-boggling that I will have successfully completed the program soon and achieved one of my life’s biggest goals.

It’s times like this when I am able to reflect on what lead me to this position. I remember feeling out of balance and unhappy. I was stuck in a rut where I dreaded waking up in the morning, much less looking at my Blackberry and fearing the red light flashing indicating a new email. I knew I had to change, and I am so glad I took the giant leap into a new career. Navigating my way through pre-requisite courses at local community colleges was intense, not to mention actually taking classes like chemistry and anatomy, subjects that I had not covered since high school. Despite taking the easy route of going back to my old job and what felt familiar, I trudged on. And then I was accepted to USC and my hard work paid off!

As I begin to tie up loose ends here and there, gather my studying materials for our last tests and projects, and gear up for the giant comprehensive exam, I feel nothing but warmth for my 2 years that I’ve spent at USC as a graduate student. I could not have been happier for making the decision to quit my job and dive into something completely new. I have new friends, new skills and new confidence. I am ready to tackle whatever comes my way, and being here at USC has been such a huge part of that.

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Enjoying my peeps!!! ⟩
February 6, 2014, by Ryan

Beginnings and Endings Community School/Life Balance

I am starting to realize that these will be my last moments with my classmates that I love so dearly . . . so I have been taking advantage and spending some quality time with my peeps! I feel so lucky that I am going to be an OT soon, that I got into USC (which has inspired me to everyday), and to have been in the program with the most amazing people! I have made great friends and am so proud of the amazing OTs my classmates will become. I will miss them so terrible when we graduate.

Went golfing with some peeps, yesterday . . .

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Coming Soon: Graduation ⟩
January 30, 2014, by Kate

Beginnings and Endings Classes

I am just into my 3rd week of classes, and tomorrow marks the end of January. However, it feels as if graduation is just around the corner. This semester is in full swing: I’ve had quizzes, papers and projects already due. Since we will be out of school for a total of 3 weeks in March due to the leadership externship and spring break, I feel as if April will sneak up on me and it will be May as soon as I blink. The students have been told of when our comprehensive exam will take place — May 5th — and now it’s up to us to go out with a bang!

Our comprehensive exam (the “comp” for short) is a 150 multiple choice test that covers 6 classes we have taken during our two years: Quantitative Research, Qualitative Research, Advanced Neuroscience, Health Promotion & Wellness, Leadership Capstone, and Advanced Seminar in Occupational Science. Students must pass the exam in order to graduate from the program. No big deal!!! (Just kidding!!)

I’m really excited to graduate from the program. I’m sure I will have a lot more to say as the time comes closer!

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New beginnings ⟩
May 16, 2013, by Alisa

Beginnings and Endings Fieldwork What are OS/OT?

I can’t believe that I’m writing my last blog. I am graduating tomorrow.

Is this real life? Yes, I tell myself that it is really happening. I’ll be graduating from USC once again, but now, for my Master’s. It seems like yesterday that I was in undergrad, not completely sure what I wanted to do with my life.

I have found a profession that I’m excited to be a part of and that I know I could empower others while empowering myself.

This year has gone by so fast, and as I’m reflecting on the year, I’m actually feeling a bit sad. I have met so many great and genuine people, and I truly believe that in the OT program, I get to interact with those people everyday. I love my professors, I love my classmates, I love my co-workers, I love my friends I love my dogs. What more could I ask for?

I will miss leading tours for prospective students. I will miss the foods and snacks that my classmates bring in to share. I will miss yoga on the lawn during lunch hours. I will miss group projects. I will miss listening and talking to classmates. I will miss the compassion of the people in the program.

But I know those memories don’t have to end as we walk off the graduation stage. We can continue to check in with each other. We have various ways to do that, thanks to social media (I’m still a fan of snail mails). We have created a network of the Trojan family for life, and for that, I am grateful.

With every ending has a new beginning.

Monday I’ll start my last level-II fieldwork at the Veteran’s Hospital for 12 weeks. I’ll be working with people with traumatic brain injury. I’ll be pursuing my clinical doctorate degree in the fall and starting my residency at USC University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in pediatric mental health. I’m super excited about that as well. Although I don’t have a lot of experience with children, I’m ready to learn. So I’ll be keeping myself busy in the summer and starting to study for the NBCOT exam. Come fall I’ll be a licensed occupational therapist! Woohoo!

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