Student Blog
Classes

White coats, scantrons, and football, oh my! ⟩
September 5, 2014, by Claire

Classes School/Life Balance

Happy Friday! Last week, our division held the white coat ceremony for our MAI, MAII (including BS-MA), and OTD students. It was very exciting to see everyone look so professional (and spiffy) in their white coats. I remember when taking the oath last year, I was very inspired by what occupational therapists value and strive to do in their practice. Congratulations to all of you!

This week is our second week of class! I am currently in the adult physical rehabilitation immersion, and the course has taken on a new format known as Team-Based Learning, where learning takes place in a team setting as opposed to traditional teaching styles like lecture. In general, the process is: 1. Pre-readings; 2. Individual Readiness Assurance Test (IRAT); 3. Group Readiness Assurance Test (GRAT); 4. Reviewing Test; 5. Case Applications. To be honest, some of us were a little skeptical about the model when it was first introduced to us. Personally, I was worried about completing the pre-reading and missing information that would have been presented in a lecture. However, our professors continually referenced the research behind this style of teaching and we had our first “RAT”s this week. I found myself much more engaged in the entire process — our adrenaline was definitely running and it encouraged active discussion. Plus, the GRAT is a scratch-off scantron and there’s something exciting about seeing a star on your scantron to notify your team that the answer chosen is correct. I’m interested in seeing how the rest of the semester will play out!

Last weekend we kicked off the football season with a win against Fresno State. Tomorrow USC takes on Stanford. I know several friends who are trekking up to NorCal this weekend for the game (we call it the “weekender”). Fight on!

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One year down, one to go! ⟩
August 21, 2014, by Kristy

Beginnings and Endings Classes Fieldwork

As I begin my first level II fieldwork, I slowly make the transition from a “first year” to a “second year” — you’re kidding right?!? As you may know, the program here at USC is just over two years, in which we spend our first summer in a intensive kick start to grad school, fall and spring in two immersions, second summer in our first level II fieldwork, followed by our last immersion in the fall, a spring semester full of electives, and then our last summer level II fieldwork. Not too shabby! (Follow this link for an in-depth description.) I just cannot believe that I have already finished up my first year here! Let me tell you, time flies when you’re having fun, especially in occupational therapy! The “second years” always seemed so knowledgeable, and always knew what was going on in the world of OT; I was in awe of them when I started the program and asked a million questions! Now I realize I will be the one getting the questions and providing answers. Am I ready to pass on the knowledge I have learned in the program from my courses, from my professors, from my fieldwork experiences, from student organizations? I think so!

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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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Pause . . . and Rewind ⟩
May 2, 2014, by Samar

Classes Community

I can’t believe I had my final MA class! It feels like it was only yesterday when I moved to California and started the master’s program at USC. I remember orientation as if it happened yesterday. I vividly remember the feeling I had during that day; a good mix of nervousness, excitement and hopefulness of the all possibilities yet to come. This year has been amazing on so many levels. I’ve started the year in a room full of strangers as my classmates. Now, we are graduating and celebrating our success together as a family. Moreover, I’ve had the fortune to meet the top leaders in the occupational therapy profession and have embraced my inner geek by taking pictures with each and every one of them: Dr. Florence Clark, Dr. Jane Case-Smith, Dr. Patricia Nagaishi (OTAC president), and Dr. Virginia Stoffel (AOTA president). In 14 days, I plan to add to my picture collection one of me and Dr. Elizabeth Yerxa at the Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Satellite Commencement Ceremony. That day is going to be so surreal! I guess I should stop thinking about graduation and think of the comprehensive exam I am taking on Monday . . . Wish me luck!

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OMG: It’s The Comps!!! ⟩
April 30, 2014, by Kate

Classes

As master’s students, we are all going to be taking a test this coming Monday called the comprehensive exam, or the “comps.” The test covers 6 courses that we have taken during our 2 years here:

• Neuroscience of Behavior
• Qualitative Research
• Quantitative Research
• Health and Wellness
• Advanced Seminar in Occupational Science
• Leadership Capstone

We have 25 questions on each subject, adding up to an exam that is 150 multiple choice questions. It is a beast of a test, no doubt, and I am in the midst of battling it. Our comps are on Monday, May 5th at 9 am!!!

Our class has worked together to create study guides that cover each semester. There is information on dopamine pathways, qualitative research theory, sections of Medicare, statistics, and occupational science history. The study guides average 80 pages per class, and it is difficult to take in so much information, especially if it was in the fall of 2012. But, I know this is my final push before graduation and I will get out what I put in!

Every night, I’ve been studying a bit more, just trying to get through the study guides and impart the important points in each subject. Please wish me and my classmates luck as I continue on my study journey — and on our big test next Monday!

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