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Dr. Martinez Coming Soon ⟩
May 13, 2019, by Melissa

Community Getting Involved

Goodbyes are never easy, and the last couple of weeks have been a constant reminder of that. With all the chaos that comes with the end of the year — finals, comps, graduation — I haven’t had much time to think about the fact that graduation marks the end of a very important chapter in my life. Now that I’ve had a chance to catch my breath, I feel some sadness that it’s all over, but also excited for what’s to come. I’m walking away with a deep appreciation for the friendships I have made, the opportunities I was given, and the experiences that have helped to shape the clinician that I will be someday soon.

It was always my dream to be a part of the USC Chan family, and I can easily say that the last couple of years have surpassed my expectations. It truly feels like it was just yesterday that I was anxiously starting the summer session with my new classmates, so it’s hard to believe that this part of my journey is nearing its end. I will be forever grateful to everyone in the division, who truly go above and beyond to ensure that we have a great experience in the program.

I had dreamed of becoming a Student Ambassador since I first got exposed to the position at an information session many years ago, so looking back on this past year fills me with overwhelming pride and emotion. I have sincerely enjoyed meeting and corresponding with so many incredible students from all over the world, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to share my passion for our program with others. I’m also thankful for the incredible Ambassador and Admissions teams that I had the honor of working with, for they made the last year fun and unforgettable.

Like I said before, goodbyes are never easy, but I find solace in the fact that I’ll still be at USC for a bit longer pursuing my OTD in Clinical Research with Dr. Sharon Cermak. So for now, it’s not a goodbye but instead an “I’ll see you soon.”

FIGHT ON!

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My Encounter with Cookies and Kinship at CHP ⟩
January 16, 2018, by Erika

Community

Every day, hundreds of USC faculty, staff, OT students, PT students, and Pharmacy students, wander the halls, offices, and patios of the Center for the Health Professions (CHP) building. It’s the hub where we, as OT students, spend most of our time in the program. It houses our classrooms, labs, auditoriums, outdoor patios, and other spaces that facilitate our learning.

We have one particular room at CHP that most students unofficially call “the microwave room.” Between 12-12:20pm, you will find 8 or so microwaves buzzing as hungry OT and PT students nuke their lunches. There are also communal tables in this room where you could eat your lunch, study, or catch up with friends. This is where I had a beautiful unexpected encounter with Sharon*.

I was about to take a bite of my green beans and meatless ground beef stir fry (don’t be hatin’ on my veg game) leftovers when I hear a voice: “That smells AMAZING!” I look over and I see a sweet woman with the gentlest smile munching on her apple. I thank her and humbly tell her that it tastes as good as it smells and we get to talking. I find out she works in a research office on the 2nd floor of the building. Somehow, we arrive on the topic of cookies and she asks me if I like them.

“HELL YES.”

She asks me what kind.

“Chocolate chip.”

She asks me if I like nuts.

“No way.”

She says I remind her of her son who likes his cookies just the way I do and asks if I’ll be on campus on Friday.

“Yes!”

Without hesitation, she says she’s going to bake me a batch and bring them on Friday. My eyes get huge and my heart warm. I tell her that I have a big batch of my green beans and meatless ground beef dish and that if she’s open to it, I’ll bring her a lil lunch in exchange. She says that would be amazing.

Friday rolls around and I walk up to her office in CHP. She’s delighted to see me and we do our lil exchange. The cookies look perfect in every way - moist, chewy, made with love. I ask her if I can taste one now and she says of course! I take a bite and immediate let out a “Hoooooly that’s good.” She smiles sweetly at me and says, “I like you. How do I keep you in my pocket all day?”

This beautiful encounter left me with such gratitude and joy. Knowing that humans like Sharon exist who choose to connect with others not just out of politeness but out of genuine curiosity and kinship inspires me to implement these qualities in my practice as an OT.

Sharon’s kindness reminds me of a book I read over the winter break called “Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship” by Gregory Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention program in the world. He speaks about our deep interconnectedness as humans despite our varying backgrounds, experiences, ethnicities, etc., and that once we realize that we share in kinship with strangers and loved ones alike, we can start to truly love. Here is a powerful interview with Greg Boyle if you are interested in learning more:

Priest Responds To Gang Members’ ‘Lethal Absence Of Hope’ With Jobs, And Love

As I left Sharon’s office, I told her I’d be back to return her tupperware.

In true Sharon fashion with her perpetually giving heart, she yelled back at me, “Not unless you want it refilled!”

*All names mentioned in this blogpost are pseudonyms.

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Choosing USC ⟩
July 28, 2017, by Jessica P.

Admissions Community Living in LA

This summer I have been super busy giving tours and bragging all about our OT program to potential Trojan OTs. I have been loving talking to potential Bachelor to Master’s, Entry-Level Master’s, OTD, and PhD students. One of the most asked questions is why I picked USC. I could go on for hours about how much I love being a USC OT student and how grateful I am to be able study what I love, at the university I love. Here are my top reasons why I chose USC:

1. Trojan Family
   You will often hear fellow Trojans discussing the Trojan Family or our extremely strong alumni, but I truly did not understand this concept until I became a student here myself. Being a member of the Trojan Family is so much more than just sharing the connection of going to one of the best universities in the world. The Trojan Family really is a family in that no matter where you go in the world, you can immediately connect with someone.
2. USC OSOT’s Reputation
   As one of the top-ranking OT programs, USC has always been at the forefront of innovation and research in occupational therapy. Not only did USC develop occupational science, they also created the unique Lifestyle Redesign program.
3. Location, Location, Location
   As Trojans we are lucky enough to live in sunny Los Angeles. USC’s campus is only a short drive from local beaches, shopping, and entertainment. Living in the city we also have a plethora of resources at our disposal, whether that is looking for an internship, place to study, or just things to do on the weekend. And of course, having 70 degree weather in December isn’t too shabby.

Lastly, one of the biggest reasons is being a Trojan for life. I was born and raised a Trojan — growing up going to football games and yelling “Fight On!” at everyone I saw. After years of dreaming of attending USC, it is finally a reality.

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Momma, I Made It! ⟩
June 27, 2017, by Erwin

Classes Community Getting Involved School/Life Balance

Wow! Where has the time gone? It really seems like yesterday that I was a newly-admitted student walking on campus for the first day of classes. My time at USC has been nothing short of amazing and I can honestly say that I’ve grown so much here — not only as a therapist, but as a person.

Looking back at my career at USC, here are my few words of wisdom:

Learn: Don’t study for the sake of passing a class. This isn’t undergrad anymore; what you’re learning in occupational therapy school is going to be your craft. So don’t come in with the mindset of, “I need to get an A in this class.” It’s much more important to really understand the material and knowing how to apply it rather than knowing how to get an A. After all, an employer isn’t going to ask what your GPA was — they’re going to care if you’re good at what you do.

Get involved: USC has so many opportunities to get involved and it would be unfortunate not to take advantage of these opportunities. Exploring different opportunities allows you to discover your passions and strengths, connect you to USC, foster community, and build your resume. While at USC, I tried to get involved as much as possible. I’ve developed my leadership skills, built life-long friendships, and opened doors that would not have been possible.

Enjoy yourself: Graduate school can be stressful. There will be papers, exam, and projects — you might even question, “is this really worth it?” Just relax! We always encourage our clients to live balanced lives and we have to practice what we preach. After all, a balanced life is a healthy life. So while in grad school, take time to take care of yourself, enjoy the company of others, and don’t stress out too much about your classes. Like I said before, employers aren’t concerned about your grades.

Although graduation has arrived, I know what I’ve learned at USC will carry on throughout my lifetime. Occupational therapy is such a beautiful and rewarding profession, and regardless if you pursue a degree at USC or another university, the profession will be nothing but good to you.

Before I go, I want to share with you some of the people and moments that have meant the most to me while at USC.

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Autism in the Community ⟩
February 13, 2017, by Kimmy

Classes Community What are OS/OT?

As prior blog posts have mentioned, the final semester of the program is full of unique electives. These classes range from lecture-based courses in advanced practice areas to research involvement to hands-on experiential opportunities. After reading over all of the course descriptions, I was most excited about this last category, which includes a class called Autism in the Community.

Despite keeping an open mind throughout the program, I have always wanted to work in pediatrics. I initially became interested in occupational therapy after learning about the role in schools helping children with developmental disabilities. Growing up, I used to visit the special education classroom during lunch to play games with the students in the class. It was a great way to relax during the day and become friends with new people!

Now, as I finish up my Master’s degree, I have found myself coming full circle. This past Friday, I visited a nonpublic school for children on the autism spectrum and spent two hours bonding with them over board games. To be clear, I played Connect 4 for graduate course credit — living the dream! Seriously, I had so much fun meeting this class of amazing students. Now that we have met the students, my classmates and I will each be assigned our own buddy from the special education classroom. In the coming weeks, we will take weekly field trips with our buddies to the California Science Center. Not only do these trips allow our buddies to learn and apply their science curriculum, but being in the community provides valuable opportunities to practice social skills and regulation. Reciprocally, my classmates and I gain hands-on experience working with adolescents with autism — in pretty much the most fun way possible. 😊

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