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A Month into the Program ⟩
October 5, 2016, by Raisa

Community International Living in LA

Hello, everyone! For my first ever blog post as an international student ambassador, I wanted to share with you how my first month as a Trojan went. Being an international student I basically had to uproot my life in the Philippines in order to move to Los Angeles so I could attend the on-campus post-professional Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy program here at USC. Migrating from one country to another is not as easy as it sounds, it sure was exciting but not easy. One month before my flight, time sped up so fast it literally felt like everything happened in the blink of an eye. The hardest part of the move was saying goodbye to my friends, workmates, and family. Then the day finally came when I said goodbye to my homeland of 24 years and embarked on a new exciting adventure.

Arriving in Los Angeles was both fun and scary, this city was a new environment, similar to home but at the same time different in many ways. It felt good to have a change of environment. To mark our entrance into the medical profession the division held a white coat ceremony for all new students. The white coat ceremony was a rite of passage that all OT students go through, the white coat symbolizes both the responsibility and the privilege that we hold as occupational therapists. During my ceremony that’s when it all sunk in, I was finally a Trojan!

Once class started I did not feel so alien to the city of LA. I met my classmates from the MA-1 program and we all got along really well, it was nice to form a support system in a new environment. For the first month of classes, I was delighted and eager to absorb all that USC has to offer. I will not lie, the first few weeks of class will take some getting used to. You will have to acclimate to the methods of teaching, medium of instruction and for some of my classmates’ language posed a big issue to learning. There will be sleepless nights and books you will read over and over again but don’t worry. The good news is that all that work will be worth it! In my 4½ weeks into the program, I have learned many new concepts that will shape how I will hold my future practice. The best part is that I am re-learning concepts from my undergraduate degree but I am learning them from a different perspective. It is both refreshing and eye-opening to study different occupational therapy concepts from a different point of view. One month into the program and I am falling more in love with Occupational Therapy! My first month as a Trojan has been exhilarating and I cannot wait to share with you what else USC has in store for me.

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White Coat, Bright Memories ⟩
September 1, 2016, by Kimmy

Admissions Community Getting Involved Living in LA

This past Friday, I attended the Chan Division’s 6th White Coat Ceremony. For those who are unfamiliar with the tradition, the White Coat Ceremony began as a way to mark medical students’ induction into medical school. Over time, other health professions — including occupational therapy — have adopted the tradition.

One year ago, I was sitting in a folding chair, wondering how I would be able to wear a coat in the 95 degree weather. Luckily, my excitement made me forget all about the heat! At the time, I was one of ten undergraduate seniors in the Bachelor’s to Master’s Occupational Therapy Program. The White Coat Ceremony falls annually, on the first Friday of the fall semester, meaning I did not know many of the other students yet, besides those other nine seniors. Though I was initially a bit intimidated by the 130 Master’s students surrounding us, these strangers have since become some of my closest friends and biggest inspirations.

This time around, I experienced the ceremony as a student ambassador. Instead of anxiously awaiting my turn to walk on stage, I now eagerly await the opportunity to meet my new classmates and future colleagues. Being on the other side of this event not only allowed me to appreciate the attention to detail required for such occasions, but also made me realize how quickly time moves and things change. As difficult as my transition to graduate school felt at times, I look back on my first year with extreme gratitude. The white coat may get dirty, but the memories will never fade!

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Summer is in Full Swing! ⟩
June 17, 2016, by Megan

Admissions Community

Today, the sun is shining and the hallways are buzzing with new OT students!

This past Monday was orientation for all of the new Entry-Level Master’s Students, and I could not be more excited for them to be here! It has been such a pleasure getting to meet some of these students and to learn a bit about how they found their way to USC’s OT program. Each student has such an interesting (and often vastly different) history that has led them to this point, and I think it is so fun to hear how their undergraduate major/ volunteer experience/ personal encounters with OTs have changed their lives and brought them here!

Sadly the only picture that I have from orientation, but so fun to be in an auditorium full of such amazing students and faculty!

It has also been so amazing to meet prospective students at our summer Info Sessions. These prospective OT students always impress me with their knowledge and passion for the profession — and some have luckily discovered their love for OT at quite a young age! I would have to say one of my favorite parts about being an ambassador is talking with prospective high school students. They often have the most interesting stories about how they found OT and have developed such an early passion for the profession. Plus, it is always fun to go on and on about how much I love the Bachelor to Master’s Program! 😊

Happy Friday, Everyone! Try and stay cool this weekend. And to all the new students . . . Welcome to the Trojan Family!! We are so excited for you to start this journey.

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One last post ⟩
May 18, 2016, by Jodie

Beginnings and Endings Community

Hello everyone! I am very sad that this will be my last blog post as a student ambassador. This has been such an amazing year and I would highly recommend applying to be a student ambassador during your second year in the program!

Graduation was last Friday and this past Monday I started my first day of my second Level II fieldwork rotation. I am so excited that I will be staying here at USC to pursue my OTD degree in the advanced clinical track and will be completing my residency at Keck Hospital of USC. (Just across the street from CHP so if you ever see me, please say hello!!)

I look forward to seeing new faces around campus in just a few weeks when the new incoming class joins us! Welcome to our Trojan family Class of 2018, you are in for the most amazing two years of your life!! Fight on 😊

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Once a student, always a friend ⟩
April 29, 2016, by Jodie

Community School/Life Balance

Last night, I officially finished my last academic course as a master’s student here in our graduate program. This entire journey towards becoming an occupational therapist has been the most rewarding, inspiring and memorable experience of my life. This has been my biggest dream ever since middle school and it still feels so surreal that in just a few months, I can proudly call myself an occupational therapist!

In my hands rehabilitation elective course last night, my professor ended the lecture by telling my class “once a student of mine, always a friend.” At this moment, it really hit me how tremendously lucky we are to have such supportive and brilliant faculty not only sharing all their knowledge with us, but also supporting us every step of the way towards becoming the best occupational therapists possible. So many thoughts flooded my head as I was driving home from school last night so I decided to write them all down as soon as I got home and share some thoughts/advice with you guys!

1. Get to know our faculty from the very start of the program! There’s so much more that we can learn from our faculty than just what is taught in lectures. I promise you, they don’t bite. 😛
2. Immerse yourself in each and every experience throughout the program: lectures, tailgates, conferences, mixers, guest speaker seminars, etc. Every experience opens a door to new possibilities and you’ll never know what’s out there if you don’t put yourself out there first.
3. Keep your class notes organized either electronically or in binders/folders. You will need all your study guides and notes at the end of the program for the comprehensive exit exam!
4. Take the time to get to know all of your classmates — MAIs, MAIIs, Bachelor’s to Master’s students, OTD and PhD candidates, and everyone else in between! Especially during your first summer semester before you split up into different cohorts but even after you’re separated into cohorts too!

Those were the main thoughts that came into my mind during my drive home (I’m sure if I lived further or took a detour route home, this list would have been exponentially longer!) I hope you find them helpful as you begin your journey towards becoming an OT. I am so excited for you guys and hope to hear about your adventures through these blogs in the years to come.

I also just wanted to share a picture from our last recruitment team dinner tonight at the San Antonio Winery! 

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