Student Blog
Diversity

Bridging Cultures, Building Futures: Our PP-MA Journey ⟩
October 2, 2025, by Global Initiatives Team

Beginnings and Endings Classes Community Diversity Getting Involved Housing and Transportation International Living in LA School/Life Balance What are OS/OT?

Hi everyone! We’re Angel and Haemin, international students in the 2025-2026 Post-Professional Master’s (PP-MA) program at USC. Coming from the Philippines and South Korea, we are starting this new chapter in Los Angeles! We’re excited to meet new people, explore new places, and grow together as OTs.

Angel’s Journey

My name is Angel, a pure-blooded Filipina and current PP-MA student for 2025–2026. I earned my OT degree in the Philippines and worked as a pediatric occupational therapist for three years—a role that brought me so much joy working with children and their families. In 2023, I got married, and by 2024 I had moved to the U.S. to be with my husband, first living in Chicago before deciding to continue my OT journey here in LA.

When I began exploring further studies, USC stood out immediately. Its Post-Professional MA is one of the few programs in the U.S. that can be completed in just one year, allowing internationally trained OTs like me to deepen our skills, discover new ideas, and connect with people from around the world—all while returning to practice sooner. I also heard wonderful feedback from colleagues who studied here, describing supportive faculty, a vibrant community, and an environment that pushes you to grow. Most of all, I was inspired by USC Chan’s mission to optimize people’s engagement in the ordinary and extraordinary activities of life—a statement that perfectly reflects why I chose OT in the first place.

Life in Los Angeles has been a big adjustment after Chicago and the Philippines—new city, new culture, and no familiar faces. At first, it was daunting, but having my husband’s support made the transition easier. Together, we’re slowly building our rhythm, exploring neighborhoods, and enjoying small routines that make LA feel like home. Lately, we’ve started visiting local cafés for matcha and coffee, and Little Tokyo has quickly become a go-to spot for food and culture.

So far, the PP-MA program has been both exciting and humbling. One of my favorite courses is Foundations in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, where we explore and challenge diverse perspectives on both OS and OT. Because our cohort includes students from many different countries, I have gained a deeper understanding of how culture and society influence a person’s occupations. I have also come to appreciate the importance of language in our work as occupational therapists when connecting with patients.

What I value most about this program is how it encourages us to think critically about OT while equipping us with practical tools to grow as clinicians and leaders. It’s not just about earning a degree—it’s about shaping how we want to contribute to the future of the profession.

Looking ahead, I see this year at USC as a stepping stone. My immediate goal is to gain licensure in the U.S. so I can continue serving people in healthcare. Beyond that, I hope to bridge what I learn here with my roots in the Philippines, finding ways to give back and strengthen OT globally.

Haemin’s Journey

My name is Haemin, and, like Angel, I’m a PP-MA student, class of 2026. I graduated from my home university in South Korea this year and moved to LA to attend USC Chan’s Master’s program. Being a PP-MA OT student at USC has been one of the most exciting chapters in my life. When I arrived in LA to start my journey, I had mixed feelings of both excitement and being overwhelmed. I moved into a new apartment, met new people and classmates, and tried to make a new daily routine. Even though there were a lot of things to take in on my own, I found myself becoming more independent and confident.

Back in 2022, I joined the Summer Occupational Therapy Immersion (SOTI) program as an exchange student. It was such a memorable time to interact with people from all over the world with warm and supportive instructors. I loved exploring various OT fields through guest lectures and field trips, and it made me want to reflect more on the kind of OT I’d like to become. These experiences inspired me to deepen and broaden my own view of occupational therapy and to find the areas of practice that truly align with my interests and passions. Finding that USC provides strong support and resources to help international students achieve these goals gave me the confidence to come here for my master’s program.

Even though I have experience of living in the US before, moving to LA for graduate school was still a new adventure. I set up a new apartment and established daily routines like meal prep, errands, and transportation to balance my work and studies. It took time to adapt to a new environment, but I was able to figure it out thanks to so much support from my family, friends, and professors at USC Chan. As I figure out step by step, I find myself having done so many things, which makes me feel confident and mature 😊

One of the best parts of the PP-MA program is having classmates from all over the world. We share our OT experiences and cultures from our home countries, which makes every discussion richer and exciting. The atmosphere is so friendly and supportive, and the Global Initiatives team always makes me and other international students feel welcomed and connected. Working as a GI team member, I’m supporting students who want to celebrate their meaningful holidays, which is especially valuable in that I can learn about important cultural meanings from my classmates.

As for classes, Foundations of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy has been my favorite! At first, OS felt a bit philosophical and abstract, but it helped me see what occupation truly means and what the OT’s role is from a global perspective. Having discussions with international classmates adds so much fun and depth 😊

Even though we may have grown up in different countries and started OT in different ways, the PP-MA program at USC has brought us together. We’re learning, growing, and cheering each other on as we chase our own unique dreams as future OTs.

Outside the classroom, I love spending time at Hoose Library, which has a Harry Potter vibe. It’s so aesthetic and makes me focus on studying better.

Preparing for what’s next, one of my biggest goals during this program is earning the Sensory Integration (SI) certificate, which will be valuable for working with children. After graduation, I hope to continue working in pediatrics, especially with children and adults with ASD, and to expand into community-based practice. I’m excited to face my future clients with a richer perspective on occupation by everything I learned and grew from my time at USC.

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Beside the Mahjong Table ⟩
September 19, 2025, by Makayla

Community Diversity

The sound of shuffling tiles intermingled with various exclamatory shouts has become synonymous with my memories of family gatherings, as the game of Chinese Mahjong has been an important pastime of mine throughout my childhood. I was often surrounded by this game during these family gatherings, where I would find myself sitting on a miniature stool beside my mother, playing amongst my relatives, fascinated by the quick plays before my eyes, and subconsciously picking up the rules and method of the game. For my family, Mahjong is more than a meaningful activity; it is a generational occupation that contributes to our overall well-being and supports resilience against cognitive decline in older generations. While I hadn’t fully understood the realization at the time, the game of Chinese Mahjong has allowed me not only to grasp my native Chinese roots but also to learn valuable lessons about the art of strategy and calculation applicable to the present, changing world, which requires both to navigate uncertainty and make thoughtful decisions.

Mahjong is an intellectual activity involving four players sitting around a square table who must draw and discard tiles to arrange them in a “perfect” set. One must complement their hand of tiles while memorizing the tiles discarded by their opponents to strategically form special sequences essential for a win. Though simple in explanation, it is complex in playing, as players must take calculated chances on possible risks or play defensively so that other players cannot win.

I often questioned why the older generations of my family were so devoted to this game and what exactly was the fixation that drew them to return to the game every waking moment of our family gatherings. The placement of a single tile can alter the course of the game and the strategies of the opposing players. You must be mindful and strategic in your intentions, since your actions have consequences not only for yourself but also for those around you, requiring full concentration on your own set while remaining aware of the tiles desired by other opponents and those being circulated in the game.

While Mahjong may seem like a leisure activity or family pastime, it is an effective intervention that occupational therapy practitioners may use when supporting healthy aging across the lifespan. The game of Mahjong is not just an activity that sustains social engagement but also serves as a means to alleviate depressive symptoms of older populations in addition to empowering individuals to regain or maintain the ability to stay cognitively engaged. Unique to Mahjong are strategies that require players to integrate working memory, attention, logic, executive function, and intrinsic motivation in ways that complement one another. In doing so, Mahjong provides protective factors against cognitive deterioration while also fostering self-efficacy that contributes to a positive outlook on aging. What began as a family tradition has become a powerful reminder that our personal and cultural identities can shape effective, health-promoting interventions using occupations as both a means and an end goal.

While I am still quite a beginner at this game, I see life as a parallel to Mahjong, as life changes with every move, sometimes as a result of others’ actions or even of your own doing.  Sometimes you must be patient for the serendipitous moment when you find the tile you need to complete a winning set. Other times when the odds are against you, it is important to be cautious in compromising, but when you can’t, you shouldn’t for the sake of protecting your own tiles to win. Mahjong is a metaphor for life; one must take what life throws at you, just like receiving a set of undesirable tiles, to adapt quickly and uncover advantages hidden within setbacks. There is no perfect round or just one strategy to win.

And perhaps that is the draw of the game — because it is so difficult to master. It takes years of experience, a good grasp of body language, and a command of the Chinese language, coupled with a dash of good luck, to be successful.

Every time I return to play Mahjong at family gatherings, I have begun to understand why this activity was more than just a game to me. Looking across the table, I have come to realize the shared bond with my family that not many people can replicate. As a non-native speaker of Chinese, the game of Mahjong has brought me closer to my culture as well as my grandparents. While we are engaged in deep concentration and contemplating strategies in Mahjong, I have recognized that this game forms its own separate language to converse through, strengthening my bonds with my grandparents and relatives while also helping to keep their minds sharp.

As an aspiring occupational therapist, I imagine one day drawing upon my own personal experiences and applying these principles to empower the growth and support the development of the future patients I work with. When I am older, I will congregate at my own mother’s house, where relatives and different walks of life will come together over the game of Mahjong. And this cycle will continue for generations beyond my time.

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Occupational Therapy, Entrepreneurship, and a Conversation with Dr. Esther Bae ⟩
April 10, 2025, by Avery

Community Diversity What are OS/OT?

Occupational therapy (OT) is a field dedicated to helping people live fuller, more independent lives. OT’s are often found in clinics, schools, or hospitals. But how can the field of Occupational Therapy blend with entrepreneurship? I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Dr. Esther Bae, an Occupational Therapist, entrepreneur, and business owner, about just that.

As someone passionate about both OT and business, I’m exploring how these two worlds intersect. At USC, I’m considering an Entrepreneurship minor alongside my OT major, and I am currently taking the course BAEP 450: The Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, to learn how to turn my ideas into real-world impact.

Dr. Bae earned her OTD degree right here from USC. She is an entrepreneur who has merged her passions for accessibility, beauty, and social impact into a thriving career. Esther is the co-founder of Dwelle Collaborative (now Qualified), the first nonprofit to provide occupational therapy services to survivors of sex trafficking, empowering them through meaningful employment. Additionally, she founded a consulting business, which she now focuses on, called Modified Independent, which focuses on accessibility and inclusive beauty, helping brands develop more adaptive and user-friendly products and services. Dr. Bae has always had a passion for makeup and beauty, and she was able to combine her two passions through consulting and entrepreneurship.

One of Dr. Bae’s most notable collaborations through her company Modified Independent has been with Selena Gomez’s company Rare Beauty, where she played a key role in developing accessible packaging for people with disabilities and user-friendly designs for their products, specifically on their Find Comfort line. By working closely with the brand, she ensured that beauty products could be more inclusive, demonstrating how OT principles can be applied in industries beyond healthcare.

Additionally, she has been highlighted nationally by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)  for her accomplishments as an entrepreneur in the field.

Dr. Bae shared some advice with me as I embark on my OT journey. One of the most impactful things she told me was:

“There is no one right way to go about things in your career. What’s important is that you always keep going. I have experienced so many setbacks, but sitting here talking to you, I can see how my journey has come together. You have such a vast future ahead; don’t get caught up in the things that go wrong. Pivot and keep going”.

Her words really stuck with me—not just as encouragement, but as a reminder that the path forward doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. As someone who is inspired by both occupational therapy and entrepreneurship, her message reinforced that forging your own path means embracing uncertainty and setbacks as part of the process. Whether in healthcare or in business, growth often happens in the pivots. As I move forward in this journey, I’ll carry her wisdom with me: to trust the process, stay open to change, and keep showing up; even when things don’t go as planned.

Dr. Bae’s story is a testament to the limitless possibilities within occupational therapy. Whether through consulting, nonprofit work, or product development, OTs have the potential to innovate and create meaningful change. Her journey inspires me as I explore my own aspirations in OT and entrepreneurship, reminding me that success is about persistence, relationships, and the willingness to adapt.

For anyone considering an entrepreneurial path in OT, Dr. Bae’s story proves that it’s possible to build a career that aligns with your passions while making a meaningful impact. The key is to start with what you have, embrace setbacks as opportunities to pivot, and never stop moving forward.

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What I Learned in a Week as a Medical Volunteer in Panama ⟩
December 13, 2024, by Guest Author

Classes Community Diversity Getting Involved International

By Carly Martinez OTR/L, USC Chan Post-Professional OTD student

When you read the name of the country Panama, what comes to mind? If you’re anything like me until about a month ago, your knowledge consists solely of the famed Panama Canal. After spending 8 days there as a medical volunteer, I won’t pretend to be an expert, but I can give you a brief glimpse into my journey. 

During the first semester of my post-professional OTD, I decided I would take what I thought would be my final elective, MEDS 577, Global Palliative Care with Dr. Ben LaBrot. It felt significant for me as a practitioner because I had learned a little bit about hospice and palliative care through my master’s program at USC, and knew that occupational therapy (OT) had a role to play in that area. At the same time, it still felt like we had only skimmed the surface. Through that course, I learned a lot about autonomy and dignity, values my professional OT education had espoused, however, this was a deeper dive into this particular context.

A few weeks into the course, Dr. LaBrot shared that he would have to record class since he would be in Panama. After class the following week, some students stayed after class to ask the professor about another course he taught. While unintentionally eavesdropping, I learned that he was the founder of a medical volunteering organization, Floating Doctors, based out of Panama. Excited at the possibility of going abroad again as part of my OT education, I asked if his program accepted occupational therapists. He was enthusiastic about my participation and clearly an ally of occupational therapy through what he shared in the curriculum. It would count as my final elective, and I could get credit for volunteering through MEDS 554.

Months later, I would find myself in a rainforest, translating for a classmate who graduated from medical school in Indonesia, learning how best to explain things to individuals who grew up in a completely different context than myself. Floating Doctors works with the members of the Ngäbe, an indigenous population in the Bocas Del Toro province of Panama. This region is designated as part of the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca, an officially recognized province that is part of how the nation is divided, similar to statehood, which allows for self-governance among the indigenous population. To get there, I flew from LAX to Panama City, then travelled to a second, smaller airport in Panama City to fly to Bocas del Toro, an island in the northern archipelago region of the country.

During clinic, we slept outdoors in the rancho where we provided services in hammocks strung from metal beams and bathed in the river, as do the community members. However, I will say that it was not the most rugged camping experience of my life. We had indoor plumbing, could purchase wifi from a nearby home, and had meals cooked for us by local women. Patients brought goods to sell, like the best chicken empanadas I’ve ever tasted, sizable chicken tamales wrapped in banana leaves, and artisanal breads. Some families told me they walked for a day through the mountainous terrain to be seen by the doctors. Did I mention that the weather hovered around 90 degrees and 100% humidity? The patients came well-dressed, with women in nice dresses and men in polos and jeans. I got the feeling they were dressed up to see us, but also because they would be seen by many other people who were also attending the clinic.

Visitors to the clinic generally fall into two categories: fast lane or chronic. Fast lane is for new or relatively simple cases, such as needing paracetamol to manage fever, albendazole for concerns about parasites, or birth control injections. Chronic patients are seen every three months, as the team returns to each site regularly, cycling through the 28 sites they service. Though the providers change, there is still consistent care for diabetes, hypertension, and asthma, to name a few of the more common conditions. Patients can have their names put on a list for a doctor who comes by to perform cataract surgery as part of another program. Referrals can also be given in cases where a patient requires more or specialist care, such as the case of a 6-year-old girl who seemed to be struggling in school, based on her mother’s description. Though I did an informal writing assessment, she would need more testing to determine if she was reaching developmental milestones, something the organization is not equipped to offer at this time.

To be seen by specialist medical providers, they would need to go to a major town nearby. Although this community had a medical clinic nearby, the resources there were limited. Travel to David, a town with more medical resources, would require a bus ticket and potentially a stay in the city, a prohibitively expensive expenditure for some of the patients. Boquete is closer, though it is not as well-resourced and still requires a bus ticket to get through the mountains on rocky dirt roads, which do not have lights, limiting travel for safety reasons.

This trip felt challenging to my professional identity. As a new practitioner, I worry about the role OT can play in different contexts. The lead medical provider for the week was not familiar with OT, or Ergotherapy as it is often referred to in Europe. He told me that this does not exist in his home country of Russia. The World Federation of OT only credentialed the University of Panama’s OT program last year, in 2023. I wondered about the relevance of the profession to people whose activities of daily living (ADLs) likely consist of more life-sustaining occupations than mine do, such as gathering water or washing clothes by smacking them against rocks in the river, in addition to household management tasks like washing dishes and cleaning the house.

I could see the applications of OT for those who worked cutting bananas, as they suffer from repetitive motion injuries, for children in school, and likely, for individuals with mental health concerns, if I were to speculate. However, I also acknowledge that I don’t really know much about their everyday lives because I didn’t have the opportunity to get to know them in the ways that would be necessary for an OT evaluation. I longed to know more about what an average day is like, as this would allow me to begin imagining what role occupational science (OS) could play in trying to understand what life is like for the Ngäbe. If OS has taught me anything, it is that I am not an expert on the culture of the Ngäbe. In order to work with a population in a way that garners buy-in, one has to try to understand the values to support what is important to their patients.

All of this is not to paint a picture of an area with fewer resources; after all, there are rural areas of the US with limited access to hospitals or routine medical care. Instead, I hope that Panama provides opportunities for OT and OS to continue to develop in multiple contexts, ranging from the traditional academic experiences OT graduates may have in the larger metropolitan areas, to the volunteer OT services with Floating Doctors, as well as others yet to come.

For my final occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) project, I created a set of OT practice guidelines or a white paper, in support of the development of OT services for Floating Doctors. The hope is that this will allow for the expansion of OT services within the organization, encouraging more OT volunteers to attend, and familiarize the individual medical providers with the scope and potential interventions OT can provide. It will also be part of the information Floating Doctors provides the Panamanian government to continue its services there.

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My Vietnamese Immigrant Dad Doesn’t Know What I’m in School For ⟩
May 29, 2024, by Dana

Diversity First-Gen International

Growing up in a Vietnamese immigrant family, there were always high expectations of my siblings and me to get a career that is well-known. After high school, I knew I wanted to pursue occupational therapy, but because it was not a common major nor was it something my dad knew about, I decided to major in Psychology because it was a study that I was actually able to translate to my dad. Because it is a well-known field of study, it was expected that I would continue with Psychology in higher education, and with that, my dad had ingrained that I was going to get a doctorate in Psychology. He was telling my extended family and everyone he knew that that was what I was pursuing. However, when I found out that he was telling people that, I tried to explain and translate that I am going to school for occupational therapy, but there was no direct translation for occupation besides the connotation of it being a job. While there is translation for therapy in Vietnamese, it is not equivalent to what OT actually is.

What’s baffling to me is that there is a direct translation for physical therapy in Vietnamese which creates a perceived upper hand to occupational therapy (we can’t get a break from being referred to as PT even in different languages). So, when I was explaining OT to my dad again, I had to use PT in Vietnamese as a base term to describe OT, how there’s an overlap but it’s still different from one another. It does not give OT the recognition they deserve in my mother tongue, but that was the best I could do. But because my dad still didn’t fully understand it, he continued telling people that I am getting a PsyD… 

Not until I took OT 519: Theoretical Foundations of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy during my first semester of the Entry-Level OTD program did I venture on the idea of occupational therapy around the globe. Through extensive discussions and reflections on the definitions of occupational therapy around the world, there was that connection that I was not the only one who couldn’t translate the profession into their mother tongue. In class, we discussed the possibility of a universal definition for the term “occupation”, however, it is almost impossible to be translated with one meaning, and it cannot be applied the same way in other cultures. It can be challenging to find words that precisely convey the true meaning of certain English words. In other countries, the word occupation holds different meanings and significance, so it would be difficult to label occupation as having just one definition. However, without the understanding of this term there is a struggle to create relevance for the OT profession in other cultures.

Looking into my motherland of Vietnam, therapeutic professions are still very limited over there due to lack of understanding of healthcare services besides the main medical care. In addition, I grew up in a rural area of Vietnam where access to any healthcare was very miniscule, with the closest hospital being over an hour away, so the idea of having any other forms of healthcare was not relevant in my family. I do hope that in the future, I can spread some awareness of occupational therapy by having an accurate translation of the profession and show its importance to my family and the community.

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