Student Blog
Diversity

February is Over, Black History is not! ⟩
March 27, 2020, by Kat

Diversity

“Black history is American history” — Morgan Freeman

February is over. But that does not mean that we as a country should stop celebrating Black history and Black culture. During February, many events took place on campus at USC to celebrate Black History Month. Clubs such as the BGSN, the CBCSA, and the BSA held a variety of festivals, hosted guest speakers, and career networking opportunities in the spirit of Black History Month.

One specific event that I participated in was the Black Pharmacy Society’s “The Black Experience in Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities”. This event was a panel composed of current Black students from various disciplines that spoke on their experience of being a student of color at USC. I am honored to say that I was on this panel. The fields of occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistants, medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry were all well represented. Meaningful conversation surrounding imposter syndrome, the importance of mentorship and representation were a few of the topics discussed. Seeing people who look like you in different fields is very important. For those that may not know, imposter syndrome is “the feeling that you haven’t earned your success, you simply got lucky, and you’re a fraud or ‘imposter’ around people who actually earned it and know what they’re doing” (cited from empowerwork).

Imposter syndrome was discussed from the perspective that sometimes Black students feel as though they are imposters in their respective fields due to the lack of representation within their fields. These students feel as though they are not and will not be able to compete with their counterpart peers. These feelings can be overwhelming, isolating, and can have rippling effects to the success of Black students, or any student experiencing imposter syndrome.

However, I believe Maya Angelou’s quote, “the more you know of your history, the more liberated you are,” calls students, in this case specifically Black students, to look to history for empowerment. Students may be the first in their family to go to college, graduate school, or may be the only Black student in class. But let’s take a look at history:

• Madam C. J. Walker was the first female millionaire. She was Black.
• Dr. Daniel Hale Williams was the first to complete a successful open heart surgery in America. He was Black.
• Katherine Johnson was the first female to receive credit as an author for a NASA research paper. She was Black.

These are only a few of the firsts in America that belong to the Black community. I do not mention these first to compare the Black community to other communities. I state these facts to empower all minority students to stand together, be great, and keep breaking barriers. Be the first. Be the best. Black history should serve as an inspiration to us all.

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Reflections on Gender, Leadership and the OTD ⟩
February 24, 2020, by Catherine

Diversity

I knew I had found my forever occupation (the other definition), when I first walked through the CHP hallway’s “Walk of Fame” adorned with the portraits of Trojan giants of our field: Margaret Rood, A. Jean Ayers, Elizabeth Yerxa, and Florence Clark (just to name a few). It was as if their legacies emanated through the halls, empowering me to make hard pivot, leaving behind my past career managing corporate transactions to delve into the meaningful, life changing profession that is occupational therapy.

Prior to Chan, I attended a small women’s liberal arts college for my undergraduate degree here in the US, and a larger women’s university for my MBA in Korea. I was surrounded by a false sense of security that gender was not an issue, and that my intellect and skills were all I would need to achieve my career goals. Following my interests, I found employment in finance, technology, entertainment, fashion and journalism.

Entering the working world was a wake-up call. The stories of the glass ceiling are real, and in my personal experience, every industry and profession has invisible obstacles for women to succeed.  Navigating corporate structures, traditional policies, and the socially embedded expectations for women are hurdles that are no easy feat to overcome alone. In a recent report by World Economic Forum’s the US ranked 53rd out of 153 countries on gender parity, “focusing on four main themes: economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.”

While occupational therapy has been one of the few professions that has been dominated by women for over a century, stereotypes about our gender, lack of awareness of the value of occupations, and what occupational therapists bring to the table are the very real barriers practitioners face in the workplace. In fact, research has shown that “Though they may feel discomfort in a feminized field, men do not face structural barriers in occupational therapy . . . In such jobs, men are disproportionately pushed into management positions, with better pay, more prestige, and less hands-on care” (Beagan & Fredericks, 2018). It was no wonder that I was in awe of our “Hall of Fame”.

The OTD is a year long program that not only has allowed me to deepen my clinical understanding of meaningful, occupation focused interventions for my clients; it has given me an opportunity to hone my leadership skills and is preparing me to be a leader in my own right. The core courses and faculty mentorship has been integral to this process. The continuous achievements of the USC Chan Trojan network, highlighted in our news fueling the fire. I am inspired and energized to follow in their footsteps. I hope all women in their prospective industries are able to find strong mentors in their field, but if you are an occupational therapist, I sincerely believe there is no better place than the OTD program here at Chan to make that a reality. 

Beagan, B. L., & Fredericks, E. (2018). What about the men? Gender parity in occupational therapy. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 8(2), 137-145. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008417417728524

Jacson, S. (2019, December 23). It will be 257 years before women have equal pay, gender gap report says. NBC News. https://nbcnews.com/news/world/it-will-be-257-years-women-have-equal-pay-new-n1103481

Yeung, J. (2019, December 17). Global gender equality will take another 100 years to achieve, study finds. CNN Business. https://cnn.com/2019/12/17/asia/gender-pay-gap-uk-wef-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

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The Building Blocks of the Pre-Master’s Program ⟩
February 14, 2020, by Japeth

Admissions Diversity International Videos

Coming from a country where English language is not the official language may be difficult for some students who intend to go abroad for continuing education. This is what I also felt when I was still applying to the program. Questions such as “Will I be able to speak confidently?” or “Can I express myself and my thoughts properly?” were always on my mind. International students also need to take an English Proficiency Exam (IELTS or TOEFL) and must reach a score that is accepted by the department. This requirement is difficult, to be honest! Aside from this, students who are planning to enter graduate school must also take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), which includes questions about analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning. This exam is just equally difficult, if not more, as the IELTS or TOEFL.

For interested international students who might be worried on their performance on these tests, don’t fret! I am happy to share about USC’s Pre-Master’s Program, which aims to help students improve their performance and scores!

Below is a video featuring Yen Ting Ni and Yi Fan Lin, both went through the Pre-Master’s program before joining this year’s Post-Professional MA in OT cohort.

I hope this video is helpful to future applicants and students! Also, I would like to share with you about what changes the Admissions Team has been doing! The admissions team headed by Dr. Arameh Anvarizadeh, together with Dr. Kristin Nxumalo and Dr. Amber Bennett, has changed how admissions look like! USC Chan has moved towards what we call the “new admission holistic process”, where all components of the admission criteria are given equal importance and value.

Fight On!

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Becoming part of the 4.2% ⟩
December 12, 2019, by Marilyn

Diversity Getting Involved

According to the 2018 U.S. Department of Labor — Labor Force Statistics there are 116,000 employed Occupational therapist (OT) in the nation. Of those employed in the U.S. the demographic percentage breakdown by ethnicity is 91.1% White, 6.4% Asian, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, and 2.5% Black or African American. As a Latinx occupational therapy master’s student who was recently admitted into the Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at USC, I am looking forward to becoming part of the 4.2% in the near future.

As a student ambassador for the division, I have been able to work with the admissions and ambassador team on diversity related events, in hopes of increasing awareness about this healthcare profession. Throughout the semester, I tabled at conferences, presented at middle schools, and met with leaders in the division who are passionate about diversifying the profession. These opportunities coupled with my zeal for changing the current statistics on sociocultural diversity in the profession, make me excited to highlight a couple of those events.

Latino College Expo @ Pomona

Washington STEAM Multilingual Academy @ USC (OT Visit on Campus)

Press Friends Newspaper @ John W. Mack Elementary School

These specific events remind me of the questions I find myself pondering on:

• What can I do as a student in the division to make a shift in the demographic percentages of students applying to the Master’s program?
• How can students in the program support one another with forging relationships that are long lasting?
• Who do I need to collaborate with to really be able to understand how to make a shift in the current statistics on sociocultural diversity in the profession?

Accepting my Doctoral program admissions offer is my first step in answering these questions. Being a future healthcare provider with an OT lens makes me excited, especially when there are limited professionals who represent a broad range of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. I am certain that with continued mentorship, I will be able to further understand barriers impacting students of diverse backgrounds from applying and ultimately choosing OT. Concurrently, I will be better equipped to deliver culturally sensitive OT services by learning about my client’s sociocultural backgrounds and supporting them with achieving their goals.

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Finding my Squad in Black Excellence ⟩
October 14, 2019, by Kat

Diversity

This past weekend I went to the Black Graduate Student Network’s (BGSN) Kick the Day Back event. It was lit and I had so much fun! I had the opportunity to meet other Black grad students, network, and had a great time doing so. USC BGSN is a student organization that emphasizes “building a family we can utilize as a network”. This resonates with me as a Black student in the OT program. Finding community and belonging can be difficult. But having student orgs like BGSN that put on events that promote unity and community make it a lot easier for a minority student like myself. This past weekend I met PhD pharmacy, law, and masters of education in PASA students. It was an incredible feeling to be in a room filled with Black excellence. The BGSN hosts a variety of events throughout the school year such as their upcoming tailgate that will be held on the quad at the main campus this Saturday (10/19/19). They even have Spotify playlists you should check out for great music! 

During my undergraduate studies, it was easier to find communities I belonged to because of living on campus, sports I participated in, and having classes everyday. Graduate school is a whole new ball game when it comes to finding your niche. Luckily USC offers a number of student orgs specifically for the minority population such as the LatinX Student Assembly (LSA) and the Sistah Circle. The Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs (CBCSA) is a great resource for Black students looking for empowerment and engagement with campus life.

After this weekend, I know I found my crew with the BGSN! Periodt!
Don’t be afraid to branch out, be social, and find your squad, if you haven’t already.

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