Student Blog
Fieldwork

OT in UT ⟩
September 6, 2016, by Kimmy

Fieldwork School/Life Balance

For my first Level II fieldwork experience, I spent this past summer in Utah.  Since I returned home for every summer before, I was itching for an adventure! And what an adventure I got!

I decided to go out of state for fieldwork because it is uncommon to be granted an opportunity to work anywhere you want for three months. At this point in my life, I have the freedom to travel and I wanted to make the most of it. Though I had never been to Utah before, I was excited to learn about a new place and, more importantly, learn about OT in a new place!

I completed my pediatric fieldwork rotation at the University of Utah Life Skills Clinic. As an outpatient teaching clinic, the site was very receptive to students and provided me with a valuable learning environment. The mentorship from experienced occupational therapists and partnership with other fieldwork students made me feel comfortable in this unfamiliar place.

As all OTs preach, balance is a key part of any meaningful experience. So I made sure to balance my fieldwork responsibilities with recreational exploration. When I wasn’t in the clinic, I could probably be found on a mountain. In addition to hiking every weekend, I went tubing down the Provo River, rode in a hot air balloon over Park City, and was captivated by national parks of Southern Utah.

Based on my own adventures, I would encourage everyone to consider traveling out of the area for fieldwork! I found it extremely eye-opening to learn about OT in a different state, meet students from the OT program at a different university, and become immersed in the culture of a different place. But the best part, of course, was being able to come home to USC at the end. 😊 If you have any questions about out-of-area fieldwork, please reach out!

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Where can Occupational Therapists practice?! ⟩
September 1, 2016, by Alyssa

Fieldwork What are OS/OT?

One of the greatest perks about becoming an occupational therapist is that you have a variety of options to choose from when deciding where to work! Occupational therapists can practice in a variety of settings, which include but are not limited to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, home health, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, private practice, school systems, private organizations, industry, and community organizations! Occupational Therapy is a health profession that focuses on engaging individuals in meaningful occupations or activities. So . . . who are these “individuals”? And what makes an occupation “meaningful”?

During this past summer, I completed my level II fieldwork in the practice area of pediatrics at the non-profit, outpatient clinic Leaps and Bounds Pediatric Therapy in Norco, California. If you read Jessica’s prior post, she gives you plenty of detail of what a level II fieldwork is all about! During this fieldwork experience, I was able to apply the knowledge I learned from the classroom, develop my clinical reasoning skills, and get hands-on experience in treating children who are at risk for, or experience challenges, in participating in their everyday activities, such as playing with their favorite toys, that are typical and appropriate.

One unique opportunity I received during my fieldwork experience was learning and implementing the treatment strategy of Hippotherapy on a ranch! I know what you’re thinking . . . she did therapy with hippos!? Well, not exactly! Hippotherapy is a treatment strategy that can be used by occupational therapists, as well as other health care providers, such as physical and speech therapists, to use the movement of the horse to improve their participation in everyday activities, whether this means to improve their posture to sit upright at a desk when writing or strengthen their core to bend and tie their shoes!

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What is fieldwork? ⟩
August 30, 2016, by Jessica

Fieldwork

A lot of prospective students have questions about fieldwork, so I thought I’d address that in this post!

A great thing about being an OT student is not just learning new concepts and interventions in class, but actually putting the knowledge into practice. That’s where fieldwork comes into play! As an OT student, you will be participating in two types of fieldwork: Level I and Level II. Level I fieldwork provides exposure into specific practice area, where depending on the setting, you may mostly observe OT practice in that area, or you may get to be more hands on with clients. At USC specifically, you get three Level I experiences, one in each of our major practice areas: adult rehab, mental health, and pediatrics. You’ll have each Level I fieldwork experience coincide with the practice area you are studying for that semester. So for example, since I’m currently in the Pediatrics practice area immersion, I will doing my Level I fieldwork in pediatrics this semester. Each Level I fieldwork experience occurs 1 day per week for 10 weeks, with one week of full-time fieldwork in the middle of the semester.

Level II fieldwork, on the other hand, much more hands-on, as the end goal is to become a competent entry-level therapist. At USC, you’ll have two Level II fieldwork experiences — one in the summer between your first and second year, and one the summer after your second year of coursework. Each Level II experience runs for 12 weeks, under a full-time therapist’s schedule. Throughout the summer, you will be supervised by a clinical instructor at your site, who will be supervising you and helping you develop your skills as an OT practitioner. Sounds a little scary right? Don’t worry — your clinical instructor will be there to give you feedback and help you develop your clinical reasoning skills. At my Level II fieldwork site this past summer, my clinical instructor graded my responsibilities — mostly observation and orientation my first week, then gradually adding on an additional patient to my caseload each week until I had a full caseload.

Overall, all of your fieldwork experiences are going to help you develop your skills as a therapist. Try to remember to keep an open mind. You may be placed a site you don’t think is “ideal” (FYI — no site is perfect), but there’s always things to take away from those experiences. Whether it’s gaining exposure to a practice area you may have never considered before, or working on building interpersonal skills with clients, there is so much value in being able to spend time out in the field, learning by doing.

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Sorry to say good bye ⟩
November 18, 2015, by Heather

Fieldwork

Yesterday was my last day of fieldwork for the semester. My fieldwork placement was at a private pediatric clinic in Simi Valley called Kids Connection. It was truly an amazing experience, and showed me what effective evidence-based treatments can look like in pediatric occupational therapy.

While at Kids Connection, I had the opportunity to work with children with a range of diagnoses between the ages of 6 months to 21 years. At first I was worried that my lack of experience in pediatrics would hinder my ability to work with our clients. I could not have been more mistaken. I quickly learned from my clinical instructor the ins and outs of what makes an effective pediatric occupational therapist.

Play was an integral part of each treatment plan with the child, which was also very therapeutic for me. It was a great feeling to leave fieldwork each day feeling more uplifted than when I had arrived.

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The Magic Garden ⟩
October 26, 2015, by Jodie

Fieldwork What are OS/OT?

This semester I am in the mental health immersion and my level I fieldwork site, Century Villages at Cabrillo (CVC), is a nonprofit community development organization that delivers supportive services which aim to empower residents, restore health and inspire hope. CVC creates the physical and social conditions where collaborating programs can succeed to break the cycle of homelessness.

At CVC, I help facilitate three groups: walking group, cooking group and garden/arts and crafts group. My favorite thing about this fieldwork site is that I have the opportunity to interact with residents while at the same time, participate in some of my most meaningful occupations. (OT for everyone!) My favorite group that I participate in is the arts and crafts group that takes place in the “Magic Garden” on campus. Residents from all different programs come together to work on different art projects and I always enjoy having the opportunity to learn more about each resident while working on the craft activities in the serene garden.

Many residents on site are veterans and one in particular, who I have had the wonderful opportunity of getting to know more during the arts and crafts group, is a talented artist named Kevin. Kevin served in the military about 20 years ago however, has always had an interest in art, especially painting. While at CVC, Kevin continues to engage in his meaningful occupation and enjoys teaching fellow residents painting techniques, as well as showing off his artwork for everyone to admire. Kevin gave me permission to share some of his artwork with all of you in this blog so I hope you enjoy!

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