Student Blog
Getting Involved

15th Annual Afternoon Tea with a Scholar ⟩
September 30, 2016, by Erwin

Getting Involved

This past Sunday was the 15th Annual Afternoon Tea with a Scholar. Each year, the Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC) hosts this event to highlight exciting research that is being done in the field of OT!

This year, Ann McDonald, MA, PhD, OTR/L, spoke about the dynamic role of occupational therapy in support of families due to the oftentimes difficult talks of meeting the needs of a family member who has a physical, emotional, or neurodevelopmental challenge.

The event was awesome and there were two main things I took away from this event: the importance of research in occupational therapy and the importance of our state organization.

Research plays a pivotal role in advancing occupational therapy. Science is ever evolving and it is important that occupational therapy works to develop the best forms of treatment possible for our clients. USC is one of the leaders for research in the field of occupational therapy. In fact, Occupational Science, the science that informs our practice, was founded here at USC.

Another takeaway from this event was the importance of our state organization, OTAC. Supporting our state organization is so important because it fights for our right to practice — specifically in California. Many people know that OT is one of the top jobs out there, but it did not happen overnight. OTAC works tirelessly to advocate for our profession and support its members so we can work in this wonderful field.

Four students and I had the pleasure of volunteering for this event. Not only was volunteering fun but it gave us an opportunity to serve our OT community. So whether you are a prospective student or a seasoned practitioner, get involved in our state organization and the promotion of scholarship in occupational therapy.

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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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My Favorite Summer Occupation! ⟩
July 15, 2016, by Megan

Classes Getting Involved What are OS/OT?

One of my all-time favorite occupations is working with kids. This week, I was fortunate enough to help out at a summer day-camp program. I have been involved with this program for 8 years now, and I have got to say it is one of the highlights of my summer. This year has been exciting and different, also, in that I have been able to apply material from the Lifespan Development and Psychology courses I took last semester. Both of these courses (which we take in the Bachelor’s to Master’s program) address fundamental aspects of the development of children, and have been so applicable in daily life this week.

One of my favorite parts about studying to become an OT is how the coursework can be applied to individuals I meet each day, across the lifespan. Even simple activities like working for a summer day-camp are able to reinforce and practically display the material I have learned as an OT major thus far.

I was especially excited this year to be working with a group of crazy, cautious, and adorable TWO-year-olds!! These little ones take a lot of energy and patience, but my heart just melts to see them grinning from ear to ear as we do various crafts, games, lessons and songs.

Not to mention, craft time this week looked a lot like the classrooms here that are currently set up for Creativity, Craft and Activity Analysis — a course the Entry Level Master’s students are currently taking! 😊

Another aspect of OT I have needed to use this week is creativity. Just as an OT takes each patient’s needs into consideration to establish a meaningful treatment plan, I have had to alter my approach when working one-on-one with each child. The toddlers in my group vary in their ability to verbally communicate, follow directions, complete activities . . . or even sit still for over 30 seconds. With this in mind, creativity has improved my ability to communicate with each child and ensured that our group has a productive and fun week!

Nothing I would rather do this week than hang out with these cute kids! Two-year-olds can be tiring, but SO much fun at the same time! If you have some free time and love kids as much as I do, I highly recommend volunteering at a day-camp or summer program!

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Next Steps . . . ⟩
May 9, 2016, by Joe

Getting Involved Life Hacks School/Life Balance

So, here we are, final blog post. I graduate in FOUR DAYS! (WOO!)

I’ve had the most incredible and transformative journey. I pivoted from one career path to come into the OT profession, initially aimed at going into physical rehab, then every semester showed me a new side of OT which flipped my world upside down. Now at the end of my final semester, I find myself interested in bridging between physical rehab and mental health practice, with a touch of primary care. And with one more fieldwork to go, I wonder how my interests will change by the time I take the board exam.

USC Chan has given me more than just clinical skills, but personal and professional life skills as well. If it wasn’t for the tremendous mentorship I received from our stellar faculty, I would not have become so involved with AOTA, which has opened incredible leadership opportunities and experiences, like attending conference to speak in front of hundreds of people, and even representing the OT profession at physical therapy’s national student conclave. Looking back, I can’t believe how much has happened in 2 years. it’s all just flown by!

So, what’s next?

I’ll be at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in their outpatient mental health programs. This includes working with teenagers with behavioral health problems, adults with special needs, and refugees for community integration. I’m SO excited to get started, and looking forward to being back on the east coast. I’m still waiting to hear from residency placements, but I expect to be back in the fall for the OTD program . . . with how much has happened in these last 2 years, who knows what that year of mentorship will bring as I’ll be a fully licensed occupational therapist!

For those of you just beginning your OT journey, some tips:

1. Get to know your faculty! I remember right at the beginning of the program, Dr. Samia Rafeedie, Director of the Professional Program, said simply: “you’re a student for now, but I see you all as future colleagues,” which really set the tone for the relationships we should develop with our faculty. I’ve made it a point to meet with each of my professors one-on-one at least once per semester. They have invaluable insight and expertise, and their input has been so crucial to my personal growth and success in the program. Make the effort, it’s well worth it! (And don’t worry, they’re all friendly and warm, they’re OTs!)

2. Learn through experience! Our classes are great at setting your foundation for clinical reasoning and developing hard clinical skills through fieldwork, but there is so much more to learn about yourself both personally and professionally through extracurricular experiences. Go to all the seminars, guest lectures, presentations, and the myriad opportunities available to you throughout your time in the program. I’ve continued to learn new skills through some unexpected ways, such as meditation training through my volunteer work with the health promotion office, and presentation skills through my work as an ambassador.

3. Get involved with our professional associations! I cannot stress this enough! Being a part of the OT profession means being a member of your professional associations at the state and national level. Not only do they act as your professional insurance to protect the work we do as OTs, but there are really great opportunities for learning and networking. Which leads me to:

3.5. Go to conferences! They’re super fun, but also give you a chance to feel part of the greater OT community. Go to the mixers and networking events, attend sessions of interest — I’ve made so many good friends from attending conferences. That’s where I meet the OTs who have similar interests as me, and who have offered invaluable advice going through the process. While there are lots of conference and symposium opportunities, attending at least once AOTA national conference is a must!

And finally, 4. RELAX. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress and workload of school, but remember to take time to take care of yourself. We talk about balance a lot as OTs, make sure to apply that to yourself. Keep up with leisure and recreational activities, make time for friends and family, and give yourself permission to enjoy a delicious meal and a good night’s rest.

Ok, one more — 4.5. Celebrate your successes! You’re going to work hard, savor the fruits of that labor!

Oh, and always . . . FIGHT ON!

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Touring with Homeboys ⟩
April 27, 2016, by Joe

Community Getting Involved

This morning I had the pleasure of leading a campus tour for clients from Homeboy Industries.

Homeboy Industries is an incredible organization whose mission is “to help formerly gang involved and the previously incarcerated, by offering hope, training and job skills. Our goal: To help former gang members redirect their lives and become contributing members of their families and our community.” They offer a variety of services & programs for education, employment, legal services, as well as mental health services. They also have several social enterprises where they employ and provide job training to former gang members and previously incarcerated people.

The group I led today was from their Pathways to College program, which provides support and education in pursuit of college degree programs. The students had a variety of interests and had never heard of Occupational Therapy, so it was a great opportunity to share with them this potential profession. They were also interested to hear about the clients I’ve worked with who had been involved in gangs and had previously been incarcerated.

We had such a great time, that they offered to swap roles and give me a tour of their facilities soon!

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