Student Blog
Life Hacks

Checking in at 13/26 ⟩
September 14, 2017, by Bryan

Life Hacks

From being dropped into the deepest end of the pool with five days a week of Kinesiology and Neuroscience, grasping for air trying to stay afloat completing that final GATE/PICO for Quantitative, to finally gaining some tread as my feet are able to touch the ground near the end of FW Level 2 this summer, it feels like I have been swimming nonstop since June 2016. As I enter into my second year of the program, I definitely wanted some time to step out of the pool, reflect, and share a few lessons learned before starting my final lap (unless I do the OTD!).

1. The faculty genuinely cares about your overall wellbeing. Coming from a large public school, I was much more familiar being another warm body in a 500-person lecture hall, often opting to just listen to a video lecture online. I was taken aback walking down the halls of CHP and being greeted by name from almost every faculty member. It was the first time in my educational career where professors spent time asking how we were all doing and how they could better communicate the lecture material to promote our understanding. With that said, it was the first time our midterm and final student feedback evaluations contributed to the future organization and direction of the courses. Lesson: If you have questions about anything from the material in lecture, what to pursue in the future, or even random advice about life, the faculty are always willing to listen and be there.
2. I was listening to the Harvard Business Review podcast earlier this week and they were presenting a claim that the key factor setting professional athletes, top-performing CEOs, and entertainers apart from others was their mentality, not necessarily their skill level. HBR argued that everyone can achieve a certain skill level but after that comes the need for a particular mindset. I felt the truth of this podcast throughout my fieldwork experiences where it was my fear of failing that hindered me as opposed to an objective lack of knowledge. Whether I was walking the floors of an inpatient acute rehabilitation unit or working on Handwriting Without Tears at a private pediatrics clinic, I was always conscious of messing up. Zooming out a bit, I realized that I was actually completely prepared with the clinical mindset and know-how for every scenario I was placed into, I just needed to take a breath and use the knowledge I was taught. Lesson:  Study hard and do not be scared to apply it!
3. One of the most fun and interesting things I took part in last year was hanging out with the students who visited from South Korea through Global Initiatives. It was so cool to see how OT was practiced and taught in another country and how, in the end, we were united by our passion to simply help others. I learned how to describe OT in Korean to better communicate it to my parents. The most fun part was getting Facebook Friend Requests randomly throughout the semester from students who visited USC. Lesson: OT is so global, start exposing yourself to the profession on an international scale. (Maybe it will help you plan for the externship in the Spring!)

Rounding the first corner of Fall semester, it has been really nice to peek over my shoulder at the hurdles I have jumped so far while keeping my gaze fixed on the hurdles to come. But, maybe the biggest lesson to remember is to enjoy the race altogether.

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No OT to shadow? No worries! ⟩
September 6, 2017, by Erika

Fieldwork Life Hacks

To those of you who are currently in or still need to complete the mental health immersion, this blog post is for you. Many of you have concerns about not having an OT to shadow during your level I due to the limited number of mental health facilities that have OTs available. That’s a fair concern, I had the same one! Fear not, I’m here to say that I had a great experience in my level I even without an OT to shadow. It took a bit of a perspective shift but once I was able to allow the experience to reveal itself naturally, what I ended up gaining exceeded any expectations and fears I had going in.

During my first fieldwork placement during my first year, I was placed at Verdugo Hills Hospital’s geriatric psychiatric unit called Stepping Stones. I had the opportunity to observe both inpatient and outpatient settings which was quite a privilege. As with most mental health settings, there was no OT to shadow. Therefore, I was placed under the supervision of two recreational therapists and an art therapist in the inpatient unit as well as two social workers in the outpatient unit.

Here is what made my mental health experience so valuable even without an OT to shadow:

1. I learned what professions are already well established in mental health, what they do, and how OT can provide additional value. Before this fieldwork, I didn’t know much about mental health. I just assumed that if someone had mental health issues, they’d see a psychologist. Through this fieldwork, I had the opportunity to observe interventions done by recreational therapists, an art therapist, and social workers and how they played their parts in assisting patients across the progress of their illness. I learned that in art therapy, you would choose mediums (markers vs. paints vs. colored pencils) according to the patients’ cognitive levels and abilities as well as the psychological significance of certain colors! I learned that social workers have the authority to diagnose and observed how they engaged clients in group talk therapy. Best of all, I was able to execute OT sensory and cognitive interventions and inform the other professions on what value we could bring to what they were already doing. It was a beautiful exchange of thought across professions and a shared passion of service to this population.
2. I was able to get exposed to all mental health settings through the experiences of my peers and in turn, reduce stigma that I personally associated with mental health. Since there are few OTs to shadow, mental health is the only immersion in which weekly fieldwork debriefs are set up with peers and a faculty member during class time. I think that most of my classmates would agree that this served as being one of the most helpful resources. We were placed with the same group all semester in which each member was placed in a different mental health setting so we got firsthand experiences of what each setting entailed. What a way to learn! It provided an open platform to not only share in each other’s concerns and successes but gave us a deeper lens into the mental health community. These debriefs equipped us with awareness and compassion, and in turn, helped debunk any stigmas that we initially came into the course with.
3. USC faculty support is top notch. Even with the lack of OT in my settings, there was never a time that I didn’t feel supported by USC faculty. With such breadth of experience, you are bound to find a faculty member that has practiced in the setting you’ve been placed in (inpatient, outpatient, full service partnership, wellness center, clubhouse, etc.). I was able to reach out to faculty members and pick their brains about possible interventions to try out, success stories, horror stories, etc. just to feel a bit more comfortable in understanding OTs role in my specific setting. This experience opened doors to forming relationships with faculty who I now see as mentors that I feel comfortable reaching out to for guidance throughout school and my future career.
4. Developing my therapeutic use of self. Even without an OT, this fieldwork placement was a great opportunity to observe the variance in how my supervisors, as therapists, utilized their own therapeutic uses of self. Everyone has their own gifts, ways of communicating, and backgrounds that contribute to how they practice and work with clients. It was fascinating to see how one recreational therapist Carl*, who I called the Zen master, would engage patients vs. another, Yuko*, who was bubbly and charismatic. They were so different and yet, their concern and care for every patient was expressed and equally well received. This made me really reflect on the fact that there is no one way to be a successful therapist. I began to observe my own therapeutic use of self and develop my own style of practice utilizing my own authentic experiences and gifts.

I know this post was a bit of a big boy but thank you for reading. Hopefully, I’ve been able to alleviate some fears or at least provide a change in perspective on what else you could look forward to during your level I mental health fieldwork placement. At the end of the day, with all your fears, questions, or concerns, know that there is faculty close by, peers going through the same thing, and new and interesting perspectives that lie untapped with your supervising mental health professionals that might provide more insight into your own value and practice with this population. Level I placements are meant solely as a means to observe so OPEN YOUR EYES — you may be surprised by what you end up learning.

*All names mentioned in this blogpost are pseudonyms.

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Back to School Again ⟩
September 4, 2017, by Ali

Life Hacks

One way in particular that makes the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy so unique is the Professional Program Course Sequence. As a Bachelor’s to Master’s student, I have had limited time out in the field as most of my life up to this point has been spent in the classroom. With level I fieldwork imbedded in our coursework each semester I have been exposed to pieces of occupational therapy that are exciting and eye-opening, but in the midst of exams, quizzes, group projects, presentations, and research papers at times over the last year I felt distant from the profession I know I will love.

This summer changed everything. With level II fieldwork I fell in love with occupational therapy on a whole new level. I was placed at a private practice in Half Moon Bay, California. My first day of fieldwork I was so nervous and anxious about what the next twelve weeks would have in store, but upon walking into the clinic I knew that I was in the right place. My site was a home converted into a pediatric speech and occupational therapy practice with families waiting in the living room. I learned more about using myself as a tool for therapy, what it means to be family centered, and the ins and outs of running a private practice than I thought possible.

Throughout my twelve weeks I transitioned from shadowing my clinical instructor to treating her full caseload. I completed treatment plans, interventions, and progress notes. Through projects assigned to me by my clinical instructor such as an in-service, case study, research projects, and readings I was able to maintain an evidence based practice and ensure I was providing the best treatment possible for my clients.

I have come back to school rejuvenated feeling more confident in my abilities as an occupational therapist and know that I will soon be working in a clinic that I love, where day in and day out I am helping my clients live their happiest and healthiest lives. I am now ready for another year of school in order to get there!

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Back to School Excitement ⟩
August 30, 2017, by Caroline

Life Hacks

I love the excitement that comes with a new school year! Growing up, I always looked forward to the annual tradition of back-to-school shopping with my mom and sister — pens, notebooks, and flashcards galore! At the start of a new year, I delight in filling my planner with color-coded assignments, due dates, and obligations . . . though looking at everything I have to accomplish over the semester can be slightly stress-inducing. One week at a time, Caroline, one week at a time.

These first couple weeks back at school were particularly exciting, as I got to reconnect with all of my classmates after we’ve all completed our first 12-week Level II Fieldwork experiences. It was very cool to hear about all of the different settings my classmates were working in: hospitals, pediatric clinics, schools, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, community mental health sites, inpatient psychiatric sites, home health, and more! My classmates have shared about their challenges, their successes, and (my favorite) their A-ha! moments. I have noticed a newfound confidence my classmates have gained after spending 12 weeks in the field, moving towards the comfort level that an entry-level OT practitioner has.

Because some of my friends chose to do their fieldwork placements out of the area for the summer, we decided to do a potluck brunch on the first morning of school to celebrate our reunion and the beginning of another school year! One of my friends lives in Currie Hall, a student apartment on our Health Sciences Campus, so it was incredibly convenient! We also got to check out the Solar Eclipse from her balcony (though to be honest, not sure what I was looking at. Good thing I went into OT and not Astronomy). It was a fun morning catching up, reflecting on our summers, and getting excited for the upcoming school year.

I am in Cohort A, so this fall semester, I’m taking OT503 the Pediatrics immersion course, which I am really looking forward to. In addition to Pediatrics, all of the second year students and I are taking the following courses: OT 534: Health Promotion and Wellness, OT537: Occupation-Centered Programs for the Community, and OT 538: Current Issues in Practice: Adulthood & Aging. Pediatrics, aging, programming, and wellness — if that isn’t a testament to the diversity of our profession and its scope, I don’t know what is! Check out our course sequence if you’re interested in the rest of the courses in the program, and follow along this semester as I work my way through these courses and all of the assignments in my fresh new planner!

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My Summer Reading List ⟩
July 20, 2017, by Jessica P.

Life Hacks What are OS/OT?

One of my all time favorite occupations is reading. Growing up, I would spend countless nights awake binge reading books. Now, as a college student, I have less and less time to indulge in free reading books. I typically use my summers to catch up on my never ending reading list. This summer, many of the books I have read have occupational therapy undertones.

I have read so many amazing books this summer so I am sharing my top must-read books for Summer 2017!

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey
by Jill Bolte Taylor

I first heard Taylor’s story by watching her TED talk, in which the Harvard brain scientist details her experience suffering a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. The novel delves even deeper into her personal experience with the balance between the two hemispheres of her brain.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
by Jean-Dominique Bauby

Written by the former Editor in Chief of French Elle Magazine, Bauby describes his own experience of locked-in syndrome, which he develops after a stroke. Bauby is physically paralyzed and can only communicate through blinking his left eye. It is a refreshing look at what recovery means from a patient perspective.

Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism
by Fumio Sasaki

Minimalism was first popularized by Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Sasaki’s book differs in that he gives personal anecdotes on how he has decluttered his life, as well as the psychological benefits he has experienced. With a whole section on tips to minimalize your own life, this book is a great tool for students to get organized and ready for the upcoming school year.

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
by Paul Tough

I originally read this book in Kate Crowley’s course, OT 320: The Nature of Human Occupation: Form, Function, and Meaning, however I decided to re-read it again to refresh myself on it. Tough’s book centers on some of the top youth chess players across the country and the one characteristic that they have in common: grit.

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