Student Blog
Videos

A Week in the Life: OTD Residency Edition ⟩
April 30, 2021, by Daniel

Classes Fieldwork Life Hacks Videos

As I prepare to go into the last semester of my OTD Residency, I wanted to share with you all what a typical week looks like for me. Completing my residency at the LAC+USC Primary Care Adult West Clinic has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as a student, and now licensed occupational therapist.

I hope you find this vlog helpful and enjoy it!!!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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A Day in the Life (Hybrid edition) ⟩
April 28, 2021, by Yna

Classes International Living in LA Videos

“What’s a typical day of a master’s student look like?” “How are your classes being held?”— these two must be some of the top questions that I get asked by students. That is why I decided to make a vlog called A Day in the Life — Hybrid edition, because we are currently employing a combination of in-person and virtual formats for some of our courses. Safety measures are observed to ensure safe delivery of in-person instruction, such as weekly COVID-19 tests, completing the Trojan Check before coming to campus, physically distanced classroom seating arrangement (one student per table), and wearing of face shields whenever we needed to get closer than 6 feet with each other. In this video, you will see me go to campus for our in-person class for OT500: Clinical Problems in OT, Special Topics and Emerging Practices, wherein we learned from Jane Baumgarten OTR/L proper techniques when performing physical transfers and mobility on a variety of client populations. I also included steps on how to do the Trojan Check and how to make a reservation to use the library. Watch the video here:

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Being Black in OT: The Impact On My Future Black Clients ⟩
April 7, 2021, by Lamoni

Diversity Videos

Two weeks ago, I attended a livestream event by the Summit Performance Indianapolis called “Black Voices in OT.” It consisted of a play that highlighted common experiences of Black occupational therapy students and practitioners. Many of these experiences were negative. It was filled with micro-aggressions, insensitive statements, and harmful actions by peers, professors, and bosses. The structure of the play was interesting because it took place over a zoom call; It was two OT practitioners and one OT student having a casual check-in to release all of their frustrations regarding the racism that they experienced during work and at school. The purpose of the play was to bring attention to the fact that Black OTs have to navigate racism all while trying to balance the demands of being a graduate student, care for clients to their full capacity, maintain relationships with peers and coworkers, and remain in a positive attitude. It requires a lot of energy and it can feel even more depleting when there is not a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen.

As I watched the play and heard the compilation of several upsetting stories which were extracted from actual surveys taken by Black OTs and OT students, I did find relief in the fact that they had each other. Between their sighs and head shakes were also moments of laughter. It reminded me of my own conversations with my family and Black friends. To be amongst people with a shared identity and shared experiences can be very therapeutic. It can be a source of reassurance and confidence. It can be the difference between getting knocked down and staying down or choosing to stand up again.

USC Chan’s incoming class of 2023 is the most racially diverse class yet. I can only hope that an increase in diversity is true for several other occupational therapy programs across the nation because we need it. I believe more representation in the field would decrease the number of negative experiences highlighted in the play. Besides that, I think being Black in OT comes with many positives for Black clients. Currently, and rightfully, the Black community has a lot of mistrust towards the healthcare system. This is due to a long history of medical abuse, neglect, and exploitation. As more Black people enter healthcare professions, trust can be restored. With trust comes more buy in; clients may be more likely to fully participate during sessions and to listen to the OT’s recommendations. This can translate to greater improvements in their condition, fewer hospital re-admissions, etc.

As a Black OT, you will be a practitioner that your Black clients can relate to. Being of the same culture typically means that there will be several shared experiences, maybe similar upbringings, or interests. This is another way to build rapport and establish a strong, trusting relationship. Additionally, you can be a source of emotional healing. We typically think of healing in terms of health conditions, but we have to remember that occupational therapy is holistic and takes into account emotional health. Racial injustices are constantly taking place around us and this undoubtedly takes a toll on Black clients’ wellbeing. If you are working in an inpatient rehab facility and your Black client does not have friends or family around to talk about what they may have recently watched on the news (for example, Black Lives Matter marches), your presence and the assumption that you understand racial trauma can promote healing. Even without speaking, you may be a source of comfort.

I will be graduating next month and while I am simply excited to soon enter the workforce in this amazing profession, I am equally excited to serve my community. I think about the general mistrust towards the healthcare system and how extra doubt may be present towards a field like OT. Many people do not know what occupational therapy is and what occupational therapists do, thus, mistrust may be amplified. Having someone from your background explain the profession, become your practitioner, and lead your interventions is not only beneficial for Black clients but for the occupational therapy profession overall. Yes, we may experience some negative moments, but I am hopeful that the good will outweigh the bad. I am also hopeful that the number of Black OT students and practitioners will rise and, in return, cause the number of unpleasant moments to fall. Continue to push towards diversOT, it benefits us all and can only make our profession better.

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Humans of USC Chan Volume 2 ⟩
January 25, 2021, by Calvin

Diversity Getting Involved Videos What are OS/OT?

Did you know that you can major in occupational therapy as an undergraduate student at USC? The Chan Division currently offers an accelerated program, known as the Bachelor’s to Master’s Program, where undergraduate students can earn their master’s degree in occupational therapy with just one additional year. I believe that the BS-MA students have very unique experiences to share, especially as individuals who committed to the profession so early on.

So, I invited some Bachelor’s to Master’s students to come and talk about how they discovered occupational therapy! On top of that, we discussed topics related to their favorite experiences, extracurricular involvement, differences being in an accelerated program at USC, and advice for students who might be interested in the program! If you watch it through YouTube, the video is time-stamped with each topic in case you ever want to go back to a specific conversation.

I hope you find this video helpful and that these diverse perspectives give you more insight into what student life is like in the Bachelor’s to Master’s program! Welcome to the Humans of USC Chan!

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Joining a Growing Number of Latinx Occupational Therapists ⟩
January 5, 2021, by Daniel

Diversity Getting Involved Videos

Recently the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) published the 2019 Workforce and Salary Survey. Based on 15,596 responses (most being AOTA members), in 2018 race/ethnicity of occupational therapists were as follows: 3.6% Hispanic/Latinx, 2.6% African American/Black, 6.3% Asian/Pacific Islander, 0.2% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 1.7% Multiethnic, 1.6% Preferred not to Answer, with the majority of occupational therapists remaining at 84.0% Caucasian/White. Keep in mind that these numbers are based on people who responded to the survey. The United States (U.S.) Bureau of Labor Statistics also compiled data in 2019 from employed occupational therapists that were as follows: White, 75.7%; Black or African American, 10.2%; Asian, 12.4%, and Hispanic or Latino, 10.2%.

The truth is these statistics are not where I or many people would want them to be and they make me feel fortunate to be a part of this small, but growing percentage of Latinx occupational therapists. It is also a reminder that I must continue to push the narrative. In addition to the numbers shared above, I also represent an unknown statistic of undocumented occupational therapists in the United States. The closest statistic I found while doing my research was from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) tabulation data from the U.S. Census Bureau 2018 American Community Survey, which found that 3.6% of “therapists” in the U.S. are “foreign-born workers”. Yet, there is no true number I can refer to as this number gathers occupational therapists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, and speech-language pathologists under the term “therapists”, and the term “foreign-born workers” can include undocumented people, undocumented people with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, and a variety of visas. Furthermore, disclosing immigration status is a sensitive topic to disclose on surveys or any type of data collection.

So why is this important you may be wondering? Well, as I have disclosed in a previous financial aid video, I am currently undocumented with DACA status. My entire life has been full of firsts, first person in my family to go to college, first to go to graduate school, and the list goes on. During the process and since officially becoming a licensed OT in California, the firsts just keep coming and as we begin 2021, I foresee many more happening this year. At some point this year I will be completing my Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree and applying for jobs. If someone would have told me this back when I was in high school, I would have not believed it. Back then I didn’t think it was possible to even go to college, much less that one day I would be at USC working on my doctorate degree. This is why the numbers above matter because to have access to even one professional that looks like you or that may come from a similar background can make a huge difference in someone’s decision to pursue a specific program and/or career as it did for me. Furthermore, having representation in the healthcare field for clients from diverse backgrounds is vital to providing the best care possible and better understand client beliefs and values.

This year my life is going to change, and it is scary/exciting as this will be one of the biggest firsts I’ve ever had to experience. The last two years at USC, I’ve had the opportunity to have mentors in the OT profession such as Dr. Celso Delgado, Dr. Jesus Diaz, Dr. Gabby Granados, Dr. Beth Pyatak, and Dr. Arameh Anvarizadeh, to name a few, who have supported me in ways that have made it possible for an undocumented student from Van Nuys to join this group of occupational therapists working to increase representation in our profession and make our communities’ voices heard. And I also want to give a shoutout to some of my classmates, Katie Bui, Marilyn Thompson, and Janis Yue, for also doing the work to increase diversity in OT these last few years and also working on their OTD.

For 2021, I have made two commitments. The first commitment is to become even more engaged in sharing my story and be a mentor to more OT students, applicants, and those interested in this field. The second commitment is to do more community work with organizations across the country such as Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD). These are my initial commitments I have planned this year in order to continue increasing those percentages shared earlier and help create an even more diverse, inclusive, and equitable OT profession. Change is slow but it’s up to us to make that change. If you are a potential applicant, someone interested in OT, or current student feel free to reach out to me! (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 818-571-8222). Let’s network and have these conversations!

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