Student Blog
What are OS/OT?

Aging ⟩
April 18, 2014, by Jen

What are OS/OT?

With my birthday rapidly approaching, I have been thinking a lot more about the concept of aging. Aging is something we have discussed a lot in the OT program at USC. My class recently discussed older adults and the transition they make to retirement. I think this is such an interesting topic because with people living longer lives, they now need to retire at an older age in order to have sufficient funds for the remainder of their lives. I know people who retired in their early to mid-fifties, but have since returned to work. They have faced not only transitioning to retirement but also transitioning back into the workforce. My class also discused the concept of aging in place. Aging in place is where a person continues to live in their household as they get older as opposed to an assisted living center or nursing home. I was somewhat surprised only 1/6 of adults can do this. I had a client recently who lived in his own home until he passed away. As he got older he started to need assistance for a couple hours a day to help with cooking and cleaning. After a couple years of minimal assistance he began to need more and more assistance until he eventually had 24 hour caregivers at his house. Although it was quite a large expense, it was very important and comforting for him to be able to stay in his home up until he passed away. Another topic we discussed was older adults with dementia or cognitive limitations. I hope there is further research conducted on this topic as the number of people affected by dementia is growing. Occupational therapy can have a tremendously positive impact on the lives of people with cognitive limitations and can help reduce the barriers they face on a daily basis.

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Boston Strong ⟩
April 15, 2014, by Jen

Videos What are OS/OT?

Today marks one year since the horrific bombing at the Boston Marathon. This morning when I was reading the news, I came across this article: “Boston Bombing Victim’s Defiance One Year On”. This article and video were especially meaningful to me because a victim of the bombing discussed her experience with occupational therapy. In the video, both the victim of the bombing and the occupational therapist discuss their experience working together. This reminded me of why occupational therapy is so important and why I am so happy to be going into this field.

Here is another great article I found: “With A Dream On Hold, Bombing Victim Remains Optimistic”. The occupational therapist in this article provides a great definition of occupational therapy: “Occupation therapy means the little occupations that make up your day — getting to the toilet safely, getting in the bathtub safely, adaptive strategies to get dressed when you can’t quite reach your feet because of pain or other limitations,” Buttiglieri explained. “We teach people how to do their daily living tasks. Get back to their daily routine.”

#BostonStrong

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Practicing What I Preach ⟩
April 10, 2014, by Kate

Life Hacks School/Life Balance What are OS/OT?

In the past 2 years as a graduate student, I have learned skills I will need as a clinician, including how to use therapeutic communication and different therapeutic modes with different clients. I have learned how to ask the right questions and inquire about my patient’s interests, occupations and goals. I have learned to speak realistically, yet positively, and help people live healthier, happier and more productive lives. As the weeks between now and graduation narrow, and I as take the necessary steps to plan for my future, I ask myself if I am practicing what I preach to others.

How am I speaking to myself? How am I treating myself — my body and my mind? How am I spending my time? Am I devoting time to the occupations I value? Am I treating my friends and family in the same manner in which I would treat one of my patients? I want to change the conversation I am having with myself, especially as I gear up for what might be a stressful transition from graduate school to the “real world.”

This means taking the time and making the effort to exercise, exploring a local farmer’s market, buying myself fresh flowers every week, writing in my gratitude journal, seeing nature by taking a hike, drinking more water, and spending time with my friends that will lift me up and encourage me. Negativity is out the door. Positivity only! I want to create a balanced life for my patients, and I know that I need to lead by example. Cheers to that!

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I Love the Student Run Clinic! ⟩
February 6, 2014, by Clarissa

Getting Involved What are OS/OT?

The Student Run Clinic (SRC) is run by students in the Pharmacy, Physician Assistant, Medical, and OT programs at USC. I think the interdisciplinary aspect is so cool and the fact that students run the entire organization amazes me. The clinic operates on Saturdays in the Eisner Family Medicine Center in downtown Los Angeles, which is a primary care clinic. Currently, OTs do not have a strong presence in primary care, which is so unfortunate because OTs have a lot of potential to impact patients’ lives upon their first encounter with health care. We’re working on bringing OT into this new field though! Being part of this emerging practice area is really exciting!

My position on the SRC board is Care Team Coordinator (CTC), which means that I act as the team leader. Each team consists of representatives from the occupational therapy, pharmacy, physician’s assistant, and medical schools. Each individual discipline goes in to see the patient before we all huddle together for a treatment plan. Our preceptors are also there to assist with the learning process. My job as the CTC is to guide the team through the protocol with the patient and facilitate discussion between the team members. On certain clinic dates, I also have the opportunity to volunteer as the OT instead of the CTC. Acting in both roles has been great because I’ve been able to work on different skill sets with each.

I’ve learned a lot since my initial involvement with the Student Run Clinic! When I’m the OT volunteer, I practice treatment planning with the interdisciplinary team, collaborating with the patient about their goals, proper documentation, and how to educate other professions as well as the patient about OT. When I’m the CTC, I learn how to put together various pieces of the puzzle. Multi-tasking is a key aspect of being a CTC — I need to ensure the team has a good learning experience, the patient receives the care they need, and that the team moves efficiently. I definitely am learning how to be assertive! It’s been a challenge and I’ve had my share of uncomfortable “I don’t know what to do” moments but who doesn’t while learning?

To sum it all up — Student Run Clinic rocks!

Here’s a picture of my team and our preceptor from the last time I was in the clinic:

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Out with Cohorts, in with Electives! ⟩
January 30, 2014, by Clarissa

Classes What are OS/OT?

For the first 1.5 years of this program, I pretty much had my schedule set for me with required classes. The way it works is that we are split up into 3 cohorts at the beginning of our program (A, B, or C) and each cohort rotates through what we call immersion courses which are in the different practice areas of our profession — Physical Disabilities, Mental Health, and Pediatrics. We grow really close to our cohorts because we pretty much see them all day, every day. We still see classmates outside of our cohorts as well, though, because we have courses outside of our immersion.

Our final semester is different because we no longer have cohorts and now have electives! I wish I could take all the electives that existed! I ended up selecting Hands, Dysphagia, Early Intervention, and Motor Control as my elective courses. They’re all great courses and I love all the application. In dysphagia, we learn about treating patients who have difficulty swallowing. Last week, my partner and I looked at one another’s oral anatomy and tested each other’s gag reflexes (while my friend Kathy photobombed us). It was cool! Just not so cool when it was my turn:

Twice a week, I also go to Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center for my motor control course — once to learn in a large classroom setting and practice techniques on my classmates and once for lab where I share my instructor with just one other person and apply what we learned on a patient. We’re currently learning on the stroke unit and I’ve so far found this class really valuable. The instructor is so good and I’m learning so much! In this picture, I’m mobilizing my friend/patient Judy’s scapula. Later on, I cuddled up to my friend Angela (aka patient who had a stroke) so we could practice educating patients how to manage sleeping in their home with their spouse. Lastly, the picture includes my friend Megan who put together a wheelchair BLINDFOLDED! Yup, we are definitely getting the wheelchair management techniques down cold!

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