Student Blog
What are OS/OT?

Feeling a little overwhelmed? ⟩
October 18, 2012, by Ricky

Fieldwork School/Life Balance What are OS/OT?

So I was looking at my calendar the other day. I got a lotta things on my plate right now. I am a full-time student, I have a part-time internship, I have a part-time job, and I’m planning a wedding. It also doesn’t help that I live in the Inland Empire, go to school in LA, intern in Whittier, and my fiancée lives in Bellflower. Each day is different and I have had to get creative with my commute to save time and money. But you know how they say, “there’s always gonna be someone who has it worse than you do.” Some people in my class have it pretty rough too. I know this woman who is a mother of 3 and commutes from South Orange County. The life of a grad student is no joke. I get angry when people look at me as if to think “oh, your life is cake,” when I tell them I’m a student. “Trust me, I’d much rather have a 9-5 schedule, buddy,” is what I’m thinking, haha. But anyhow, it begs the question, “why do we do it?” Well, as for me, it’s because I believe in OT. Each fieldwork experience, I meet individuals whose lives have been improved because of OT. They tell me themselves. Like the lady at the rehab hospital who leaned over to me during her OT session and said that in her eyes, her therapists were angels. Or all the parents at the SI clinic who keep telling me that their little one wasn’t able to do this or that, until he/she had started OT. This stuff changes lives. That’s my motivation. I want to be the best OT I can and help as many people as possible, but even if I just help one person in the profound manner that I have seen at fieldwork, that would be worth it.

I want to give a shout-out to the guy I met at the OTAC conference, who said he reads this blog to stay motivated as he completes his prereqs to get into OT school. Bro, I’ve been there, and that can be just as rough (or more). Trying to get the classes is a feat in itself. I’m sure many of you prospective students are juggling jobs, parenthood, and a whole variety of responsibilities. To all of you, stay up and keep at it. I am pretty busy right now, but I don’t regret it one bit. Being here feels right . . . like I’m supposed to be here. I love me some OT.

I say we all pat ourselves on the back.

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‘Real’ life as an OT ⟩
October 17, 2012, by Kendra

Fieldwork What are OS/OT?

Last week was our full week of fieldwork, and while difficult and overwhelming at times, I always find these full weeks invigorating and a well-timed reminder of why I’m going into occupational therapy at all. While in school our lives are determined by case studies, readings, and exams. Life between September and December depends on being able to stay afloat, manage the stress load, and make the grade. Essentially, each fall and spring our life is completely consumed with being a student.

What is especially exciting during these full week immersions, is the ability to play the part of worker, wife, mother, housekeeper, cook, and experience what life will be like outside of school!

When I was in theater school my life consisted of auditions and memorizing monologues for comedy or Shakespeare classes, and I thrived. But when I graduated and was released into the wild world of acting I felt unprepared and was disappointed by the stark contrast between school and the big bad real world. For the longest time I shook my fist at the establishment that trained me for helping me become a better artist but never preparing me for the business and self-promotion aspect that is just as important, if not more, to establishing a career as an actor. Basically no one ever told me what daily life would be like.

This is why experiences like last week are so very valuable, not just in gaining clinical experience, but in having the chance each semester to try on the role of pediatric OT, acute inpatient OT, and mental health OT. We can see how well we fit (or don’t fit) into the daily grind of working in each setting. We can learn first hand how work effects our relationships, coping skills and leisure time. We experience what the stress of one setting is like compared to others and build not just skills but a realistic understanding of what the job will be like.

So as I transition back to my role of stressed out student, I feel refreshed and confident knowing that all this hard work is leading me to a fulfilling and inspiring lifetime in occupational therapy.

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What’s OT? ⟩
October 4, 2012, by Ricky

What are OS/OT?

Let’s face it. Occupational Therapy can be challenging to define. OT does so much for so many people, and it’s tough to describe it all in just a few words. Although it retains some key elements, my definition seems to be influenced almost every time I hear a fresh rendition (and that happens quite often). It’s almost like an unfinished work art . . . well not really; maybe I’m just a perfectionist, hehe. Anyhow, since I do hear some really good ones quite often, I have decided that I will be sharing them with ya’ll, going forward. Here’s the standard, to get us started.

In its simplest terms, occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations) — aota.org/consumers.aspx

Occupational Therapy is a health care profession aimed at improving performance, preventing illness and disability, and promoting adaptation to life changes — chan.usc.edu/about-us/occupational-therapy

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OTs go to war ⟩
October 3, 2012, by Kendra

What are OS/OT?

I’ve been thinking about the roots of occupational therapy lately. In my last post I talked about the Mental Hygiene movement and how OTs helped people with mental illness. Another area of practice critical to our development as a field was helping wound warriors and returning vets get back to life after WWII.

In WWII huge advances were made in rehabilitative care, mainly due to the fact that the nation was not prepared to treat all of the wounded veterans and people had to quickly and creatively develop methods to help our soldiers find jobs and assimilate back into their role as husband, son, and brother. OTs were perfectly placed to use occupation to help veterans returning home.

Flash forward to today and one would think OTs would, yet again, be at the forefront of care for our warriors, but in an information session held for prospective OTs, we had a soldier wanting to become an OT who said than in her two tours of Iraq and Afghanistan she met only one occupational therapist. ONLY ONE!

But we are making baby steps. There is a program offered for wounded warriors in LA in which they deal with PTSD in a supportive community environment via ocean therapy. Guess who started it, a USC OT grad.

And we need more OTs getting in there not just when the soldiers return home but when they return from battle. Think of the amazing work OTs could do with soldiers IN Iraq and IN Afghanistan. We could lead groups for people to explore their war experience while performing a calming occupation like playing an instrument or painting a canvas. OTs could be a part of nation building projects and work with local people to build gardens, homes, and schools. One of my favorite things about occupational therapy is that we can work anywhere with every population, we just have to fill the gap with occupation!

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Rancho Los Amigos ⟩
October 1, 2012, by Paula

Classes What are OS/OT?

Last week for our Adult Rehabilitation course, we had the opportunity to visit Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, CA. Rancho first began serving in rehabilitation services in 1888 and has since been a nationally known and respected facility which leads practice in rehabilitation. Lucky for us, Rancho has been affiliated with USC since 1972 and we are able to fully appreciate this relationship as students of the program here. Rancho provides and excels in rehabilitation services with directed focus on the needs of an individual who has experienced a stroke, brain injury or spinal cord injury, as well as services in pediatric, orthopedic, amputee and outpatient rehabilitation. Beyond these rehabilitation programs, Rancho also provides has many innovative patient programs which promote self-esteem and involvement including art programs, performing arts, wheelchair sports, horseback riding, fashion shows, and many more.

One of the main facilities we had a chance to see was The Center for Applied Rehabilitation Technology (CART). CART began in 1989, and utilized advanced technology to provide assistance to individuals with physical disabilities. This program employs a team of physical, speech, occupational, and recreation therapists and engineers to evaluate and provide assistive technology to clients in order to enable them to lead more independent lives. On our tour, we were able to see different assistive technology from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) used for individuals with speech impairments to the full Model Home which is completely decked out with modifications and assistive technology to display the true potential of Universal Design. The functional yet subtle changes to the environment which can enable an individual in his or her own home to practice more independence were abundant and being surrounded by it all made me realize that the possibilities truly are endless.

To end the afternoon, we visited the Rancho Driver Evaluation and Training Program which provides clients throughout the age-range who wish to return to driving. The program enables clients through simulation exercises, education and preparation for DMV procedures and also consultation pertaining to vehicle modifications. We were lucky enough to hear from Jay Cramer, an actor, a comedian and a part of the Rancho family. Jay sustained a spinal cord injury while bouldering in 2006 and became a patient at Rancho where he later met his wife. Jay showed us the modifications to his van with his service dog, Goliath, while he shared with us his view of life after his injury saying that he has experienced more now than he ever had before. His attitude, his humor and his enthusiasm for life was so refreshing. I encourage you all to read more about his story!

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