Student Blog
What are OS/OT?

Closing Time ⟩
May 4, 2021, by Liz

Beginnings and Endings Diversity What are OS/OT?

I knew this time was coming — final blog post and graduation! I cannot believe next week is graduation. These two years flew by so fast and I’ve seen myself grow so much. I’ve met lifelong friends, who can’t get rid of me now because they know far too much about me at this point. I am so excited to see where life takes us and all the amazing things we will do as OTs soon.

I never imagined getting a Master’s degree. If you took a poll at the schools I attended from elementary school to high school and asked “Which student in this classroom can you see in USC’s OT program one day?” it certainly wouldn’t have been me. I am grateful for all of my mentors from elementary school until now who encouraged me and believed in me when I didn’t. I am also thankful for my family, my amazing partner, and friends who’ve been there for me throughout this journey! I couldn’t have done it without you all.

Pictures speak volumes, so here are some of my favorites captured these past two years that make me happy. Prepare for photo dump!

Pictured: the future’s greatest OTs and my best friends! From left to right — Stephanie Gomez-Rubalcava, Raquel Rios, Renee Reinberg, and Lorelei Ritter. We did it! We went from crying in the hot tub of our apartment complex after only knowing each other for one week our first summer to crying tears of laughter. Go us! We’ve shared so many beautiful memories together and I am beyond grateful for each and every one of you. Cheers to us!

The greatest team in the world! Bethany, Calvin, Savi, Daniel, Yna, Lamoni — you are all such kind souls and I really wish we could just work together forever. Special thanks to the amazing Kim Kho — Kim, you are a gem. Ya’ll need to stand behind me on this one. Kim should honestly host a TED talk. You’ve pushed me to be myself, stay creative, and have always made our mental health a priority. A million times thank you! I will miss you all so much.

A FAQ I received this past year was “will I have time for a personal life?”. My answer is always, yes! Sometimes it’ll be a little challenging, but it’s very doable. Personal life consists of so many things — for me, it was making time to spend with my favorite person in the world. A very special shout out to a very special, patient, and goofball of a man my boyfriend, Josh. Thank you for being so supportive and working with my wild schedule!

Pictured: my motivation for everything that I do! My mom, dad, and little sister. Which brings me to the point: anyone else agree it should be illegal for younger siblings to be taller? Anyway, thank you for shaping me into the woman that I am today. You came to this country with nothing, only to give me everything. You painted my wings, we did it.

Bonus picture of my dad. He sent me this picture during my first week in the program — proudly posing at work with his boss’s USC flag. This picture keeps me going. You’ll have your own soon, pa!

Now, the terrifying, yet exciting question: What’s next?! After thinking long and hard, I decided not to go through with the OTD. Financially, it is not within my reach at this moment in time. And, I think it’s time I help my family. So, although I REALLY hope to teach some day, now’s not my time. But, I am hopeful that I will find my way back to reach this goal. For now, I am excited to help provide my parents with health insurance and lift some weight off their shoulders.

My fieldwork educator from the Spring mentioned he may have a position available for me after I get my license, so I will be staying in touch with him. As you all know, I had a blast! So, I am looking forward to going back and some day taking in a fieldwork student 😉 I am excited for what’s to come. And lastly, thank you to all the faculty at Chan whose made my experience truly unforgettable. Fight on!

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Good Days on My Mind ⟩
May 3, 2021, by Calvin

Beginnings and Endings Diversity What are OS/OT?

Wow, time sure does fly by, huh? I shouldn’t be surprised at this point, but graduation happening next week still seems so crazy to me! Almost two years have gone by since I officially started this program and so much has happened since then. I’ve made amazing, life-long friends, overcome so many obstacles to get here, developed an even stronger love and passion for occupational therapy, and I’m happy! I’m happy with where I am today and I’m happy with the person that I’ve grown to become.

And, of course, I couldn’t have gotten this far without my support system — the people that have truly made my experience here special and made me feel like I belong.

To my friends: You know exactly who you are!!! Thank you for always being there for me and for making graduate school such an unforgettable experience. Thank you for the late-night talks, the vent sessions, the hangouts, the crying and the laughter, and the what-the-heck-am-I-going-to-do-in-the-future panic conversations 😅. Thank you for everything, and I can’t wait to celebrate with you all very very soon 😊!

To my ambassador team: We really put in the WORK this year and I’m so blessed to have been able to collaborate with all of you. I really wish we could’ve been together in person, but I’m grateful that we made it work out and even found time to hang out with each other recently! If it wasn’t for this student ambassador position, I feel like I wouldn’t have had the chance to talk with y’all as often, and for that, I am beyond grateful 😊. AND thank you, Kim Kho! You have always been such a supportive, caring, and understanding supervisor while having to juggle so much on your plate. You’ve really helped make my ambassador experience memorable and it’s been wonderful getting to know you! Also, big thank you to the Admissions Team, Dr. Mike McNulty, Bianca Ojeda and Paul Bailey — what would we do without all of you?!?!

To my mentors: I’m so thankful to all of you — faculty and student mentors alike. Graduate school was a scary thing to jump into, but because of your unwavering support, I was able to navigate it with more ease and develop that sense of confidence and belonging. I also really want to give a huge thank you to Dr. Daniel Park. Danny, you’re just the best! I’ll never forget the day when I first met you and was introduced to your kind and approachable personality. I was just a lost, new student that was interested in participating in Global Initiatives, and you welcomed me with open arms. I always feel like everything is going to be okay when I talk to you, and you’ve absolutely made a positive impact on my experience here. Thanks so much for your guidance, mentorship, and friendship, Danny!

To my family: I don’t think saying “thank you” is ever enough to express my gratitude to you. You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are and help me get to where I am — I’m just forever grateful for everything you’ve done for me. Although I rarely say it, I love you, and even though you still don’t really know what occupational therapy is 😂, you’ve been a huge part of my journey and I could not have done this without you. Thank you and love you!

My time spent in the Master’s program has been incredibly meaningful, and I know that good days will continue to be on the horizon. However, this definitely isn’t goodbye yet haha! I’ll be sticking around for one more year to pursue the policy and administration track of the occupational therapy doctorate, completing my residency with the USC Chan Division China Initiative!

As sad as I am that this is the last time I’ll be writing these blogs, I’m super excited for this opportunity and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me! Thank you to all of you for reading my blogs and watching my videos. It means so much to me and I hope that we can all cross paths someday. For now, stay well, take good care, and I’m wishing you all the best! Fight On!

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Hot Off The Press!!! ⟩
April 19, 2021, by Calvin

Classes Externships Getting Involved What are OS/OT?

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Here at USC Chan, we actually have our very own magazine! The USC Chan Magazine is the division’s premier publication and releases twice yearly. The Fall 2020/Winter 2021 issue was recently published, and I had the pleasure of contributing to it as a writer and interviewer. Major thank you to the man behind the magazine, Dr. Mike McNulty, for his guidance, support, creativity and flexibility throughout the entire process, as well as for being such a driving force in making these magazines come to life! So much work gets put into crafting each issue and his collaborative efforts to piece everything together with all contributors is 👏!

Here are links to some articles included in the latest issue:

• The Longest Year, by Dr. Carnie Lewis
  Reflections on the frontline pandemic experience from a hospital-based occupational therapist.
• Lessons Learned, by Calvin Lee (me!)
  A new course helps make sense of the pandemic by studying it.
• Pain and Pleasure, by Jamie Wetherbe
  Face to face and through the screen, a USC occupational therapist helps a client better manage her everyday pain to improve quality of life.
• To Do Unto Others, by Dominique Como
  Narrowing oral health disparities gaps of Black/African American children with and without disabilities.

I’m also very grateful to have been able to tailor this experience towards my OT 540: Leadership Capstone Externship Project. The externship is an experience where students are provided with the opportunity to build leadership skills and explore an area that is of interest to them. I’ve always been fascinated with the USC Chan Magazine and I was very interested in learning about how an OT lens can contribute to the realm of copywriting and advertisement. I highly recommend giving the magazines a read 😊! Reflecting back, it’s amazing to see how much we’ve accomplished and overcome together as a USC Chan community.

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Fighting Feelings of Imposter Syndrome During Fieldwork ⟩
April 9, 2021, by Calvin

Fieldwork What are OS/OT?

Just last week, I completed my first Level II Fieldwork at Prototypes: A Program of HealthRIGHT 360! I was placed with the agency’s Adult Full Service Partnership (FSP) Program and Children’s Program where I was able to provide individualized occupational therapy services to clients across the lifespan who struggle with mental health concerns, needs, and barriers.

This was my first full-time fieldwork placement. I was expected to be there every day from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, whereas my previous Level I Fieldwork placements did not require me to come as often. Although I had heard amazing things about Prototypes from previous fieldwork students, I knew that things would be different given the pandemic situation, and also just that everyone’s experience is different. I was feeling anxious about taking on telehealth services, potentially meeting clients in-person, documentation, and more. I wasn’t sure how I would fit in with the team or if I was going to represent OT well enough in the mental health field. The imposter syndrome was real. However, after my first few weeks of fieldwork, those feelings of impostorism gradually began to fade away. I was able to build my confidence to thrive in what turned out to be a beyond-stellar fieldwork experience.

My clinical instructor (CI) was the only occupational therapist at my site, but they truly advocated and raised OT awareness within our client and provider population. I am so fortunate to have had their supervision because they helped further my understanding of what occupational therapy’s role in mental health is. I also appreciated how they always challenged me to ask questions and tested my clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills. At first, I was nervous about making mistakes, but I kept reminding myself that it’s okay and that I should take those as opportunities to learn and grow. Additionally, with the rest of the agency team (inclusive of case managers, clinicians, administrative support and program directors), I felt very well supported and empowered to make an impact as an occupational therapy fieldwork student. It wasn’t long after the beginning when I started to more confidently plan clients’ treatments, document my sessions, present cases to my fellow colleagues, and really highlight the unique capacity of occupational therapy within the mental health community.

It was this sense of community and appreciation for OT that made me feel like I belonged, and uplifted me to bring my skills and knowledge of resources to the table. I was able to creatively collaborate with my caseload of clients to address hygiene management, budgeting their finances, accessing resources, accountability with task completion, social participation, engaging in habit change, and building and maintaining routines so that they can independently participate in their daily lives. I realized that this is the beautiful work of occupational therapy in mental health (and of course there’s so much more to it)! These are meaningful occupations that may be difficult for individuals to participate in because of their mental health needs and barriers. As occupational therapists, we have the power to use occupations as a means and as an ends, as well as to support our clients with health promotion and education, holistic interventions, and our therapeutic use of self.

Overcoming self-doubt and persevering through my own imposter syndrome enabled me to come out of this fieldwork with a wealth of insight, about OT and about myself. I’m grateful for My Mental Health Immersion Experience for providing me with such a solid foundation that prepared me well for this experience. Also, the interprofessional collaboration that I experienced here was extraordinary, and I am incredibly thankful for all the mental health practitioners that I was able to collaborate with. Finally, thank you to my CI, my new West Coast University OT student friends, and especially my ambassador teammate, Bethany Yew, who was placed there along with me — WE DID IT, BETHANY!!!

I am very much looking forward to transitioning into my next, and final, Level II Fieldwork for the Summer 2021 semester, and I can’t wait to continue translating everything I’ve learned through my experiences! Whether if it’s our first or last, or if it’s Level I or Level II, good luck to all of us going into fieldwork. Let’s continue to support one another and make the most out of our experiences!

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The A-Z’s of USC OT: Part II ⟩
March 22, 2021, by Bethany

Admissions Classes Living in LA What are OS/OT?

In a previous post, I began The A-Z’s of USC OT: Part I. So continuing right where we left off . . .

Occupation — Occupation is, of course, the focus of our profession and one of the focuses of our schooling. We do not compare ourselves to other professions, but rather learn how to advocate for the inherent value of our distinct perspective as OTs.

Program interconnectivity — As a BS-MA student, we get to meet a lot of OS minors through classes and the Pre-OT club. We join up with Entry-Level students for the graduate level curriculum. We get to learn alongside Post-Professional Master’s students and OTD students in our electives, and have PhD students as our TAs. From my experience, students get to interact with OTs in all programs.

Questions and answers — Questions about fieldwork? Scheduling? Applying to the OTD after finishing the Master’s? Clinical experience? Our faculty and staff (and student ambassadors!) are responsive to all of our queries. We are also paired with faculty mentors, who are matched based on our interests.

Rehab lab — In the Center for Health Professions, we have a lab for Adult Physical Rehabilitation that includes a hospital setting, a bedroom, bathroom, and fully-functional. We can practice creating and implementing interventions in a real space. You can check out the room on our virtual tour!

Shuttle — There is free transportation between campuses! The shuttle is accessible to everyone, not just students. And shuttle time is great for conversations, naps, or watching shows on your phone. One of the previous ambassadors, Noelle, recorded her shuttle trip.

Trojan Family — Whether it be cheering our team on to victory, ending up at a fieldwork site with USC alumni, or of course networking through the Trojan Network site, the Trojan Family is inclusive, extensive, and supportive.

Undergraduate Study — USC is one of the few schools to offer an undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy, which helped me claim my identity as an occupational therapy student and learn to advocate better for the field. We also offer a minor in Occupational Science.

Vibrant student life — Around campus, you will find a bustle of students, whether they be grabbing food at the farmers market or Trader Joe’s or going to football games amidst a sea of cardinal and gold.

Well-established — USC’s OT program lives up to its name. We were the first Master’s degree in OT and the first PhD in OS. We developed Lifestyle Redesign, and we continue to be a top-ranked OT school.

X-amine yourself — Within our classes, we are given opportunities for introspection about how our own beliefs, communication styles, and backgrounds can affect how we come into a client-therapist relationship. For example, we complete a values checklist and share our results with our classmates, leading to (1) introspection, (2) learning to understand and listen to other perspectives, and (3) understanding the position of vulnerability we ask of our clients.

You’re not alone — Whenever I needed help, I had support from faculty. They worked with me to make sure I could participate in band for my senior year while taking classes. They looked at which fieldwork placements best suited my preferences and transportation needs. I’m happy to have resources to go to for anything I need in the program.

Zeal — One thing I have always admired about USC students is their passion. And now, I get to pursue my passion in occupational therapy alongside others who share that zeal to find ways to creatively help others do what they love.

Whew! 26 letters. Felt like a long list, but even so. It cannot sum up the passion for OT and the community that I found these past years. Regardless, I hope that I was able to give you a good glimpse into the program. 😊

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