Student Blog
What are OS/OT?

Why OT? ⟩
June 1, 2020, by Liz

Diversity What are OS/OT?

As I reflect about my time thus far at USC Chan, I come to appreciate the diversity in the program and everyone’s unique story in finding occupational therapy. It’s always great to know that no matter the “why,” we all hold a special love for OT. Some learned about OT through their family members, others have had loved ones receive OT services, and some have personal stories about their journey as the recipient. As for me, the story is a little different!

As the proud daughter of a landscaping gardener and housekeeper, growing up I wasn’t introduced to professions outside of what my family knew. However, when I was about 12 years old, my grandmother obtained a traumatic hand injury while in the passenger’s seat of a terrible car accident. She was an undocumented, uninsured individual in our country and could not afford the care she needed. Due to these barriers, my family could only afford to pay for her pain medication. Over time her injury healed, but her wrist permanently remained curving in towards her thumb — radial deviation. The accident negatively impacted my grandmother’s ability to engage in activities she found meaningful. She found it challenging to dress herself independently, make tamales, and walk her dog. This took a toll on my grandma’s self-esteem and created a deep feeling of frustration. I took it upon myself to help my grandma by doing some of those things for her, but what I discovered was that she wanted to do them herself. So, I tried helping my grandma find ways to participate in those activities as best as she could. Sure, it wasn’t the work a 12-year-old should be doing, but it was so fun! I loved seeing my grandma smile every time she was able to put on her favorite red lipstick by herself. Of course, we still had a bit of cleaning up to do around the edges, but it was amazing!

Years later, I ended up at CSUF with the hopes of pursuing a career as a Spanish teacher. I was taking a kinesiology course to fulfill one of my GE requirements and one day a few seniors came in to present on their internship experience. One of those presentations spoke about occupational therapy! Of course, I went home and did my research and was immediately converted when I knew I could work with individuals recovering from hand injuries. However, as time went on, I discovered that my passion went beyond wanting to help people recover from such injuries. My interest flourished into a love for wanting to provide culturally sensitive care for those from lower-socioeconomic statuses, a barrier faced by my grandmother and many others from similar communities. I am grateful that OT provides me with the opportunity to do so. The best part is that I get to work towards my goal with the support of my amazing academic mentors and supportive peers. I look forward to continue representing the Latinx community and am excited to continue growing as a future OT!

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Why I Chose the OTD? ⟩
May 31, 2020, by Daniel

Diversity First-Gen What are OS/OT?

For me, pursuing the OTD means much more than just pursuing an education. It represents years of overcoming systematic barriers and paving the way for more first-generation Latinx students. Along the way, I have been fortunate to have a support system that believed in me, which I call my village (family, friends, mentors). As a first-generation Latinx student, pursuing an education comes with many other responsibilities. Personally, my entire college career I’ve had to work almost full-time, financially help my family, deal with imposter syndrome, and felt lost along the way since I am the first in my family to pursue higher education. My dream has always been to earn a doctorate degree, however, I never thought it would be financially possible. During Fall 2019, I began contemplating my options and whether it was possible to pursue the OTD. I struggled with constant questions of, “How can I pay for this?”, “Should I just start working after graduation to help my family out?” This was a time full of emotions and feeling stuck. Fortunately, I was able to ask questions, lean on my support system and this provided clarity. I reflected on my future goals of wanting to teach someday, starting my own non-profit organization, and promoting Latinx representation and leadership in OT, and decided the OTD would better prepare me to pursue these goals. Furthermore, I reflected on the communities I seek to make an impact on and decided to pursue a USC Chan Residency in primary care. Now that I am starting my residency training at the LAC+USC Adult West Primary Care Clinic, I truly believe I made the right choice. I am excited to continue to grow working along my faculty mentors Dr. Beth Pyatak and Dr. Jesús Díaz, and learn the necessary skills to expand OT services in primary care. I look forward to sharing my OTD journey with you and helping you find yours!

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How High School Got Me into OT School ⟩
May 30, 2020, by Calvin

What are OS/OT?

Hi everyone!

First and foremost, I hope that you are all doing well; staying safe and healthy during these times. There’s been so much unprecedented change in such little time, but know that we will all get through this together! I am very excited to be writing my first blog post as a student ambassador, and what better way to start off this new journey than to talk about how I got here at USC’s #1 ranked occupational therapy program!

So as you can assume through the title, I was actually introduced to occupational therapy pretty early on. During my senior year of high school, one of my courses required me to present on a potential career that I wanted to pursue. However, I was just a high school student, so what did I know? The thought of a career had never fully crossed my mind, plus I hadn’t even started college yet! I had the general idea of working in healthcare and helping people in some capacity, but I didn’t necessarily know the specifics.

Thankfully, a good friend of mine was aware that I was struggling and suggested that I look into occupational therapy. She thought that my personality would be a great fit and even introduced me to their cousin, who is actually a pediatric occupational therapist that completed USC Chan’s Entry-Level Master’s program. I was able to interview them and, during our conversation, I was captivated by their passion for the profession. Later on, I was able to volunteer at their outpatient pediatric clinic where I witnessed occupational therapists helping their clients live life to the fullest in such fun and creative ways. The innovation, holistic approach, and unique lens were all factors that resonated with my values and interests, and at that moment, I knew that OT was my calling.

Afterward, I went on to complete my undergraduate education, took a year off, traveled, worked, and I also volunteered in various occupational therapy settings, such as inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient pediatrics, and hand therapy. Then, I got into OT school, and the rest is history (of course, I’ll elaborate more about this in future blog posts, so stay tuned)! To this day, I am so grateful to that senior project and to my friend for introducing me to occupational therapy. Because of that one experience, I grew to understand the complexities and multifaceted layers of occupations and that my every day, taken-for-granted activities actually hold so much meaning. I am blessed to be at this tremendous program where my commitment to OT is consistently affirmed by faculty, staff, and my fellow colleagues.

I’ve learned beyond what I expected throughout my first year in the program, and I am so excited to continue learning more about the profession as I enter into my second year! There are many more stories I have to tell and I honestly can’t wait to share them with you all! Thanks for tuning into my first ever blog post and please feel free to reach out to the student ambassador’s email, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), if you have any questions or concerns; we are here to support you!

Fight On and Stay Well!

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Some Things Never Change ⟩
May 30, 2020, by Bethany

What are OS/OT?

I began my journey at USC four years ago as a wide-eyed freshman in the Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Occupational Therapy program. I had no idea back then what a difference the next few years would make. The first life-changing decision I made took place even before Welcome Week started: I started Band Camp with the Trojan Marching Band. I fell in love with the passion students carry for their school. As classes began, I found that I had my own passion in OT, one that not as many people understood. So I quickly learned to share my story of finding what is, in my opinion, the perfect way to channel creativity to help others.

I learned to support the spirit of the university and to advocate for occupational therapy, and I decided that I wanted to do both of these more vocally. My sophomore year, I became a Student Ambassador and Tour Guide in the Admission Center, doing my best to encapsulate my entire USC experience in 90 minute tours. I also spent a summer as a Student Ambassador for the Chan Division.

Then came a unique transition. As a Bachelor’s-to-Master’s student, I spent my senior year in the first year of the Master’s program. Through the challenge of finding balance between finding closure and starting anew, I realized that my desire to help others better understand what OT and USC would look like for them had not changed. So here I am. Back again as a Student Ambassador for the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. And I couldn’t be more excited to share my experience with all of you!

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Looking Beyond ⟩
May 13, 2020, by Marilyn

Life Hacks What are OS/OT?

On April 22nd, I woke up feeling the usual stress of a graduate student during the “Stay at Home order.” My dad greeted me with a small envelope, which left me perplexed and confused. This envelope was addressed to me in my handwriting. What could this be? I opened the envelope and revealed a handwritten letter that I wrote to myself in Fall 2018 on 11/26/18 in the OT 511 Therapeutic Use of Self Course. It was 1st year OT Grad student Marilyn. You see, Dr. Kristin Nxumalo instructed the class to write a letter to ourselves that would be mailed to us closer to graduation day.

Upon opening the letter, I did not know what to expect, but the first line stated, “You made it to graduation day!” I immediately had a flashback of sitting next to my peers in class as we engaged in this activity. I had no idea of the power of my words until I read the letter. It gave me hope and strength to carry on studying for the comprehensive exam that I took this morning.

In my letter, I wrote “I pray that you are feeling peace at this moment knowing that you’ve made it this far! There is nothing that you cannot do, nothing that you cannot conquer because God makes the impossible possible. I’m not sure what you have lost within these past two years as you’ve sacrificed plenty to get to this point but remain present in the moment. Celebrate this milestone with your loved ones because you deserve it. Moving forward remember to find balance in your personal and professional life. Do not compromise your character currency for no one or nothing. Speak honestly, think with sincerity, and act with integrity. Now give your parents a big hug and tell them congrats! Your successes are not your own. Remember the village that helped you make it this far because they continue to spur you towards your goals” . . . Live out your God given purpose!

As I re-read this letter at the end of taking the comprehensive exam this morning, I immediately asked my husband and parents for a giant hug. There were many times throughout my master’s educational journey that I allowed fear, failure, hopelessness, or unmet expectations to become my primary focus. However, I have been reminded by my loved ones and mentors to redirect my focus right back where it belongs — on my faith and passion for being of service to others. 

Moving forward letter writing will be an activity that I will continue to practice. I will continue to act on my plans and visions but will remain open to new opportunities. I will trust in my abilities and make sure to increase access and decrease barriers for marginalized communities. I will move on to complete my summer level 2 fieldwork at the USC Occupational Faculty Practice under the supervision of Dr. Ashley Halle. Lastly, but certainly not least, I will become Dr. Thompson as I will pursue my doctoral degree and complete my clinical residency in a primary care setting at Kaiser Permanente.

Thanks for reading my blogs this past year and I hope I have the opportunity to interact with you in the near future!

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