Student Blog
What are OS/OT?

What a Difference a Year Makes! ⟩
September 3, 2019, by Noelle

Life Hacks What are OS/OT?

I introduced myself to someone at the main campus the other day and when they asked me what year I was in I was super excited to say “I’m a second year grad student!” I think I shocked him with my enthusiasm, but what he didn’t know was that my answer to that question used to be . . . complicated. Last year, I was straddling the identities of undergraduate senior and 1st year Master’s student; I was a grad student that hadn’t actually graduated yet. Entering my 5th year of the Bachelor’s to Master’s OT program, I have become very accustomed to explaining every aspect of my student identity — answering the questions: “What is Occupational Therapy? When do you graduate? Wait, so how old are you?” And now that I have officially graduated from undergrad, my spiel is much less confusing. More importantly, I’ve noticed a change in my attitude and feelings about my student identity.

The transition to graduate school is major for anyone whether it happens before, immediately following, or several years after completing undergrad. And last year, I felt it acutely. I missed all of the elective courses I used to take, not starting class until 11 am on some days, the freedom to take naps during the week!!! It’s not that I didn’t love the course material we were learning or the people in the program, it was just at times I wished I had one more year of all of that like the rest of my undergrad friends. But as my mom always says, nothing lasts forever!

I’ll be honest and say that I was very anxious to start this year. I have the responsibilities of this position as an ambassador and the demands of all of my courses, not to mention the huge decisions regarding the OTD coming my way (I’ll leave that for another entry though!). Although I’ve been studying OT for 4 years now, I’m still unsure where exactly I want my path to lead. Despite this uncertainty about my future (which is quite recent by the way), I came home from the first day of class this semester with unexpected peace of mind. I have my bachelor’s degree and a level 2 fieldwork under my belt, and I am just as thrilled to be an OT student as I was my freshman year. This year is sure to bring more changes and surprises that will influence this path I’m always talking about, and I just have to keep reminding myself how wonderful it is to be where I am and that the best is yet to come.

P.S. I originally wanted to title my entries with song titles (yes, like Grey’s Anatomy), but that was going to be harder than I imagined. So instead I’m going to include a song recommendation that may or may not relate to the entry 😊 This week’s pick happens to: “Ooh Child” by The Five Stair Steps.

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Why Occupational Therapy? ⟩
September 3, 2019, by Kevin

What are OS/OT?

Why did I choose occupational therapy? This is a question that I have been asked countless times during my time at USC. While I usually have a quick one-line statement to summarize my decision to pursue this career, here is the full story:

After graduating from San Diego State, I moved up to Los Angeles and began looking for jobs. Quickly, I found a position working at a company that provides behavioral therapy to children with a variety of diagnoses. While I found that work rewarding and I loved the population, there was something missing from the experience that I couldn’t quite put a finger on. Then one day at work, I shadowed my client’s occupational therapist and had a lightbulb moment that this was what I had been missing. The way the client responded to the therapy and the nature of using occupation as a means of therapy was the piece of the puzzle that I was searching for in a career. To be able to build authentic relationships with people while assisting their development was my idea of a perfect profession. Since attending USC, I have experienced the joy of aiding others to participate in the activities that bring meaning to their life. Each day I feel lucky to have discovered this gem of a profession and to be surrounded by instructors and peers who truly share the same passion and drive for occupational therapy.

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Why Occupational Therapy? ⟩
August 29, 2019, by Kaho

What are OS/OT?

I’ve always thought that I would pursue a career in the health field, but I thought that I was meant to become a doctor. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I started to question whether I was pursuing a career as a doctor because I was actually passionate about it, or because I had never learned much about the other existing health professions. As I started to explore and research more options, I fell upon occupational therapy.

The first thing that pulled me towards it is the deep, personal relationship that OTs build with their clients. They get to know their clients as a unique human being in various contexts and they are dedicated to helping people engage in activities/roles that are meaningful to them. I love that occupational therapy integrates mental health with physical health because I am passionate about both. The more I learned about the profession, the more I fell in love with it and the more I felt like this was truly what I was meant to be. (Also worthy to mention that occupational therapy is ranked #13 by U.S. News as one of the best jobs of 2019!) I began the process of looking up potential schools and the prerequisites for applying to those schools. I began volunteering in various hospitals in order to see real OTs in action. For example, I observed a hand therapist during my junior year of college and over the summers when I would fly home to Japan for several months, I volunteered in the geriatric department at several hospitals. I still had trouble explaining to people what exactly occupational therapy is and I now know that my knowledge of the profession at that time was still very limited, but I was confident that I had found my dream job.

Occupational therapy is truly an incredible and beautiful profession and this past year in the program has expanded my interests on what population I want to serve in what setting. I am very fortunate to be studying occupational therapy at one of the leading universities of the profession and I am thrilled to continue learning and growing and see what all is in store for my last year in the program!

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Why I Chose the OTD ⟩
August 29, 2019, by Catherine

Life Hacks What are OS/OT?

For me, returning to school to pursue a second Master’s degree felt like running into a deep and dark tunnel. Despite this, the first time I stepped foot into CHP for an informational session of the program, I had a sense that I was becoming a part of something great. The amazing faculty, robust programs, and sense of community among others, has always made me proud to be a Trojan. I must admit that there were times I would get overwhelmed and second guess whether I would be able to power through to graduation. Then Fall Semester of my second year came. I was hesitant.  The idea of staying on for the OTD had always been at the back of my mind from day one. However, I found myself questioning if even know where I wanted to be for my residency. I still had one immersion left. What I needed at that time was to “OT myself”. After taking a step back and allowing myself to breathe, I made a list of the pros and cons of applying for the OTD. I reflected on my initial inspiration of why I wanted to be an OT. Having this visual, and having taken the time to re-connect with my goals, I was able to see that all the amazing qualities of Chan that inspired me to apply for the Masters, stood true of the Doctorate. However this time, I wasn’t running into darkness unarmed. With me were all the tools of an entry-level practitioner. Now that I am beginning my residency, I strongly feel that I made the right choice.  I find myself better positioned to expand my knowledge to elevate my future practice with the support of my mentor, Dr. Rebecca Aldrich, and the Chan Division. Moving forward, I am excited to share with you my experience and hope to provide useful insights into OTD.

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Daily Fun ⟩
August 9, 2019, by Anijah

What are OS/OT?

There are a few activities that I engage in daily that I believe lead me to live a good quality life. One is to start my day with a warm cup of tea and another being regular exercise. When my siblings and I were younger, our parents embedded a tradition into our lives, from their childhoods, which was to have a warm cup of tea in the mornings. This tradition I continue to this very day. The first thing I do every morning is to make a cup of tea while catching up on social media or watching television. The two hours each day before class or work are the best times for me to fully relax and not worry about anything especially since it is rare for me to have time to watch anything once I have started my day.

Exercise is the other activity that I engage in almost every day. Once I retired from track and field, I had to find a new way to stay active. Initially, it took me a while to get back into the gym because I enjoyed having a break from a mandatory workout routine. But after taking a weight training class at USC, I was able to find a good work-life balance and realize the impact this balance has on my life. Certain activities either make my energy levels increase or decrease, and exercise ensures that my energy level was steady. If I go too long without at least fitting in 30 minutes of cardio in my day, I tend to feel really lethargic until I work out again.

To be consistent, I created an exercise plan. While creating my exercise plan, I had to know how much my body could take without being burnt out.  It is important to know how much you should be engaging in an activity like exercise, especially since I was used to exercising at an extreme level. Exercising can be really rewarding, but it can also have a negative toll on you if you do not know have a reasonable approach and goals.

The last activity that I try to do every day is to spend time with friends without having to do work. My friends and I tend to study together because we are more productive that way. We also put time aside to spend a few hours with each other without having to worry about school work. During these times, we are either enjoying each other’s conversations, playing games, trying new things, or cooking. (Earlier I wrote a blog on how much I enjoy cooking, and luckily, I found friends who really appreciate cooking as well.)

It is essential for everyone to spend time doing those things that interest them so that they can lead a good quality life. There will always be things we may not necessarily enjoy doing. But, as long as we have a good balance between the two, you can lead the life that you truly enjoy. Take time to find pursuits that you enjoy by testing new ones or continuing to engaging in ones you do like. Fight On!

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