Student Blog
What are OS/OT?

Getting to Know the Field ⟩
August 2, 2019, by Anijah

What are OS/OT?

Hi everyone!

Before you sit down to start applying to occupational therapy schools, I highly recommend volunteering in settings that provide insight into what this health profession includes. Prior to deciding to choose occupational therapy (OT) as my career path, I was on track for a pre-physical therapy. After attending USC’s information session for occupational therapy, I became even more interested in this field. But I wanted to make sure that OT was the right discipline for me. I did not want to switch my major to something I had very little knowledge about and feel unhappy. To determine the best way to proceed, I had discussions with some of my occupational science minor professors about my hesitancy about switching from PT to OT. They recommended that I learned more about what occupational therapists do in a clinical setting if I have the opportunity. As suggested and to get an idea about OT in a clinical setting, I volunteered in a one. When I first started volunteering, I pictured myself, in the future, working in an Acute Hospital healthcare, but that has now changed to Adult Physical Rehabilitation. I hope to explore more areas in a Masters program. For many, like myself, the way to learn about OT is to volunteer in an OT office. Here are a few tips I have when taking the step to volunteer:

1. Research! The occupational therapy field has a variety of settings they work in including hand therapy, pediatrics, rehabilitation, and many more. Some hospitals and clinics will only focus on one practice area, so for example if you see yourself in a pediatrics setting look for a location that specializes in it. Other hospitals and clinics work with multiple practice areas. Since there are a lot of options for you to possibly choose from in the future, it is important to find a location that also fits your interest. The sites can range from hospitals or day-care centers to schools and universities.
2. Try different settings! After spending a reasonable amount of time in one setting, it is very important that you test out other practice areas as well. This is essential because you may be surprised by the fact that you enjoy one practice area, like hand therapy better than mental health. You may also consider volunteering in a multi-area practice. This may allow you to get a wide variety of OT experiences in a short amount of time.
3. Get to know the people! It is a good idea to get to know those that you work with because they give great advice and could potentially provide a letter of recommendation for you in the future. I had a great time interacting with the occupational therapists, assistants, therapy aides, and physical therapist. While shadowing, I was able to see how occupational therapist and physical therapist work together with their patients.

I genuinely enjoyed my time volunteering at USC’s Keck hospital. It provided me with a lot of insight about a variety of things about the field of OT and how an OT practice works. Not only did I get to learn more about what an occupational therapist does, but I also got to learn more about the healthcare field. I hope to explore more settings and practices in a master’s program. If you would like to find a location to volunteer, observe, or become an aide, use USC’s volunteer system. Fight On!

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How Cooking Helps Me On A Daily Basis ⟩
June 10, 2019, by Anijah

What are OS/OT?

I learned how to cook at a very late age. In Guyanese culture, it is common for young girls to learn how to cook at the age of 8 or 9 years of age so that they could start putting food on the table while their parents went to work. Both sides of my family are from an English-speaking country in South America called Guyana. My mother spent half of her life in her home country but my siblings and I were born and raised in North America. Both my sister and I did not learn to cook until we were 12, which is a common age for those who were raised in America.

My mom has always loved to cook since she started. She enjoys cooking traditional Guyanese food and trying new things. My mom was also excited to share her love for cooking with her daughters. However, I was not comfortable in the kitchen until I reached college. Once I entered college and had to cook for myself, I realized that cooking meant a lot to me. After a long day in class or at work, I enjoy coming home and making dinner for myself and my roommates for many reasons. The first being the thrill I get once I have successfully made a new dish without burning it. Since I do have this excitement every time I make a new dish, my phone and social media is filled with pictures of my creations and my Pinterest is filled with future recipes. The smell of onions and garlic in a pan and listening to the sizzling of the food cooking allows me to destress after a busy day.

Cooking is an everyday activity that many people engage in to eat, on the most basic level, and for others, cooking allows them to promote a healthy lifestyle. Engaging in an activity that a person truly enjoys will lead to a better physical and emotional life. For me, spending time in the kitchen allows me to accomplish a meaningful life. For anyone who wants to start learning how to cook it is not too late, just find the right recipe and get started.

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Thank You, Next ⟩
May 10, 2019, by Jessica P.

Beginnings and Endings What are OS/OT?

I’ve never been good at goodbyes, so I’ve been feeling pretty nostalgic the past few days as my class has finished our comprehensive exam and graduation has come and gone. It feels like just yesterday that I stepped foot on campus as a fresh-faced freshman. At a large school like USC, it was easy to feel lost and like there wasn’t a place where I fit in, then I joined the Chan Division as part of the Bachelor to Master’s program. The Chan Division has meant so much more to me than just a major, it has meant having a place to call home. I never thought that a program could become family, but the OT family and CHP has become my home away from home.

When people ask me “Why USC?”, my answer is always the same: the people. The Chan Division has introduced me to the most amazing professors, classmates, and friends who will always be what I remember best about USC.

Thank you Cohort B| To the best cohort and my ride or dies. Here’s to our amazing Google docs, potlucks, and knowing how to always encourage and care for one another!

Thank you friends | To the classmates who became friends and then family. Thank you for helping me through my lowest lows and celebrating my highest highs. Whether we were camping, hiking, going to OT Vegas, exploring new cities, or studying together in CHP — you have been by my side every step of the way.

Thank you professors | To the professors that pushed me out of my comfort zone, supported me, mentored me, and taught me more than I could ever read in a text book. The life lessons I have learned from every professor have helped shape me into not just a better therapist, but a better person.

Thank you co-workers | To the best co-workers and bosses a girl could ask for. Thank you Kim Kho for constantly guiding me and encouraging me. Thank you to the entire Admissions Team for supporting me personally and professionally. Thank you to Etta, Evan, Gouen, Joyce, Melissa, Michael, and Serena for being an amazing student ambassador team. You have all made every day I go to work rewarding and not feel like I’ve actually worked an hour at all.

Thank you Mom & Dad | To my biggest supporters who encouraged me to pursue OT since I first mentioned it to them. Thank you for always explaining to people what your daughter is studying and making sure they know the difference between physical and occupational therapy. Thank you for supporting every one of my wild ideas and always making sure my fridge is stocked. Thank you for being there for every big moment and every small moment. I would not have made it this far without you.

Thank you Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy for all of the people, experiences, and opportunities you have exposed me to. But . . . you can’t get rid of me just yet.

Next: Keck | I’ll be staying another year at USC to pursue the advanced clinical track of the occupational therapy doctorate, completing my residency at Keck Hospital of USC. I can’t wait to see where my occupational therapy journey takes me, but I know that USC Chan will always be a part of my journey. So this isn’t a goodbye, just a see you later.

Fight on forever!

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Spring Semester Shenanigans ⟩
April 26, 2019, by Jessica P.

Getting Involved School/Life Balance What are OS/OT?

Happy last day of classes Trojans! It’s hard to believe that today was already my last day of classes in the Master’s program here at USC. Every semester always seems to fly by but this semester especially has gone by so fast I’m not sure where the time has gone.

Fall semester may get a lot of hype because of football season but I’m a big fan of spring semester also. The past few months have been packed with all different events from traveling internationally for my externship to attending my first AOTA national conference. Here is a sneak peek into what I’ve been up to the past few weeks.

AOTA Conference
In April I was able to attend my first AOTA conference and visit New Orleans for the first time. It was a jam-packed few days attending different workshops and speaker sessions. In between sessions, my friends and I explored New Orleans and of course tried beignets!

At AOTA, I really saw the power of the Trojan Family. From hearing one of my former clinical instructors and USC alumni, Laura Ferrari, speak on her work in forensic mental health to exploring posters, like the one above by Dr. Janice Rocker.

LA Times Festival of Books
This year I had the opportunity to help plan the OT booth at the LA Times Festival of Books Health Pavilion. The Festival of Books is such a fun event to spread OT to the greater Los Angeles community and celebrate OT month! We had stations for stress management, weight management, research recruitment, and sensory integration play.

Tours
The past few weeks have been busy with tours! We’ve had visitors from all over, including freshman from a local high school who are interested in pursuing occupational therapy.

Desert X
While things can get busy in the spring, I always try to make time for occupations outside of school that are meaningful to me. One of my favorite things to do is to explore various art museums so this year my friend and I spent a weekend in Palm Springs. We drove around the various Desert X art installations and ate tons of delicious food!

I hope you all had an amazing semester, I know I did! Good luck on finals and don’t forget to take time for self-care and engaging in your favorite occupations!

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Presenting My First Poster at AOTA ⟩
April 22, 2019, by Joyce

Getting Involved What are OS/OT?

If you had asked me last year, I would have told you that presenting at AOTA was definitely not in my future plans. But here I was with my partner, Tabitha Lin, presenting on the role of occupational therapy in the student run clinic! & what a FUN experience this was!!

During the poster session, Tabitha and I were standing by our poster and engaging in conversations with attendees who were passing. It was interesting to see both students and program directors come up to us. We encountered directors who were trying to set up a similar student run clinic in their occupational therapy program and asked us questions about our model. I had so much fun discussing my experiences as a co-chair exec for SRC as well as the experiences our student volunteers had.

In addition, this was my first AOTA conference and my first time being in New Orleans, LA! Conference is definitely a hustling busy time with so many moving parts. In addition to the poster presentation, as a student ambassador, I also worked the USC booth during the expo hours. I enjoyed this part of conference as I was able to interact with alumni and perspective students who were thinking about pursuing their PhD or Doctorate at SC. I also got to explore other booths including Nike, Zappos, and Microsoft to explore their adaptive shoes, clothing, and gaming equipment.

NOLA was extremely fun with its culture in food and drinks. I think I consumed way too many oysters during my time there. My friends and I got drinks after conference sessions and explored the city together!

I think going to a national conference such as AOTA as a student is such a unique experience and I highly encourage all students to go! As a student, there is no pressure to go to all sessions (to accrue continuing education) but to truly explore different parts/practice areas and enjoy conference for what it is! It’s also a great networking opportunity, I found myself talking with occupational therapists from New York who were looking to hire, so opportunities all around!

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