Life of an OTS to OTR/L

Join me on this exciting and scary rollercoaster ride as I share stories of successes, failures and random tidbits on my journey to becoming an occupational therapist.

[otmammamia]

Whether you’re going to be starting your program in a few weeks or just starting your application process, it is important to make sure to have your immunization records🗂 ready or schedule an appointment🗓 with a doctor to get up-to-date on your vaccines💉🦠. Every school is different in their requirements, so double check with your school early on to see which immunizations are required because some vaccines require multiple dosages a week apart from each other. Most of you probably got these shots when your were very young🧒🏾👶🏻👧🏼 so you just need to provide the records to prove it. Some might have aged out of the vaccine and will need to get them administered again as adults👩🏻‍🦱👨🏽‍🦱🧑🏼‍🦰 but don’t worry, most last over 10+ years so you won’t have to worry about them again for a while. If for some reason you are not able to get them on time or have a specific concern, reach out ☎️ to your OT department as soon as possible. It’s better to notify them early on than submit them late. These immunizations are required by some settings for fieldwork placement so it’s been to have them submitted early.☑️ #immunizations #vaccines #OTpreparedness #occupationaltherapystudent #DUCOT #MSOT2022 #OTstudent https://www.instagram.com/p/CD7j5SQhyJd/?igshid=dwalhl23xbv5

[otmammamia]

Just under a year ago my cohort and I embarked on our occupational therapy program.📚 We had just finished our first week of classes in this photo.🤓 It feels like it’s been soo long since then but it also feels like it happened within the blink of an eye. I’m grateful for my cohort and the individuality and knowledge they bring.🥰 I have learned from and leaned on a lot of them during my first year.☺️ I’m excited for what our second year will bring and I’m ready to ride the waves with my awesome classmates.🤗 #secondyearherewecome #MSOT2022 #DUCOT #occupationaltherapystudent (at Dominican University of California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CD6lsfZho9N/?igshid=6ot1ctk2rbek

[otmammamia]

As healthcare professionals👩🏻‍⚕️, there is less of a need to use softwares like excel or google sheets 📊📈📉, but I think it is important to have these skills under your belt. Understanding the fundamentals of these programs and the basic functions can help reduce the time and effort in scoring multiple assessments and help keep you organized with patient information and progress. Working as an office manager 👩🏻‍💼 and just naturally enjoying learning about different softwares🤓, I had basic information about excel and google sheets, but after taking this free 1-unit class offered by Dominican University I was able to learn more shortcuts. These softwares will become very useful as you take more of a managerial role in the field as well so it’s better to be familiar with it sooner than later. 👍🏼 #excel #googlesheets #businesscourse #freecourse #otstudent #occupationaltherapy #occupationaltherapystudent https://www.instagram.com/p/CD24TexhiiK/?igshid=7r4ex7u35fnr

[otmammamia]

Extremely grateful for these wonderful women. I joined DICP as a volunteer in 2015, became an OT aide in 2016 and then became the office manager in 2018 until I started OT school. This was my first observation and experience with occupational therapy and I was just blown away by how knowledgeable, creative, resourceful, and fun they were! I attribute my success in OT school to these ladies who have taught me so much. Work is bearable when you have great coworkers who uplift each other and make each other better! Your work environment is pertinent to your success, whether it is the physical environment or the social environment. Surround yourself with amazing coworkers, colleagues, supervisors, managers, staff and work will feel less like work. Thank you ladies for everything. I am so blessed to have met you, gotten to know you, and learned from you. 🥰 P.S. I miss our happy hours, game nights, and dinner parties! #dicpot #pediatricOTs #futureOT #amazingOTs #awesomecoworkers #workenvironment #latepost (at Development is Child's Play) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCF0itahniz/?igshid=zfjk2trl4915

[otmammamia]

A close friend suggested I read this book “When Breath Becomes Air” and as soon as I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I was done in less than a week which is fast for me considering reading for leisure was never my strong point (always made excuses that I was too busy) but I think the power a good book has is that you don’t want to stop reading because you’re grasping on to what happens next and the emotions that the book takes you on is incredible. If you haven’t read it, I suggest you read it. It gives a different perspective on client-centered from a doctor turned patient point of view which is really interesting if you’re going into the medical field. It humanizes the both doctor and patient. Anyway, fast forward a few weeks and the same close friend invites me to attend a conference that one of her role models was giving a talk on palliative care. Lo and behold, the widow of the author of that book, Lucy Kalanithi, was also part of the panel and gave such a beautiful talk about patient care and talked about her husband and his book. I fangirled so hard. I’m so glad I built up the courage to ask her to sign my book and get a picture with her, but lost my phone along with that picture shortly after 😭 but I’m glad I have this autographed book. That conference was very inspirational and it was from that experience that I continued to attend more talks with other HCPs because they remind me of the why? for wanting to become an occupational therapist. I suggest attending local talks in your area, researching book signings, attending local TED talks, or even attending nation wide conferences. They’re great for networking, incredibly educational, inspiring and a reminder that even famous people experience failures that have led them to successes and not to give up on your dreams. #whenbreathbecomesair #paulkalanithi #stanforduniversity #inspirational #chaseyourdreams (at Stanford University) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_tdxVZDbzJ/?igshid=fsw3qzr58972

[otmammamia]

After 3 years of applying and applying to SJSU and CSU Dominguez Hills’ OT program, I finally gave up and decided I needed to expand my application process. Anyone who knows the application process for any higher education is strenuous especially for a compacted major where they only accept 30-90 students each year. I had initially got accepted into Dominican’s MSOT program in 2017 during my first year of applications but decided I wanted to apply wait to apply to SJSU because it was a 3rd of the cost. I finally made the decision to accept this past year because I just couldn’t wait to start my OT journey. In the end, this turned out to be an incredible decision and I’m so thankful for my cohort, professors and the experience I’ve had since. The holistic, client-centered, and occupation-based values the program instills in us is such an invaluable component of a great occupational therapist and the core to what our profession is. I’ve heard stories of therapists who forgot the reason they wanted to be occupational therapists and many needed to be reminded of the roots of OT. Additionally, Dominican is a gorgeous campus and the weather is amazing! We even get to have some classes outside when it’s nice; what more can you ask for? I’m happy I made the decision to attend. Your education is what you make of it. In the end, everyone takes the same boards. We will all be qualified, registered, licensed therapist. My advise to anyone that’s in the process of applying or accepting schools, apply to as many of as few schools as you want, weigh the pros and cons, make your lists, calculate your loans, and then go with the school that makes you feel good and will get you to your goals of being a great therapist. Although I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I got into SJSU, I don’t regret my decision and I honestly think this was the better decision in the end. The classes at SJSU are much larger and I don’t think I would have gotten the same educational experience as with a 27 cohort size at Dominican. I believe everything happens for a reason and there are so many reasons why my attendance at Dominican has created greater opportu (at Dominican University of California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_dJ5sujecb/?igshid=1dpn07ajdytly

[otmammamia]

I thought these two were going to be my only graduation ceremonies. I never thought I would pursue a Master’s degree. That girl in the white gown thought she wanted to be a pharmacist. That girl in the black gown attended UCSB as a Pre-Med major, but quickly realized this was not the path she was going to take. It wasn’t until my Junior year of college that I found out about Occupational Therapy. After endless research, I knew this was the profession for me. The holistic aspect to occupational therapy is the core component that makes OT such a unique profession to me. It encompasses all the values that I find most meaningful in a career. I ended up graduating after my Junior year and went back to my hometown of San Jose to finish up pre-requisite courses to apply to OT programs. I knew I always wanted to be in a helping profession particularly in the healthcare system. OT looks at the person as a whole and finds the abilities that the person has to participate in occupations that are most meaningful to them. I’ve always been someone that tried to find the most effective and efficient ways to help someone reached their goals and I think this definitely translates over to OT. Now I can’t imagine another profession I’d want to be in. All in all, my message is that you are constantly growing, changing and finding out about yourself. What may be a good fit for you in one phase of your life may no longer be a good fit in another phase in your life and that is okay. I’ve met so many OTs who have changed their careers later in life and that is okay. Do what makes you feel good and gives you a purpose in life. #occupationaltherapystudent #OTS https://www.instagram.com/p/B_VgPXsJ-Eo/?igshid=13hiphx3a2tl1