Observations Part I

When I was first looking into universities that offer entry level OT programs, I began looking into possible observation opportunities.  I was not sure where to start so I did what the average person would do. I searched Google, of course.  At first I chose places that were in my hometown and tried to stay local.  After finding places that offer OT, I wrote down a long list of phone numbers and email addresses.

After I started calling, I discovered how difficult it was going to be to find observations.  At most of the places I did not know who to talk to.  In my state there are no preoccupational therapy degrees.  There are just people like me who are interested and are looking for someone to show us what a day in an OT's life is like. Many people who I talked to did not understand what I was asking because they knew that there are fieldwork positions and thought I was calling for fieldwork.  I spent a lot of time explaining that I was a student who was interested in OT and was looking for some general observations to get a better understanding of the field.

Eventually, I did find a few places that were open to the prospect of someone following them around for a few hours and who had the time.  After that it was about finding a day and time that would work for both me and the therapists.  It was a stressful time wanting to learn everything I could and juggle work, school, and family time.  I was able to set up a few days with a local OT in an outpatient clinic and with an OT that works both in the schools and in a private practice.  I also was fortunate to be working in a skilled nursing facility and asked the OT there if I could follow her around a little and see what kinds of things she did with the residents as well as on the rehab floor.

All in all after some phone calls, emails, and one on one conversations, I was able to piece together a beginning to my OT observations.  I learned that the field is more diverse than I imagined and that if I was persistent I could find dates and times that worked, I could make these experiences happen.  I observed in three different settings, saw three different approaches to the field, and began to learn how to build rapport in the client-therapist relationship.  It was a rewarding start on my journey to becoming an OT.

Since the start of my observations I have observed OTs in the home, inpatient, outpatient, with adults, elderly, children, and teens.  I traveled around my area and worked with a variety of therapists with varying levels of experience. In the next posts I will discuss these experiences more in-depth and what I learned from each.  I will also try to give some tips on what to do when observing to gain the most from your experience.

Choosing an Undergraduate Degree

When I first started looking into graduate school for occupational therapy, I wanted to choose the best undergraduate degree.  The local universities do not provide a bachelors in occupational therapy and so I looked into the recommended majors.  I found a few different suggested majors including: Human Development and Family Studies, Health and Exercise Science, Social Work, Psychology, and Biology.

I believe these majors  can be grouped into two categories, physical sciences and the social sciences.  The ideal majors in my mind are those that are going to prepare you for your career.  If you think you want to work in rehabilitation, maybe biology or health and exercise science.  If you think you would like to work more in the social side of occupational therapy (e.g. with teenagers or in mental health) a degree in human development and family studies, psychology, or social work.  The different settings may lend themselves to different majors.  An analysis of what you think you would like to do may help in choosing the major.  Another perspective is purely a practical one, choose a major you can excel at.  Acceptance into graduate school for occupational therapy is very competitive and your GPA is perhaps the most important factor.  It is important that you choose a major that will interest you and keep you motivated.

I chose health care administration.  It may seem like an odd choice, but I feel like it provided me with a unique perspective on the world in which occupational therapists work.  Today's occupational therapists must work within the framework of insurances, both private and government.  He or she must work around and through the prism that is health care law and regulations.  I believe that my undergraduate degree has introduced me to a different side of my future career and gives me a unique perspective as I enter graduate school. I also chose administration because at some point I want to have my own practice as well as possibly be a director of a rehab department.   I believe that my degree has prepared me to take a leadership role in the field.

In the end, the choosing of an undergraduate major need not be a scary prospect.  Choose a major that you will be interested in and that will keep you motivated.  Choosing a major is an important decision but there is no reason to not enjoy the process.  Have fun! In the end that will be what keeps you motivated throughout undergraduate and graduate school.  You are going through all of this so that you can have a rewarding career.  To steal an old slogan from the Navy, "It's not a job, it's an adventure".

My Journey to OT

For me the road to occupational therapy has been long and winding.  I learned of its existence when I was a child and feel like I have always known there was such a thing.  I have a younger brother with a genetic disorder who received many therapies including OT.  The most rewarding therapies for him were those that revolved around food and most specifically the pudding kind.  Speech and occupational therapy were the ones that gave him the most independence and perhaps occupational more than speech.  An OT taught him to use a spoon to get the chocolate good stuff from a container to his mouth.  That one image of him smiling with chocolate pudding all over his mouth is etched in my brain for eternity.

Jump forward many years to 2010 and after working several years in construction, I was working with adults who have developmental disabilities and rediscovering the joy that even the smallest amount of independence can bring someone.  I was looking for a degree that would make me money and most importantly be fulfilling.  Some career that will make me feel like I am providing a meaningful service to the world and to the people in it.  My wife, a speech language pathology grad student at the time, reminded me of how amazing OT is, and we began to look into what it would take for me to become one.

Since then it has been a wonderful ride.  I have had disappointments, triumphs, and many many challenges.  I have completed a bachelors degree, observed OTs across many settings, taken the GRE more times than I care to think about, applied for graduate school twice, and been accepted.  I caught a small glimpse of occupational therapy when I was younger and continue to learn more and more about this field.  I grow to love it more and more each day and look forward to discovering more and more about the world it provides its clients and practitioners.