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.