I was an undeclared student for the first half of undergrad but by the end of my sophomore year, I found that I had a strong desire to work in a field that would allow me to work with people and help them develop the skills necessary to meet their individualized needs and goals. I then had various meetings with my undeclared academic advisor and found that occupational therapy was a strong match for my career interests. I was drawn to the holistic and creative aspects of occupational therapy and the field`s emphasis on designing individualized interventions and care plans that could address various domains such as sleep, activities of daily living (ADLs), work, education, and leisure. My personal experiences, education, and professional experiences …show more content…
Since a master's degree is required to become an occupational therapist I spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out what undergraduate degree would best align with my goal of becoming an occupational therapist. During this time, my 17-year-old sister ruptured her Achilles tendon during basketball practice and required surgery. It was the first major injury anyone in my immediate family had experienced and I remember seeing how much my sister hated bathing post-surgery. Since she could not get her stitches wet I assisted her and washed her hair in the sink. She was extremely frustrated with not being able to participate in her own self-care as independently as she did prior to the injury. As she healed she eventually utilized a shower chair and waterproof boot covers so she could shower on her own again and I noticed how much happier it made her to perform aspects of her own self-care. It made me understand the importance of being able to provide people with the equipment and interventions they need to complete tasks independently and strengthened my desire to want to work with people to achieve their own goals and complete the tasks they wish to …show more content…
I reached out to various facilities to try and secure an in-person experience and was approved to shadow the Hand Therapy team at JAG-ONE Physical Therapy. The shadowing experience taught me more about the specialty such as the types of interventions implemented, the equipment used, and the range of conditions treated by a hand therapist. The best part of the experience was talking with the clients and hearing how much occupational therapy has impacted their lives. Listening to the personal stories of regaining confidence, strength, and independence to return to work or leisure has shown me that occupational therapy is exactly the career I want to pursue to achieve my professional goals, as I want to be able to contribute to that positive impact in someone's
Occupational Therapy is a therapy that blankets everything people do in their lives. Such a broad field can be very difficult to define. Unlike Physical Therapy who people instantly identify as a field that get people walking. In the past the vision of the field was broader. “In 2004 The Scenario were developed” a structure created with the Occupational Therapy framework.
and intrigued by the mind-body connection as well as the importance of human activity and occupation in maintaining mental and physical well-being. At the same time, my desire to work directly with people and be able to make a positive and lasting change to their lives by empowering them and helping discover their strengths and confidence in themselves to achieve their goals, led me to a realization that a career in occupational therapy would be a perfect fit for me. To me occupational therapy is a dynamic, rewarding, challenging, and inspiring field where I can fully realize my skills and knowledge. Having always been a firm believer in the patient-centric approach, I am passionate about providing excellent service to patients by improving their performance, preventing illness and disability and promoting adaptation to life
Occupational Therapy is a health care profession in which we facilitate maximal independence and quality of life throughout the lifespan. As an Occupational Therapy Assistant Student, I want to be able to make the difference in the individual life to reach the patients goals and helping them back to be independent as possible. “The mission of the University of Charleston is to educate each and every student to their life of productive work, enlightened living and the community involvement.” (The University of Charleston, 2017). Liberal Learning Outcomes helps the student to be able to communicate effectively and engage in creativity in our professional and personal life (The University of Charleston, 2017).
Helping children and other individuals throughout the lifespan perform fundamental tasks that we take for granted is one of the most incredible aspects of this career. During my time as an intern, I was able to obtain a great amount of knowledge about the realm of pediatric occupational therapy that I may not otherwise have if not given the opportunity. Upon completion of my internship, I was offered an office assistant position at the pediatric clinic, where I have been surrounded by opportunities to observe and further educate myself on the skills needed to become an occupational therapist. Most recently, in hopes to gain hands-on healthcare experience, I became an in-home caregiver for an elderly woman who had a thoracic/lumbar spinal fusion. This opportunity has allowed me to oversee, assist, and motivate an individual who is currently in need of occupational and physical therapy.
The goal of this profession is to provide service to those in need of it. Responsibilities I may be granted include demonstrating and proposing specific equipment to the patients, observing, evaluating, educating patients and their kin, elaborating on treatment plans, and aiding those with various disabilities. A typical day in this career will likely involve traveling to numerous homes and discovering ways to help people lie their lives more comfortably. Occupational therapists usually work on their feet and might work night and weekend
Prior to my junior year of high school, Occupational Therapy was foreign to me. I was on a field trip that year when I was first exposed to an Occupational Therapy session, and I was not sure what was taking place. However, I was certain that I was beyond intrigued and immediately wanted to learn more. After extensively searching for information and continuously exposing myself to opportunities of learning, I knew that pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy was my desire, and I would do whatever it took to be successful in fulfilling it.
Occupational therapy saved my family. Growing up with a sister with severe spastic cerebral palsy to include both cognitive and functional deficits, life existed on a day to day, hour by hour basis, as we were unsure of challenges each moment would bring. This all changed the moment occupational therapy brought quality of life back to me and my family. My very personal experience defined my purpose to become an occupational therapist, to pay the gift given my family forward.
Do you have an interest in a hands on job working with patients with an illness to help them resume meaningful daily tasks and activites? If this seems like something you are interested in, being an Occupational Therepy Assistant may be the most fitting career for you. This is a rewarding career and a great way to make a difference in patients' everyday lives. OTA’s help individuals of all ages, and the practice varies by the individual needs and age. The enjoyment I would receive from seeing people reach goals and overcome unforeseen obstacles, and directly helping people regain independence is why I want to explore the profession of being an Occupational Therapy Assitant (“What Occupational Therapy Aides and Assistants Do”).
Both of my parents had come to the United States of America from Uzbekistan with virtually no education, my mother would work copious hours and attend college simultaneously to provide for the family. Being the older sibling, it became my responsibility to watch over of my younger brother who had yet to develop the ability to care for himself. Such an experience was very fulfilling being able to basically raise a youngster, and incorporate my passion and knowledge of basic Occupational Therapy in helping him reach his milestones. My long-term professional goal as an aspiring Occupational Therapist is to establish myself in an institution such as a school for disabled children, a path that would provide great fulfillment for my passion. Upon completion of my OT program, the skills I will have developed will guide me to create positive outcomes for the children I will be working with.
Occupational therapy is an arcane profession to the general populous. Occupational therapists help all individuals live life to their fullest by maximizing one’s level of independence through engaging
Nelson was determined to define occupation clearly so that progression could be made in the field of occupational therapy (Nelson, 1988: 633). In the following essay I will outline the model that Nelson designed to clearly illustrate occupation. I will then describe an occupation that I take part in and apply Nelson’s ideas to my occupation to prove that it is an occupation. Nelson describes occupation as “the relationship between two things: occupational form and occupational performance” (Nelson, 1988: 633). Occupational form is the external environment or situation in which the occupation is performed in.
I have always had the intense desire to care and look after people from a very young age. I firmly believe that everyone deserves the best quality of life possible and this is what had drawn me to occupational therapy as a career path in the first place. It is so easy to take for granted all the everyday tasks we can do and we seldom consider the effect of not being able to complete them. As an occupational therapist I would be able to make a positive impact on someone’s life and make it possible for them to enjoy their life. I want the opportunity to provide support to people, help them gain independence and watch them grow more confident in their own ability.
Becoming an occupational therapist is my passion and my long-term career goal. Since a young age I have been incredibly inspired and motivated to befriend and help disabled individuals. Having grown up with a disabled mother who benefited from the services of occupational therapy I had the opportunity to see first hand how the experience gave can give individuals like her fulfilling and productive lives. With both parents working as healthcare professionals, including my mother who is now an occupational therapist herself, I see every day how rewarding the field is. Through my life I have had unique personal, professional and educational experiences that have shaped me into a strong candidate for an advanced education in occupational therapy.
The place I decided to carry out my job shadowing experience is at Select Physical Therapy. During my time there, I decided to shadow an Occupational therapist who specialized in hand therapy. I wanted to shadow an Occupational Therapist because at the time, I was interested in becoming an Occupational Therapist and I wanted to see if this is really the career path I wanted to take. At first when I started my job shadowing experience, I was a little nervous since I was not quite sure what I was supposed to be doing since I have not shadowed a place before.
I thought I knew what career path I wanted for my future, with that in mind, I sought a degree in Fitness and Human Performance to continue with a career in Occupational Therapy. In this career choice, the way I got to help patients was through therapy. While taking classes, I realized Occupational Therapy is not what I truly was passionate about. I decided to take my mother’s advice and choose what I truly love to do, which is to help people all around and I believe the nursing program would be the best fit. I am currently completing my certified nurse program to proceed with a job as a patient care technician.