This guest post is part of an OTinsight series #OTStoriesFromTheField.
This is a guest post written by Caroline Boone, OTS. Caroline is currently attending the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences at the St. Augustine, FL campus. Her clinical interests include pediatrics (deaf and hard of hearing, special needs), and neuro. If you’d like to get in touch with Caroline, you can contact her at boone.caroline@gmail.com.
Why did you choose OT? How did you discover it?
If you know anything about OT, it’s that not a lot of people actually know what it is unless they’ve personally experienced it or have had a close family member or friend experience it.
I didn’t know what OT was until my freshman year of undergrad. I had my mind set on physical therapy but was in the middle of an existential crisis when I didn’t pass chemistry and didn’t know how I was going to get through school or whether physical therapy was truly my passion.
Around the same time, a cousin of mine gave birth to a baby girl with Down syndrome. She began talking to me about all of the different types of therapy that she’d have to enroll little Penny in and that’s when she told me about how hard it was to find good occupational therapists in her area.
“What on earth is occupational therapy??” was like a big, flashing neon sign in my brain.
I sat in the study room of my freshman dorm and spent hours researching OT–what it is, what undergraduate and graduate degrees I’d have to get in order to practice OT, and whether I had to take chemistry or not. And that day, in that little study room, everything clicked.
OT involved many of the aspects of physical therapy that I liked–working with people and the human body–but it added so much more: looking at the individual holistically, seeing the mind-body connection, working with them to help them do the things that they love and become more independent rather than just simply strengthening muscles (yes, I know, PT does waaayy more than just strengthening muscles).
Basically, the appeal of OT was that I’d be helping individuals be their own person and not have to rely on others for help despite their diagnosis. Plus, I could work with anyone, anywhere, whenever I wanted.
Occupational therapy opened up a whole world to me and involved all of my passions: the medical field, psychology, serving people, and creativity (I went to art school for 7 years before deciding on the medical route, so having a creative outlet is absolutely necessary to me). Not once have I doubted that occupational therapy wasn’t right for me, even after I had to drop Anatomy 1 and retake it…
What does your typical day look like?
As a second term MOT student, my day involves A LOT of studying. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely schedule in some down time, but my typical day is usually spent on reading, reviewing and listening to lectures.
My program is a bit unique in that our classes are both online and on campus – every class has an online portion where they post the video recorded lectures (AKA I can watch the lectures as many times as I want), resources, and assignments, and there are some classes that meet on campus for the lab portion.
Last term, Anatomy and Patient Care Management were my only two classes that met on campus, where we practiced MMT and goni measurements, patient transfers, practicing with assistive devices, etc.
This term however, four out of my five classes meet on campus once a week. Similar to last terms classes, we use this time to practice techniques, discuss and review cases, and learn more in the traditional, more collaborative classroom/lab setting.
Every day I wake up around 8 and head to my favorite coffee shop or campus and watch lectures, take notes, complete assignments and study. Class is only three days a week and they usually end in the afternoon, so afterwards I make time to go to the gym and if I don’t have any exams coming up I go home and decompress. I’m a morning person so I don’t usually study at night, but if there are any practicals or exams approaching I go to open lab and practice or to the library to study.
What has your OT journey been like so far?
Sometimes I forget that it’s been four months since I started! The weeks have flown by and it’s hard to believe how much I’ve learned in this seemingly short amount of time. I find myself people watching more and more everyday using my newfound knowledge of OT, observing gait patterns, improper use of assistive devices and more (and I can only imagine how much more I’m going to be doing that as this year continues).
Even though my days are busy, and it feels like I can never have a break, I don’t usually find myself wanting to take a break. In undergrad I found any excuse I could to not study because I’d never really be using the information I learned for my future.
But now, everything I learn is important, and I’m constantly motivated to keep learning and improving on my knowledge and skills.
What do you hope for in the future regarding OT?
My favorite area of practice (so far) has been working with kids! In particular, I would love to work with kids with disabilities and kids who are hard of hearing or deaf.
I interned at a pediatric clinic during my undergrad career that had two kiddos who were deaf, and none of the OTs knew sign language! I had some experience with ASL, but during my time there I built up my vocabulary so that I could mediate between the therapists and the kids using sign language and it helped me realize how important the skill is, especially in therapy settings.
One of my ultimate goals is to open up my own practice where all of the therapists know ASL, to provide an inclusive environment for not just children who are deaf, but nonverbal as well.
I recently started volunteering at a local hippotherapy center and got to work with the OT on site. Hippotherapy has always been an interest of mine but I had never experienced it first hand until now. And let me tell you- I LOVE IT! This term I’m looking forward to volunteering more at the center and really growing my knowledge in the area.
What is your number one piece of advice for future OT students/practitioners?
Never forget your why!
Grad school is hard – getting INTO grad school is hard. But having a strong grasp on the reason why you chose OT as your future career can get you through your toughest moments.
If you don’t get accepted into a program your first time trying, try again! If you’re feeling defeated and unmotivated after a difficult exam, take a step back, ground yourself, and remember the reason why you’re doing this in the first place.
So many people told me at the start of first term to take it one day at a time. It may be overwhelming, but it’s possible. And here I am, one week into second term, as motivated and determined as ever. If I can do it, anyone can do it!
This guest post is part of an OTinsight series #OTStoriesFromTheField.