Importance Of Stupational Therapy: My Future Career

Around the world, millions of individuals struggle with executing tasks essential to their daily routines. Children with disabilities, adults who have had an injury, and seniors with memory issues are all examples of people who may need additional assistance throughout the day. Through occupational therapy, individuals with similar struggles can receive suggestions and equipment that could make living their lives possible. Because of my passion for helping others and my knack for problem-solving, I have chosen occupational therapy as my future career.
What makes an occupational therapist? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupational therapists “treat injured, ill, or disabled patients through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.”
Luckily, I’ve always enjoyed school and learning. Because of that, I’ve been ahead academically since elementary school. I skipped from the first to the second grade while I was attending public school, and then began homeschooling because of the lack of gifted programs for children below sixth grade. Now, I’m a high school student enrolled at Pitt Community College through their Career and College Promise program. Under this program, I receive free tuition as long as I maintain an appropriate GPA and take courses approved for my pathway. If my projected path goes smoothly, I should receive my associate’s degree when I graduate high school. Five years from now, I should be very close to finishing my graduate degree. Before I started at Pitt, I never imagined getting more than a bachelor’s degree. I thought I would take the usual approach to college, graduate high school and spend four years at a university before graduating with average grades. After taking College Transfer Success, I experienced a paradigm shift. Instead of seeing my education from a ground level, I saw the bird’s eye view. I didn’t envision myself sliding by in my courses and just getting a bachelor’s degree, I saw myself earning a master’s degree and graduating magna cum laude. After viewing my education from that bird’s eye view, I had to get back to ground level and take it one course at a time. So far, I believe that my courses are a balance of helpful and hindering. I understand how anatomy and physiology, psychology, and medical terminology could help me develop skills required to work in my chosen field. Understanding how the human body and mind work is essential to appropriately problem-solve when the body and mind aren’t working efficiently. However, some of my courses seem like “fluff” or “filler.” While music appreciation and American history sound like courses I would enjoy taking, the skills acquired through those