As an Occupational Therapist, I will be treating clients who possess a variety of developmental, physical, and mental conditions. I will be therapeutically assisting clients who suffer from a disability, illness, or an injury. I will guide a client to develop, recover, and maintain their daily living, social, and working skills towards their goals.…
I believe this assignment will be practical to remember in my career as it just illustrates how important occupational therapy practitioners need to be client-centered. If I had to think of activity plans without talking to the client, I would have thought of activities to improve his range of motion. Even though this is a topic that needs improving, it was not what he wanted to work on first. He wanted to learn adaptions to be able to toilet independently, so he could do that kind of stuff while later improving his strength and range of motion. This helped me understand that even if you see a problem that you would think would need immediate attention, it may not be the what the client sees as an instant…
I have always known I wanted to work in the healthcare field, but with so many…
The role of an Occupational Therapy Assistant is to help people participate in the things they want and need to do through a therapeutic use of activities. The function of the OTA is not limited to other duties such as preparing materials and equipment, collaborate with health professionals, evaluate progress and maintain records, and clerical duties. The OTA works closely with the Occupational Therapist to assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, and direct activities.…
When I was six, I was determined to become a doctor, a lawyer, and a zookeeper. I was quite the ambitious child. When I started school, it was clear I was not like the other children. When the teacher described a concept, I wanted to know the minuscule details. When the science teacher taught about Alexander Fleming and Louis Pasteur, I wanted to know how they determined their studies and how they chose their research methods.…
The second career path that I want to explore is occupational therapy. It is the only profession that assists people in various ages to accomplish things that they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations) that, in turn, will enable people to live to the fullest (“What is Occupational Therapy?,” n.d.). Occupational therapy uses holistic approach in assisting patients regain function or to adjust to changes (About Occupational Therapy, n.d.). Pursuing a career in the field requires a master’s degree from an accredited institution. All states require (requirements vary) National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) issued licenses for occupational therapists to practice (“Occupational…
Physical therapy involves treatment through physical means for people disabled by illness, accident, or congenital handicap. It seeks to improve mobility, relieve pain, or minimize permanent physical disabilities (Occupational Outlook Handbook). The physical therapy career field interests me for many reasons. It revolves solely around the human body, which is a fascinating topic to learn about. This area of expertise is flexible and rewarding. There are many specialty areas to choose your career from; some of these include orthopedic, geriatric, neurological, and pediatric. As well as flexible concentrations, physical therapy can have flexible work environments. These jobs can be conducted in many types of facilities such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, private offices, rehabilitation clinics, assisted living facilities, educational institutions, sports centers, and home health agencies (Occupational Outlook Handbook). The work environment and broad range of specializations are major factors in my choice of this career path.…
While visiting the College Foundation of North Carolina website I was not surprised in my answers. My Holland code was CES, meaning conventional, enterprising, an social. Also, I was able to find out my work values and they are achievement, recognition, and relationships. However, I do feel like there were more on the list that I felt were also part of my work values. I definitely feel like these relate to my degree and also my professional career. It would be very beneficial because while getting my associate and bachelor degree and then leading to my career as an Occupational Therapist it will become very helpful by being organized, working with people and helping others. While being an Occupational Therapist my work values will mean everything…
Throughout the years, I have acquired and perfected various skills and abilities that will attribute to my success as an occupational therapist. As a competive gymnast and a full time student, I have gained the physical strength required to serve my clients and the ability to manage a busy and hectic schedule. I have exquisite time management skills that enable me to commit to several responsibilities at any given time. With determination and commitment, I have not missed a day of school since first grade or a single day of work. I plan on continuing my excellent attendance into my future plans as an OT.…
With the analysis of my characteristics from the LASSI and Kuder Journey, I was able to find my strength and weakness. My strengths being motivation, concentration, social, and artistic, these will allow me to excel in my schooling and career as an occupational therapist. My weakness were information processing and investigative, but through the help of graduate school, I believe I will be able to transform these into strengths. These characteristics help solidify why occupational therapy is the right career choice for me. I can use these traits to help restore people’s lives and impact them in a positive way. This is my main reason for becoming an occupational therapist. I have always loved helping people and through these qualities I obtain, I can do just that, but before this can happen, I have to complete my action steps. These being finding a job in the health field, volunteering, finding a graduate school that meets my requirements, finishing my degree and pre-requisites, and job shadowing an occupational therapist. These will allow me to start the process of helping individuals through occupational therapy. Lastly, these are requirements needed to be completed, before being able to start my career as an occupational therapist. These are passing the NBCOT exam with a passing score and applying for state licensure. With completion and…
I am excited for the challenges I will face in the upcoming chapter of my education that will eventually lead me into an interesting and incredibly rewarding career. I have reflected upon the qualities required of a successful Occupational Therapist and genuinely believe I possess these characteristics. I possess an intrinsic desire to help others and assist them in helping themselves. My determination, listening skills, patience, relatability, and hands-on approach to problem solving skills are key components for the achievement of my goals. I aspire to be of service to others, specifically those in rural communities. Occupational Therapy will allow me to reach out to these populations in many different ways, and allow me to make the greatest contribution to society that I possibly can. If I can make a difference in even one person’s life, my life-long goals will be satisfied. I am certain Occupational Therapy is the right career path for me in every way as it is precisely what I am looking for in a vocation. I know I may not be able to change the world, but I can change the communities I reach out to as an Occupational Therapist. After all, everyone deserves to have the best quality of life possible regardless of age, sex, income, or disability; and I want to leave the world a…
Successful occupational therapists not only present personal skills and traits that help them to be successful throughout their career, but they also know how to use those skills and traits and combine them into their patients’ lives, helping them to achieve and succeed as well. As an occupational therapist, you will only succeed after your clients’ do.…
My educational career from my freshman year at Saint Louis University High School although with some difficulties has in my opinion been a great success when I look back on it. In my freshman year, I was really challenged academically by my classes but managed to push on with the help of my teachers and friends who knew I could succeed if given some help. My sophomore year was a bit easier now that I had adjusted to the normal homework, I still had a tough time but found a love for my history and English classes, I also found myself becoming more sociable compared to my grade school years. My junior year was likely my hardest year but I believe I learned the most about what I wanted to do in regards to a college degree in my Psychology class.…
The experience that had a big impact on my life is going to medical camp. The medical camp was held at our local hospital. The camp allowed me to tour the hospital and speak to workers in various positions throughout the hospital. To get into the program I had to write an essay and have a GPA of 3.5 or better. At camp I was the youngest and the only African American there. While there it opened up my eyes to many other jobs in the hospital that interested me. Prior to going I wanted to be a Pediatrician, but while attending I found two other professions that interest me. The first profession is Occupational Therapy. Occupational Therapy is for people who go through surgery or get into an accident and try to relearn activities of daily living…
As children, we do not fully understand the responsibilities associated with our dream job, so we say we want to be a doctor or firefighter because we only think of being heroes. We do not see the negative side. Now that I am in high school and can look at all sides of a career, I think that being an occupational therapist or elementary school teacher are possible future careers for me. Although these careers require similar personality traits, they are very different in education, salary, and work environment/schedule.…