Does the Prestige of an OT School Matter?

Hey guys,

So this blog post is in response to a video created by DobberOT and itsmyOT. The topic is about whether the prestige of an OT school matters when selecting your program. These two individuals had differing opinions about the matter and I would argue that my opinion slightly differs from both of theirs as well.

First, when questioning prestige, we must determine what we are really talking about. When we say prestige what does that really mean? Is prestige equivalent to a ranking? I would argue no. Although prestige and ranking may be correlated, a ranking does not give a complete picture of a school's prestigiousness. The rankings of OT schools that you see posted on usnews.com or graduate programs.com are based solely on peer assessment surveys meaning that people within the system are ranking the program on X-Y-Z factors (not some "big dog" at the top). We must keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that influence these rankings, some of which we are aware of, but many of which we are not. Do I think that these rankings say something about the programs? Yes, but I still think it creates an incomplete picture and many false perceptions.

My OT program is ranked somewhere in the middle (not highly ranked, not lowly ranked) according to usnews.com and is actually in the top 10 according to graduateprograms.com. Despite this inconsistency in rating, I would argue that my school is fairly prestigious. My program puts a strong emphasis on client-centered, evidenced-based practice. Therefore, a strong foundation in theory and research is paramount, however we also focus on practical applicability (which I know some "prestigious" schools often lack).

Another thing about my program is that the faculty are all "down to earth" and easily approachable, including the program director. Their doors are always open, they are very knowledge, and they do not hesitate to answer questions. As also mentioned by itsmyOT, my professors are not only professors but they are also active clinicians and researchers. Many of them present at both the state and national conference for occupational therapy each year.

Our program also has many great connections when it comes to guest speakers, off-campus observations and opportunities, and fieldwork sites. Our program is contracted with an abundance of fieldwork opportunities within the state (not just locally, but all throughout the state) and is also contracted with facilities in 20 other states. Also, because we have established such a good reputation through the performance of our fieldwork students, we are easily able to contract with new sites and keep strong relationships with the old.

Also, when talking about prestigiousness we have to consider outcomes. Outcomes include NBCOT first-time pass rate and clinician performance in real word settings. In 2013, we had a 100% first time pass rate. In 2014, we had a 97% first time pass rate (35/36) -- 100% by ACOTE's new standards.  ACOTE standards have changed and now report pass rates as any new graduate who has passed the NBCOT exam during the testing year regardless of the number of attempts. I have also personally witnessed (even before deciding to apply to this school), the level of skill that both new grads and long-time clinicians that graduated from my program possess.

I could go on and on, but i'll just give one more example. A lady in itsmyot's comments mentioned that her OT program offers a course dedicated to assistive technology which apparently less than 5 schools in the US offer (that comment has since been edited). I don't know the accuracy of that statistic, but what I can say is that my program is one that offers an assistive technology course. If you read my last blog post "Summer Semester 2015: Fieldwork, Classes, Books," I mentioned that assistive technology was one of the courses I was taking this summer.

So what is my point? My point is that you cannot get too caught up with these online rankings and that you should not solely base your decision on a "ranking." You have to do your own research and really get down to the "nitty gritty" of  what the program offers and how it can benefit you as a student and future clinician.

So what is most important? I would argue that accreditation and goodness of fit are the most important factors to consider when choosing a program. As I mentioned in my "Tips| Applying to an MOT program," you should be choosing a school that best fits your learning style, personality, and goals. If you don't, it doesn't matter how "prestigious" the school is, you will likely be unsuccessful or you won't reach your true potential as a future OT.

Well that's all I really have to say about the matter lol.

<3 Bemo

Summer Semester 2015: Fieldwork I, Classes, Books

Alrighty, so right now I'm on a short 2.5 week break. I finished classes on May 6th, headed home on May 7th, and am expected to return back to school by May 26th (the first day of the summer semester). On May 26th, the 2nd years (us) are hosting an MOT BBQ for the first years. I'm responsible for tracking RSVPs and tallying up the counts for hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers. If ya'll remember last years blog post "First Day: Orientation (Summer 2014)," I talked about going to the BBQ, meeting my "big", and leaving pretty shortly after. Last year, I really didn't socialize much, but this year I'm going to try to be a little more interactive.

Yesterday, I was assigned a "little." I really don't care for the "big/little" titles. It comes off very condescending to me, but whatever that's just me lol. Anyways, I got her information yesterday so I will be going to the store when I get back on the other end and buy her a gift, just like my "big" bought me one.

Also, on May 26th, we will start classes and the first Fieldwork I rotations: Mental Health & Pediatrics.The two classes I will be taking are "Clinical Reasoning for Fieldwork" and "Assistive Technology."

My Mental Health rotation is at an inpatient psychiatric unit where we will be responsible for hosting therapeutic groups that provide just right challenges for the patients. There are three main types of groups: physical activity, psychoeducation, and therapeutic activities. We will be rotating between these 3 groups throughout the semester. The groups last about 45 minutes and usually contain 10-18 members. The groups will be held weekly for 7 weeks. We will be separated into groups of 3 I believe. I'm not sure who my partners are yet. Continuing on, the main diagnoses seen at this particular inpatient psychiatric facility are major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar, and corresponding substance abuse or personality disorders. The other mental health rotation options were with a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and at a children's home, which while great options were not my top choices.

My Pediatric rotation involves working with students in grades Kindergarten through 5th on building social skills as well as language and literacy skills needed for children in elementary school. I will be in a group with 5 other individuals and we are working interprofessionally with Speech Language Pathology students. We will be responsible for planning themes and activities for 1-4 programs days, adding fine motor/sensorimotor components to activities, providing consultation in regards to fine motor, developmental, positioning, and other OT-related areas, and documenting sessions.  The pediatric fieldwork only lasts about 1.5 - 2 weeks. The other pediatric rotation options include the same program, but with ages 3-6 years old, a handwriting camp, and a program designed to work with children with food selectivity.

Now that that is all out of the way, let's take a look at the required books. If you read my last blog post these books should look familiar! We will also be using a previously purchased book called "Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: A Vision for Participation." The "Assitive Technologies" book you see on the right is actually the 3rd edition. A month after sending out the original book list, the professor recommended that we instead purchase the 4th edition. I will just be asking a classmate of mine to look at there's if necessary. Too much time has passed to try and hassle with getting a refund and the 4th edition is around $100.

Left to Right: Stepping Into Handwriting: For Students Studying Elementary Education by Handwriting Without Tears,

The Wheelchair Evaluation: A Clinician’s Guide  by M. Batavia, and Cook & Hussey’s Assistive Technologies Principles and Practice by A. Cook & J.M. Polgar

This is not set in stone, but my plan is to post AT LEAST a weekly blog post keeping you updated with my fieldwork experience! A daily update would be optimal, but I don't know if I can commit to that! lol

Well I will talk to y'all next blog post!

<3 Bemo

2nd Adult Day Center Experience

You will have to bear with me through this post because although it's not late, I'm extremely tired. So, anyways, in a previous post entitled "Looking Beyond Conditions & Physical Interactions" I mentioned that my last experience at the adult day center (ADC) was a hot mess and highly frustrating. I felt very incompetent and my weaknesses were definitely highlighted within the 3 hours that I was there.

I told you guys that if I had time I would let ya'll know how it went this time around. So, my partner and I had 2 "clients" -- the same 2 as last time. Prior to going to the ADC, I texted her and asked which client she wanted to be primarily over. After talking with my professor, I felt that this would be a good idea since I didn't get to participate much in the questioning or interact much with either client. She texted me back her choice and I told her I would take care of the one left. Because I was very anxious about going to the ADC out of fear of messing up or making a fool of myself again, I felt the need to prepare, prepare, prepare. Since this time around we would actually be performing assessments with the clients, I practiced the assessments by recording myself talking to space (my imaginary person). I also took the time to make some reference sheets that I could take with me to help guide my assessments. It was much of the same information in the manual but without all the unnecessary fluff and with a much bigger font size. Here are a few examples of the sheets I made: (you may have to click on the picture to see it better)

Digit Span Test: Forward Span 

Cognitive Performance Test: Shopping

Cut this paper in half and used it to help guide Activity Card Sort

Toggle Category Assessment 

I was so glad that I took the time to make these because it helped my assessments go pretty smooth! The only assessment that I did not make a sheet for was the ACLS-5 (Allen Cognitive Level  Screen - 5). My experience at the ADC was MUCH MUCH MUCH better this time around. I also got 2 hugs from two other members of the ADC. Another two people asked me to come sit with them. I told them that I would after I met with one more person (I didn't see a reason not too). Unfortunately, after I finished writing up all my notes, they were heading home :(. Oh well! The lady that I was working with had me write in her notebook what we did with the Activity Card Sort so that she could show her house parents. I'm not even sure if what I wrote many any sense! lol I was focused so much on getting through the assessments that I'm sure it ended up being gibberish. Plus, she made me sign it, so there is no denying that...yup that was me...and yeah I know what I wrote probably made no sense. 

Well i'm going to go ahead and get to bed. I'm going to a CEU from 8:30am - 5pm. Obviously I can't get CEU's but I like when going when I can because you get good information!

Ttyl <3

City of Binders

So in OT school we get A LOOTTTT of papers, handouts, and everything in between. Trying to organize it all has been a CHALLENGE. At first, I thought about just putting all the papers for a semester in a 4 inch binder -- and I did. However, it was heavy and not the easiest to navigate. Plus, our classes often overlap in material, especially when it comes to documentation, interviewing patients, and various conditions. Therefore, organizing by class isn't the best idea either.

So, instead, I decided that I would buy a crap load of binders and organize them by topic. It has been time consuming since I've had to rummage through my chaos of papers from all my classes pulling things out and putting them together with their mates. However, it's been well worth it. So far I have used 8 of the 13 binders I bought. Pictured to the right is a few examples of some of the binder topics I chose to group together (I have small hands so I could only hold so many lol). I'm still not done organizing everything. I still have a lot of papers to go through and I want to add a table of contents as well as some labeled dividers. When I finish organizing all the papers I haven't gotten thus far in my program I will share the completed "project." 

My next biggest challenge will be finding space for all of these binders. On top of all these binders, I also have a ton of OT related books. I have the ones that were required by my program, but I also bought other resources that I thought would be helpful throughout my career (I'll share all of them in a later post). Space won't be as big of an issue when I get my own place, but for now, I must deal with the space I have -- which isn't much. 

I'm also sure as the semesters go along I may have to either buy bigger binders, or group them differently, etc. etc. So, that will be interesting as it goes along. My ultimate goal is that all my papers (from May 2014 - May 2016) are well organized by the time Fieldwork II starts (June 2016). If I have all these resources but can't access them quickly then it's really pointless, in my opinion. 

Well, that about wraps up this blog post. Just wanted to fill ya'll in on my latest and greatest! lol :) 

Looking Beyond Conditions & Physical Interactions

Last year I posted a blog called "Note Taking during Observation & Bridge Burning!" Great blog, in my opinion, but it's missing something - something important. Something I did not realize it was missing until this semester (Spring 2015).

During my observation, I focused soooooo much on the condition the client had, what the therapist did with the client, tips and tricks, all that...but the one thing I forgot to pay attention to was the interpersonal interaction between the client and therapist, the therapist and parents, and the therapist and his/her team. I have over 45 pages of notes outlining my clinical observations and NOT ONE talks about anything of the such UNLESS there was something that the therapist did that I did not agree with.

I did not take the time to note any of the positive, beneficial, or key interactions. Nothing that the therapist said to motivate their client, nothing that the therapist did to support their client when they burst into tears, nothing that the therapist asked to try to understand their patient better, nothing that the therapist did when they could tell their patient was getting hostile, nothing about how the therapist approached his/her colleagues (e.g., other OTs, PTs, nurses, doctors) when he/she had questions, nothing that the therapist expressed when interacting with caregivers...just NOTHING I tell you and that's so unfortunate.

Taking note of the conditions you see and of the specific therapy techniques and activities the therapist does with the client is important, but the interpersonal interactions that occur within the setting is just as important and it's something I failed to attend to during my observation. I won't say I was focusing on all the wrong things, because I wasn't...I actually learned a lot...but what I will say is that the lens I had on was too narrow to see the big picture at the time. And now, as my first year of OT school is coming to a close it is something I regret. But why?, you may ask.

Well, interacting with others on certain levels is not something that comes natural to me and it's a long story as to why. I communicate well with others when it just happens and I'm not putting to much thought into and also when I'm one-on-one with someone. However, lately, I feel like I have to be so much more intentional and when I'm intentional it's just so unnatural, especially if I'm with another person and especially if I have to follow a specific protocol (i.e., that required by an assessment). For example, we have been going to an adult day center to interview some of the members there so we can fill out case maps, do some assessments, and eventually create a treatment plan. When I tell you it's like I couldn't improvise, I couldn't think, I didn't know what to say, it was awkward, and I couldn't play off the dynamics of my group member...I am not joking nor exaggerating. I got so frustrated that day. Plus, the way our seats were positioned was conducive for my group member to interact with the client, but not for me because I was off to the side (not that I wanted to be, it just happened with how my partner sat). Long story short, it was a mess. I think it would have helped if my partner and I would have met prior to discuss how we were going to execute obtaining the information we needed to, but with our schedules so hectic it just wasn't possible. We should be able to meet before we go back again (this coming Thursday) so hopefully my experience will be much better this time around. I talked to my professor about it and she was able to give me some advice so we will see. If I have time, I'll let ya'll know how it goes.

Anyways, back to the point. The point is that I wish I would have took the time to acknowledge how the therapists interacted with others, how they improvised etc. etc. because now I'm faced with situations that are unnatural for me and I have nothing really to go off of but words. Words are great, but I learn best by seeing firsthand. So all-in-all, my advice to anyone who may struggle with interpersonal interactions, are introverted, or just want to see the bigger picture is...don't just focus on conditions and physical interactions, also take notice of how the therapist is interacting with those around them. Hopefully, this will help you not to struggle as much as I have been. I only gave you one example, but I have encountered a handful of situations that were just a big fat mess.

Anatomy & Cadaver Lab Tips & Tricks!

Alright, so it's about to be that time of year again. I promised I would get this out to you last year and I never did...my bad! It's here now! Hope these tips are helpful to you. Don't forget to checkout free printables at the bottom of the post! If you have tips of your own, feel free to leave a comment!

1. Wear clothes you don't care about. The smell of the cadaver lab has a tendency to linger on your clothes. 

2. If the smell is too much for you too handle try rubbing a SMALL amount of Vicks on your upper lip and nose. Some people have suggested cinnamon flavored gum (e.g., big red), but Vicks works much better, some labs don't allow gum, and do you really want to be smacking on gum with cadaver juice flying all around?

3. Don't buy an expensive tool kit. Many of your tools will possibly fall in the tank or get mixed up with your group member's so you don't want to spend too much money on a tool kit. Plus, unless you are going into the cadaver dissecting field you will probably never use the items inside the kit ever again. I will, however, say that you will need a lot of blades because they can get dull pretty fast. My suggestion is that you split the cost with your group to buy a box of 100. 

4. Don't leave your gloves sitting out, people will use them and they will be gone before you know it. Box of 100? Umm, what box?

5. Don't set your tools on the edge of the tank. They will most likely fall in and be gone FOREVER! lol

6. Don't use the body as a scapel holder. When it comes time to open the body and "play" with their organs there is a high chance that you will have poked into the intestines and there will be poop EVERYWHERE. That happened to the group next to us. It was a stinky stinky mess. 

7. Take your lab coat to a laundromat, you don't want to stink up your washer/dryer. Also, don't try to bleach it - may make the smell settle in more.

8. Read about the dissection procedure prior to dissection. I usually just went with the flow lol, but I wouldn't suggest it. I was the one showing up like "yeah, so umm..what are we supposed to be doing?" Don't be like me, be better! 

9. Use lab time effectively in an effort to finish dissection. Don't spend more than an hour and a half a day outside of lab time trying to finish your dissection (especially if your in a fast paced course). It's usually not worth it and the professors and lab TAs will cut and dig for the structures they want anyway. You need to be using as much of your free time as possible studying or reviewing the structures on the cadaver...not trying to dig through fat to find them. 

10. Speaking of fat, if you get to choose your own body, avoid the big belly bodies :) You will be cutting out and digging through fat for dayssss!

11. Don't just mindlessly dissect your cadaver. You usually spend 2-4 hours in lab for class...take advantage of it. When you identify a structure share it with the group. When your group members find something have them share with the group. Pay attention to the location, what structures it can easily confused with, all that. Let's be real though, sometimes that's hard to do because everything usually looks the same and you have no clue what you have found, if anything.

Another option, is to review lecture material while you are dissecting. Everyday, have a different "leader" at the head of the tank "teaching" that day's lesson. They read you a part of the material emphasizing the important parts, and then they quiz you over what they just covered. Then they cover a little bit more and quiz you again. This worked really well for my group. We were able to remember a lot from being quizzed over class material while dissecting.

12. Make a list of everything you are expected to be able to identify and make sure you locate it and write down the easiest way to locate it. Sometimes the professor will provide you with a list, but it usually has other nonsense on it. You need to make a list with just the structures, free from any unnecessary distraction.

13. Don't just identify a structure on one body. I recommend you see every structure AT LEAST 3 times on 3 different bodies. Sometimes they look very different depending on the body.

14. If you don't work well in groups for studying purposes DON'T do it! I don't usually work well in study groups, but I thought "OMG, everybody is always studying in groups, I need to study in a group too." Yeah, no! The one time I attended a group study session, it was a mess and I felt like so much time was wasted and that I could have learned much more on my own. 

15. Take advantage of tutoring if it's offered. I recommend going once a week every week if you can. I did solo tutoring and just asked the tutor to show me where to find a bunch of structures and then explain to me how I can easily find and identify it, while distinguishing it from similar structures. I wrote this information down and went on about my business. This was discouraged, but it worked amazing for me. They suggested that you have the tutor quiz you over structures that you should have already identified on your own. Yeah right, there was usually too much going on to have already figured out where everything was located. It was my belief that I could quiz myself, but what I couldn't do was locate all these structures on my own, so if the TA just tells me where they are all at first I can figure out my own way to quiz myself later.

The reason I did it this way is because I quickly learned after the first test, that the structures I missed were the ones I had never seen before. Why? because I never identified it to begin with, so when I saw it, "I'm like what in the world!!?? Umm...let me see well it obviously isn't A because A is located somewhere else, but oh is that B?, can be look like that?...crap I only have 10 seconds left... umm shoot i'll just pick D." It was a mess.

After that test, I had my tutor show me every single structure we were responsible for, how to find, how to distinguish it from other similar structures. Next test went 1000x better. lol

Some people did group tutoring, but again, I emphasize if you don't learn well in groups, don't do it just to save a buck or $10. Nine times out of ten you will regret it. 

16. If your lab TA's host practice lab tests GO TO THEM! Pay the money if they charge and go to them. It really helps you to see what areas you are struggling in. Also, some of the questions may pop up on the real test. Also, sometimes going just helps you get your technique down. You have to move quick and you have to think quick! "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick."

17. Now is not the time to experiment with new ways to study or follow someone else's method of studying....unless you are a procrastinator, then you better snap out that quick. Other than that, if you have a particular study method down pat, stick with it! 2nd year MOT students discouraged me from making note cards because they were too time consuming and "not worth it," but I knew that I could memorize information like no other with flash cards. So i went for it! Was it time consuming? HECK YES. Did it pay off? Again, I say, HECK YES! ...If this is your method of choice the key is to not play around. Get them made so you can get to studying. The one section that I didn't make flash cards over...forearm and hand muscles...was the one section that I knew the least well. I tried some else's method and guess what? It didn't stick.

If you take your first test and you realize "OMG, the way I studied was a mess. I thought I was getting it until I took my test and then I was like what????" Then that is the time to go to the drawing board. If you have an advisor, go talk to them...sometimes it's mandatory anyways, but I strongly advise you seek their advice. Most of them have been doing what they have been doing for awhile and have a few suggestions up their sleeves.

If I can find one of my advisor appointment sheets I will scan it and share it with you all!

Resources that I made that helped me and may help you if you are learning similar content! :) 

You have permission to use them ANYWAY you think will be beneficial.

I encourage you to make your own as well!

Disclaimer: Pneumonics may offensive to some viewers. Some pictures were taken from online sources.

SHOW ME THE ORIGIN & INSERTION & LABEL

DRAW ME THE BRACHIAL PLEXUS

MUSCLE DETAILS PRACTICE SHEET

AXILLARY ARTERY BRANCHES

BRACHIAL PLEXUS

CONTENTS OF MEDIASTINUM

CRANIAL NERVES CHART

ERECTOR SPINAE

Panel Lessons to Tuck in a Special Place!

So this is my way of checking in and letting ya'll know that I'm still alive and kicking. This semester has just been a huge roller coaster for me academically and emotionally and I have not had the time nor energy to sit down and type.

Since I have about a 2 day break from school work, I decided to get on here and share what I thought was an amazing and much needed guest lecture. So, on Wednesday for my conditions class my professor invited 4 individuals to participate on a panel where each shared their "disability" experience. Although, in our profession we emphasize person before disability, it is not appropriate for me to disclose the identity of these individuals. However, I can share their conditions for those interested. TBI (ATV accident), Stroke (she had a stroke twice, each time after the birth of her children), T8-T9 SCI (skiing accident), C5-C6 SCI (car accident). As they spoke, my professor occasionally interjected and shared some of her experiences working with patients as well.  

Here is a cumulative list of many of the lessons they each had to share:

"The therapy team acts a connection. They help individuals plug themselves back into their lives."

"It's import to work with a team that can help you in areas that you are weaker in."

"The words you choose and the attitude you have as a clinician are powerful."

"Don't take away their hope. Don't give false hope. Don't lie."

"Allow families to have their faith and support them in it. You don't have to agree with their faith...it's not about you."

The patient is not the only one who can lose their identity. Traumatic events are traumatic to the whole family.

"As an OT you are the nucleus"

"Take the time to listen to caregivers, they may give you information that can enhance your therapy and thus help the patient improve."

"Therapeutic use of self is not just for the patient."

"Things may not become easier, but they can become possible, if you change your mindset."

"You can't feel sorry for your patient and you don't want to become too attached to them. It will hinder you from doing your job and your patient can take advantage of you."

"You never fail until you give up. If you don't give up you can't fail."

A journal may be helpful for patients who don't feel like they are making any progress

"Doesn't matter how bad you feel. Doesn't matter what happened when you woke up, when you drove to work, when you got to work... Leave it at the door!" 

The panel members also shared some of their not so good experiences with the medical team. It was shocking some of the stories they told. The story that stuck out the most to me is the one where the mother of one of the individuals stated that when her son was in his coma, the physician walked in sniffed over his bed and said something along the lines of "Smells like death today." :O Jaw dropper right? Yeessss!! Unbelievable smh. 

Well, that's all I wanted to share. Take care. I will update ya'll on my FWI: MH and Peds rotation soon! :) 

Update & Spring 2015 Classes/Books

Bemo! Where on Earth have you been!??? Yeah, well I've been around, but I had been going through some personal issues and my motivation to do much of anything was at an all time low. I was hoping that the Christmas break would serve as a much needed rejuvenation period. However, my hopes for that went down the drain on New Year's Eve when my Papa passed away. We were like two peas in a pod and I still can't believe he's gone. I let it get me down for awhile, but I realized that life must go on and all I can really do is keep our memories together alive. Now, school is back in session and I must attack the semester differently with a fresh perspective and a greater appreciation.

Despite my lack of motivation, I still managed to do well in my classes. I finished the semester with all A's so that was good. However, it was a painful process because my mind was not right. For some reason I was just really unhappy with my life. Once I got home, I sat down and talked about it with my mom and I prayed about it. I'm much more content and grateful with where I am, but I know it's going to be a process to get where I fully need to be because I have been feeling this way for several years now.
Anyways, enough of the "woe is me stories." Let's get on to my Spring 2015 classes and books.

This semester I am taking 18 hours and the classes include:

• Introduction to Clinical Reasoning
• Psychosocial Interventions in OT
• Overview and Analysis of OT Assessment & Lab
• Hand & Upper Extremity Rehab & Lab 
• Evidence for Research and Practice 
• Conditions in OT (part 2)
• Foundations for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice 

Class started today (Jan 12, 2015). The classes seem like they are going to be tough, but interesting. I'm actually really looking forward to this semester.

In my program we reuse a lot of the same books. Therefore, this time around I was only required to purchase three additional books.

I'm going to take the rest of the week to get myself together and then I'm going to hit the ground running. My main goal for this semester is to just keep my motivation levels high. We will see how that goes. 

On a last note, I have to turn in the locations and facility types I am interested in for Fieldwork Levels I & II before spring break. I honestly have no idea as of right now. I will be scheduling an appointment with the fieldwork coordinator soon to discuss some things. I will update you guys when I make a decision. Nothing I select will be set in stone, but the fieldwork coordinator does try really hard to satisfy what we have selected. 

Fear of the Transition

This was a blog I wrote almost a year ago and forgot to finish and post! It's still unfinished, but everything that I said still holds true. I am actually taking a clinical reasoning course this semester so we will see how I feel by the end of the semester. 

Hmm...fear of the transition! "What transition?," you may ask! Well, i'm going to tell you lol. The transition from student to professional! Now, I know it's a long way from today --  about 2 years to be exact. However, I've actually had this fear for quite awhile, but as I near the reality, the fear sets in a little deeper and deeper.

Some people may think, "Why think about that now, you still have time before you are an actual professional?" Well, because I'm thinking there are some things I can do between now and then that will help ease my fear and make my transition from student to professional just a bit smoother and less nerve racking.

So what about the transition am I actually afraid of? Simple -- Clinical reasoning! Let's go ahead and define it real quick.

Clinical reasoning: "Process of collecting cues. Information processing. Understanding of patient situation. Plan/implement intervention . Evaluate outcomes. Reflect/learn from process."
Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/24473111/Clinical-reasoning-for-Nursing-students-Glossary-of-terms

Now, the great thing about being a professional, especially one in Occupational Therapy, is that you usually work as a team with other professionals: Physical therapists, speech language pathologists, psychologists in some cases, etc. Also, many times you have a supervisor that you can meet with a reflect on your cases with.

Also, the field work experience that MOT programs require, should also help in the adjustment, but not completely. I recently found a blog that I really like. She has not been active since 2011, but the information on her blog is still really good. It's called "Practice, reasoning, and reflection." She addresses her experience with the transition from student to professional and then her struggles as a professional as time goes on. I think she is from Canada if i'm not mistaken, but it's still really relatable. Check it out if you are interested!

Unfortunately, a big reality is that MOT programs cannot possibly cover every situation that you may encounter as a professional. Therefore, you always have to be on top of your game.

Lesson of the Day| Never Become Complacent!

I talked to one of my professors today and I just want to try to recall some of the things she mentioned and reflect on them for my records. Keep in mind I'm a horrible paraphraser! Let's go ahead and get started. 

So, on Monday, one of my professors shared her experience of going through a point in her career where she realized she really was not understanding why she was providing some of the treatments she was to her clients. She said that she understood the basics or would simply do a treatment because she remembered seeing another therapist do it. She expressed her frustration and feeling of incompetency. She realized that she probably needed to go back to school and learn more -- so she did.

So today, I asked her what she did differently the second time around to help her improve as a practitioner. She said that the two things that she did differently was 1) found appreciation in theory and 2) had a mentor that helped her problem solve and improve her clinical reasoning. She spoke a lot about the importance of understanding theory and using it as a way to ground your practice. She said that it truly helps you to understand how to approach intervention all the way from interaction to evaluation to outcomes and provides guidance on choosing the best treatment for a patient. We've only learned about three occupation-based models (EHP, MOHO, OA) so far, but I can already see how understanding these theories would prove to be important as a therapist. It really helps you to broaden your scope and see your patients through a more comprehensive lens.

Later in the conversation, she mentioned that your learning as a therapist will never stop. She even went as far as to say that if you look back and ask yourself, "Am I doing therapy the same way I did last year?" and your answer is yes, you are doing something wrong. She said not everything in your practice will change but that every year you should be finding better ways to improve your practice and become a better therapist. She said you do this through continued education, reading updated research, and exploring new theories. Basically, to sum it up, you should never become complacent with your skills, you should always seek to learn more in an effort to provide the best services for your clients. Common sense right? One would think! However, unfortunately (and I've witnessed this myself, especially with older therapists), that drive to constantly learn new and better ways of providing therapy sometimes wanes and therapists do seem to become somewhat content with the knowledge they already know.

We talked for a long time so I can't remember everything, but I tried to pull out the bigger details and what I thought were important "take home messages."

Getting into "A" Program that you WANT! + Plan B

I know, I know...another video! Hopefully some of you find this video helpful.

The title of this blog post and video may be a little misleading so allow me to elaborate. This video is geared towards those who may find themselves applying to 2, 3, 4, etc. programs, but only getting one offer.

I hope that my advice will help you to have no hesitations in accepting that offer and to become one step closer to your goal as an occupational therapist. It is my belief that you should never see the programs you apply to in the scope of "most desirable to least desirable." Instead I challenge you to see the colleges you apply to as "All great programs that I would without a doubt love to be in." If you make sure that all the programs you apply to are programs that you would without a shadow of a doubt be ready to pack your bags and get to moving, you lessen the chance of you getting accepted into a program that you really don't want to go to and end up turning it down for whatever reason.

Let me give you a couple of examples of how the scenario may play out. 

1. "Ah man, I really can't afford to go that program."
2. "I really don't think I'm ready to move to New York."
3. "I don't think I want to spend 5 more years in school."
4. "I just don't think that program is a good fit for me anymore."

These are the types of situations that I hope to help you avoid.

Best of luck as you apply to different OT programs!

Link to Blog Post I Mentioned| http://oteatime.blogspot.com/2014/01/tips-applying-to-mot-program.html

3rd Week Update! (Fall 2014)

This Video Covers: 

• How I Feel About Classes So Far
• The Lazy Rut I've Been in
• Socializing with My Classmates 
• OT Polos I Ordered 
• Guest Speaker- NICU 
• SOTA (Student Occupational Therapy Association)

First Day of Fall 2014

After the summer session we were given about a week off to relax and recoop. I decided to go back home for the break and spend time with my family. My break was consumed with watching butt tons of movies and sleeping. My grandpa was in the hospital for most of my stay so I went to the hospital to visit him as often as I could. Other than that, mom and I would make trips to places like SAMs and Costco to pick up a few items for the house and my apartment. I didn't do anything too exciting, my main goal was to just relax, which in a round about way is exactly what happened.

Now that my short, but much needed break is over it is time to get back to work! Today was our first day of class (Aug. 20th). Before we left for the break one of our professors emailed us and said that our 9 o' clock class would be cancelled for the first day. This meant that I didn't have to be at school until 10:30am. Awesome, right!!? Yes and no. It was great because I got to sleep in. I had big plans of eating breakfast and doing this and doing that, but pssht none of that happened. I lolligagged around ALL morning lol. The bad side of a 10:30am class was that parking was horrible. Student parking was completely filled so I had to park in an outside extra parking lot that is farther away from the academic building. It wasn't a terrible walk, but definitely a long one. I think the summer session spoiled me when it came to parking because there was always tons of free parking spaces.

Today I had "Theories and Foundations in OT" and "Occupational Performance Throughout the Lifespan." Before today I had my reserves about my theory class. Like I told mom, theory classes usually go one of two ways really good because the teacher loves the subject they are teaching or really bad because the teacher has absolutely no enthusiasm about the subject and class is a drag. Fortunately, it looks like this is going to be a good class. I think I am really going to enjoy it! Both of the professors have great personalities and are really nice, I have high hopes for these classes.

Other than that, not much happened pretty smooth typical first day! Ain't nothing wrong with that :)

All I'm working on today is putting all my dates that I have so far for tests, quizzes, and projects due in my planner and get my apartment organized. 

Woah, We Have Some MAJOR Catching Up!

Long time no read, huh? I know, I know. This summer was INTENSE. It was stressful and time-consuming, but definitely do-able. Since I have quite a few blogs to write in an attempt to catch you up I decided to create this main blog post that will link you to all the blogs I write as a part of this whole catching up thing. I would love to post these in order of when they will be posted, but that's not going to happen so bare with me. I'm not sure how many blogs I will end up writing, but they will all be linked down below as they are written! :) (You may see the title, but it is not clickable. That means that I am working on the blog. It just has not become live yet because it's not finished.)

Cadaver Lab Experience & Tips

Summer Session Finals & Grades

My Anatomy "Book of Knowledge"

Netter vs. Gilroy Anatomy Atlas

Fall 2014 Semester Classes & Books

First Day of Fall 2014

Week 3 & 4 | Average Test Scores; High Emotions

If you were wondering...nope there has not been a slow down. Every day, every week is the same thing. Study, study, study. I have been trying to take Thursday OR Friday's to kind of relax and treat myself so I don't go crazy. I will usually either go to the movies or catch up on the shows that I have missed throughout the week.

I know some of you are probably wondering how my first exams went so let's get that out the way. On my first anatomy exam I got an 85.33 on the practical and an 86.66 on the written so my actual test grade came out to be an 85.99 (there is no rounding in grad school; at least not this one). There were 75 questions on both parts. I'm not particularly too excited about my grade but seeing that the class average was in the 70's and only about two people in my program made A's I think I did pretty good. Plus, after taking the first test I felt DEFEATED! I honestly thought I failed. My biggest problem was that I just ran out of time. I went over all the material, but since the forearm, wrist, and hand were the last things that I studied none of it really stuck. I felt pretty good about anything unrelated to these parts (so basically the rest of the entire upper extremity) but the hand and stuff just had way too much information to remember in little to no time.

Though I made roughly about the same grade on both parts, the practical is where I really struggled. The Wednesday before the test the TA's hosted a practice practical. I felt pretty confident during the practice and I could actually think. Problem was at 8 in the morning, when I had the real thing, it felt like my body had not fully woken up and I was moving in SLOW MOTION! I mean I couldn't think for NOTHING! I kept saying, "This is not real, this is not real!" I literally felt like I was sleep walking and since we only have a minute at each cadaver station there is no time for slow processing brains. My confidence was completely blown after taking the practical portion. Then I had to go take the written. I felt much better about the written. My body had actually had a chance to wake up a bit more and I had much more time to think through each question.

My next test is June 27th. I don't know I feel about this test. I changed the way I prepared for it a little bit from the first so we will see what happens. I am glad that this time I have written first and then the practical. I'm hoping this gives my body a chance to wake up and my brain to start working.

On to better news, on my first Kinesiology exam I made a 98. It was mainly multiple choice and then had an essay question at the end. We also had a ROM competency yesterday (June 24th). I was super nervous because I did not feel competent and I was already in a bad mood, but I think I did pretty well. It had a written part and then a performance portion. I don't think we will get our grades back until the second lab group takes their test. UPDATE: Grades were posted Thursday (26th), I got a 100! 

Last post I told ya'll that my other two classes get super neglected. This still holds true. The intensity of the anatomy class does not allow me to appreciate my other two classes. They feel like more of a burden than anything else. I haven't read one article, reading, or assignment for my intro to OT class. We also have an essay due soon and an activity analysis due. Have I started? That would be a no. That's my goal this weekend...to at least finish the activity analysis completely and at least 1/3 of the essay. I can't release the topic of my essay yet, but we basically had to choose an intervention or treatment and now we are responsible for finding 10 related articles, using 5 of them and writing a 5 page paper. I am having a little difficult time finding articles relevant to my topic, but we will see when I actually have time to do real searching.

Enough about that though! Let's talk about these emotions of mine. Smh I wish I was writing this in the middle of my emotion because then I could better explain to you how I have been feeling -- but I am not...so bare with me please. This is going to be all jumbled so follow along. Okay so, I am an emotional person in general, but lately I have been feeling really down. I'm not really sure the root of my tears. It may be a combination of being overwhelmed, disappointed, and exhausted, but I'm thinking mainly disappointed. When I graduated from my undergrad...well even before then, I told myself that I wanted my grad school experience to be different; to be a fresh start at life. Long story short, I didn't have much fun in undergrad and I didn't make many friends...if really any at all. I am an introvert by nature and it is easier for me to not deal with people so that is usually the route I take -- 9 times out of 10 I just like being in my own company. This time around I wanted to be more social and make new connections.

The first week, maybe even first two weeks of school that was going well. I was talking to people and they talked back, but now I can feel the distancing and I definitely feel like an outcast even though I know I am not alone. Most people in my program and even the other DPT and AT program students seem to like to study or review in groups. As a result, they form strong connections and relationships with the people that they are studying with and spending time with the most. Me, on the other hand, I just don't learn effectively in groups and especially not with the pace and intensity of this course. Being that I am not willing to sacrifice my grade because I want to make friends (since we technically don't have a GPA, if we fail anatomy we are OUT of the program and a C or D gets you academic probation -- the pressure to pass is REAL), I just leave groups alone. I tried it I think two times so far this summer and each time it was a complete FAIL (I may go into detail in a later blog -- long story short much time wasted; not much accomplished).Even for tutoring I would do solo tutoring. I am trying to work on that though because it's killing my pockets. I'm so broke it's not even funny (not just because of tutoring, but just being careless with my money in general). Even if I could find one more person to join me in tutoring that would cut my expenses in half. I only do about one tutoring session a week and sometimes not even that if all the TA's are booked, but still!!!

Anyways, getting back on track...I usually don't eat lunch with people either because I use that time to eat and study. A lot of people don't like being alone or doing things alone, but it's something I have always done and feel comfortable with. However, since I was hoping for something new the reality of my situation is discouraging. It's like undergrad all over again. There is one girl I have met so far that I seem to click with well. I also appreciate that every 2 weeks we get new lab partners, which allows us to meet and work with new people pretty regularly. Thankfully, I've enjoyed working with both groups. My first lab group I clicked with more on a social level so it was sad when we had to "break up." My second group, not so much, but I liked that we actually used our lab time to review course material and not just mindlessly dissect. During this course, EVERY minute counts so if you spend 3 hours in the lab just dissecting you are going to end up super behind knowledge wise. Anyways, I still talk regularly to two people of my first group and if I see the other two I'll speak, but that's pretty much it. We will be assigned new lab groups on Sunday so we will see how this next group turns out.

My thoughts as of right now is that I am probably not going to make too many friends over the summer simply because of the circumstance. However, I am hoping that once the fall comes around and the pace settles down a bit, I'll be able to engage in the more social aspect that comes with being with the same group of people for 2.5 years. I  do think it will get better though. Just have to pray about it.

For now, with anatomy being so intense and then things not going as I envisioned, though it's sometimes hard to deal with emotionally and I am ALWAYS tired and having headaches, I have come to the conclusion that I have to just take it one MINUTE, one HOUR, one DAY, one WEEK at a time. I will keep ya'll updated on how I feel as time goes on.

PS: I took my second anatomy test today. We will talk about that later, but grades will be posted Monday (Jun 30th)

PS2: If there are ridiculous typos -- my bad.

Week 1 & 2 | Too BUSY for a Break Down!!

Well guys, it's been two very long, but quickly paced weeks. I haven't had much time to do really do anything other than go to classes, finish up dissections, and study. No time to cry, text, talk and barely time to eat.

My first day of real class (May 28th) had an interesting start. I left my laptop, iPad, and keys on top of the lab lockers for 2.5 hours before realizing that I had not put them back in my backpack (Luckily everything was right where I had left it). I got lost trying to find my way back to the lab and then from the lab back to class. I went during one of the 5 minute breaks we get thinking I would be down and back in a flash...SIKE! (Now there is nothing to it and it's actually really simple to get to, but that first day was a mess). I also splashed the cadaver tank. There is really no telling what else I did that day - can't remember.

We have an anatomy quiz every morning at 8 o' clock on the dot. I get about 4.5 hours of sleep Monday through Thursday -- 5 if i'm lucky. I'm usually in class from 8-5 and usually don't get home until 9 finishing up cadaver dissection.

My other two classes have been going well, but honestly, they get SUPER NEGLECTED. I have a quiz about once a week in my kinesiology class. For kinesiology lab we practiced drawing surface anatomy on our classmates and how to properly use a goniometer. We will be tested over it in a couple of weeks. I struggle with finding the end of the clavicle, the lateral border of the acromion process, and the supraspinatus tendon. I've been practicing on a couple of my classmates and googling palpation tips for those areas. I've gotten a little better, but hopefully I will be on top of my game by the time we get tested over it.

On Wednesday (Jun 4th) we took a practice OTKE, which is basically a practice board exam. It had 100 questions and we had 2 hours to take it. I took the full 2 hours. We won't get our score until we are basically finished with our program which sucks! I really wanted to know how I did. Oh well!

Anyways, overall, it has definitely been challenging for me. At times I just want to break down and cry, but I suck it up quick because there is just NO TIME FOR A BREAK DOWN! I have an exam next week on the 13th. It's 4 hours long about 150 questions including written and practical portions. I'm nervous because it covers soooo much information and I know by the end of it I'm going to be extremely hungry and tired.

I attended a tutoring session on June 5th. I got to pick my tutor and I think the session went really smooth. I was able to answer most of the questions he quizzed me on and he pointed out some things on the cadaver that I have been having a difficult time locating. Unfortunately, he said he probably won't be tutoring anymore because his classes are starting to get too busy. He recommended a couple of other tutors that he thought would fit my style of learning. I texted and scheduled a tutoring session with one of them for Tuesday to go over the forearm and hand. The tutoring sessions cost a pretty penny ($20 for an hour). Most people get tutored in a group to cut the price, but I learn more effectively solo and I feel that the tutor is better able to attend to my needs as a student.

Welp, that about wraps it up. Sorry I don't have much to tell. I had so much I wanted to share, but since I didn't write it down I forgot! :( Hopefully the Fall will be easier when it comes to keeping up with my blog and sharing information. I'm about to go back to studying, but when I get some extra time, whenever that may be, I'm going to share some of the things I have created to assist me with anatomy.

PS: The first week of school I lived off of fast food since I never had time to cook -- talk bout being broke! Second week I was able to make it to the grocery store on Sunday so I've been packing my lunch -- typically something microwavable (i.e. pasta) with some fruit. I also found time to cook 2 Ibs. of hamburger helper and froze it in portions. I also ate at the hospital's cafeteria once this week. I think I would eat there again. They have a lot of options.

First Day: Orientation (Summer 2014)

So the games have begun!!

Let me tell you something first though. The night before orientation, I was freaking out!!! Not because I was nervous about classes, but because I had no clue what to bring for the first day of "class." I was confused because the orientation website said that orientation would start at 8:30am, but we also got a memo from our anatomy professor that we needed to bring our lab coat, dissection kit, and gloves. So in my head I'm thinking..."are we going to have orientation and then classes or what is going on?" I was at a total loss so I packed EVERYTHING!! lol Come to find out all I needed to bring was a pen. *side eye* I really wish they would have made that clear on the orientation website. There were absolutely no classes and all those "supplies" we needed??... SIKE!

Anyways, since orientation was at 8:30am I decided to leave my apartment at 8:00am. I live about 10 mins away from campus. I wore business casual (purple blouse, kaki pants, and matching flats) since I knew we would be taking pictures. Most students at orientation were dressed in a similar fashion.

Orientation was very informative, but if I can be honest, BORRINNGG! It was basically a series of back-to-back speakers talking about the different services Program Z offers to it's students. We were also given a folder with tons of brochures, papers, and forms needing to be signed. Like I said, great information, buttttt lol

For breakfast, small snacks like nutrigrain bars and bottled water were provided. For lunch, they served the traditional boxed lunch (sandwich, chips, and a cookie). I chose "ham on white."

Around 1 o' clock I started getting a HORRIBLE headache. I mean my head was killing me and we were no where near finished! At 2pm, we broke up a bit. In the beginning, all students within Program Z, including OT, PT, Athletic Training, Molecular Pathology, and a couple others were together in a small auditorium style classroom. When we broke up, the OT, PT, and AT stayed in the room. Our speaker was the gross anatomy professor who wanted to talk to us about accessing our lecture and lab notes and what we needed to do tonight before class tomorrow (view dissection tutorials). He also recommended that we start on the intro chapter of the book. After he was done speaking, another professor spoke to us about study tips, mentioning that the most important thing will be balance and not taking short cuts.

From there, we broke into our individual programs -- mine being OT. It was nice to have a change in pace, that's for sure! All the professors introduced themselves with their own individual ppt presentation. It was really nice and gave a couple of laughs. They all seem like very down-to-earth people. We then had to go around and introduce ourselves (the students). After the introductions, we got to meet with our faculty advisor. The advisor I was assigned to is very bubbly and sweet. You could tell she was super excited! We were also given a clipboard with some information printed on it and a pediatric outcomes chart (there was more information on the back as well). In my opinion, these were the most awesome things we received all day! Also, at our desk was another folder with a bunch of papers. One of the papers inside of the folder that caught my attention was a "Tips for Surviving Anatomy" sheet. I thought they were pretty helpful tips so check them out for yourself! :)

**NOT ALL TIPS WILL APPLY TO YOUR CLASS OR PROGRAM!**

Orientation was finally over at 4pm. We had the opportunity to take a tour or meet with the IT people for laptop assistance. I went to the IT room, but left shortly because I was not sure if I actually needed assistance or if was just going because everyone else was going. I asked some of my classmates what they needed help with and they did not seem all too sure either. I checked to make sure my lockdown browser that we were required to download was working. It was, so I bounced.

After orientation, I went to Target to pick up a new planner and a "weekly combo dry erase board." I'm not exactly sure what my plans are for the board lol, but I got it! After I finished up at Target, I drove home to change and then went to the BBQ hosted by Program Z. The BBQ started at 5pm, but I did not get there until around 5:45pm. There, I met my "Big." (About a week or so ago I signed up for the "Big/Little" program where we are matched with a second year OT student) She bought me a gift. Very sweet of her. It included a dry erase board (which I plan to use as a lap board for drawing and labeling different diagrams), dry erase markers, starbursts, skittles, sour patches, pens, pencils, gatorade, mini water, flash cards, flags, white out, sheet protectors, hand sanitizer, tissue, and, highlighters. I left the BBQ at 6:30pm sharp. It was nice for the most part, but I needed to get going.

After the BBQ, I went to Wal-Mart to pick up some school supplies, scrub bottoms, and a pack of men's t-shirts. After speaking with my "Big," a couple of other second year students, and some faculty members, I was informed that it would be in my best interest to wear clothes that I did not care too much about. I was told that most students where scrubs every day for the summer and old tennis shoes. Apparently, the smell of the cadaver lab lingers really badly on your clothes and you'll want to burn them by the time everything is all said and done.

That pretty much wraps up my day. I am home now and about to get started on these dissection lab videos. I wanted to start reading tonight, but it's already 10pm and I'm trying to be in bed by at least 11:30pm. I already printed my lecture notes though, so that's a plus!

PS: Did I mention I got a warning ticket for parking in the faculty parking lot? lol Well, I did! I didn't know that the parking lot was split half student, half faculty. I wrongly assumed that the entire parking lot was student parking. Oops! Glad it was just a warning! :) 

PS2: There were also door prizes throughout all of orientation. I didn't win! Hence why I may have forgot to mention the door prizes! :P

PS3: If there are typos, I apologize, but I am tired and needed to get this up QUICK! Overall, orientation was successful, just boring. I am excited to officially hit the ground running tomorrow! Wish me luck! <3

Tip of the Blog: Arrive to orientation early. It will help you avoid some of the long lines that may develop. 

Tuition? What Tuition!?

So it's Friday morning (May 23rd), say 3am'ish and I'm thinking "OMG...did we pay all of tuition?! (Not sure why this thought just dawned on me, but it did) I freak out and start googling when tuition was due -- May 16th. I'm thinking "Oh crap!" I quickly try to log into my account to view my tuition bill...of course they are doing maintenance. *side eye* 

Usually, I always get an email notifying me that my bill has been posted to my account, but this time I did not for whatever reason. Since I filled out my Hazelwood for the summer, most of my fees were paid. However, the extra fees universities like to add are not covered (i.e., medical fee, recreational fee, etc.). Anyways, since I couldn't access my account I kept telling myself, "Rest now, worry later!" When I woke up it was between 8 and 9am, so I decided to check my tuition bill again. It said that I still owed $132 *whew*... not too bad!

I called Student Business Services (SBS) and asked them about the late fee I would need to pay. The woman who answered the phone said that our accounts have yet to be audited and that I should be fine as long as I paid the rest of my balance that day! What a relief!!!! I will be checking my account again this week to make sure no late fee charges pop up and if any do that I take care of them immediately.

Definitely not a mistake I want to make again!!

Note to self: Don't rely on SBS to send you an email notifying you of your bills. It is your own responsibility. (Duh Bemo, what were you thinking!??) 

CLASSES START IN ONE DAY...AHHH!!!!

Full Summer 2014 Classes & Books

Hey! Guess who? Yup, you guessed it! It's Bemo and I'm BACCKKK!

So basically, what this post is going to be about is the classes I will be taking for the summer, the books that are required, and what I've been doing to prepare before orientation (May 27, 2014). Let's get started!

So, for the 2014 Full Summer Session, classes start on May 27, 2014 and end on August 13, 2014. I registered for classes on April 14th. The registration process was pretty quick and simple. We received an email with a link to our orientation page that hosts all sorts of information about what we need to get done prior to orientation and how to go about doing it. One of the links on the page lead to a list of the CRN's (registration numbers) we would need to register. When the time came, I simply typed in the numbers and boom I was done. So enough of that! Let's get into the classes. For the full summer session (2014), I will be taking Human Anatomy Lecture & Lab, Applied Kinesiology in Occupational Therapy Lecture and Lab, and Introduction to Occupational Therapy. This all totals up to 9 hours.

Here is what my class schedule looks like. I'm not looking forward to having to wake up super duper early M-F, but hey what can you do?

Now, on to the books! 

Here are a list of the book titles and authors (left to right; top to bottom): 

• Netter's Anatomy Flash Cards 3rd Edition by John T. Hensen (my choice) 
• Occupational Therapy Essentials for Clinical Competence  by Sladyc, K., Jacobs, K. & MacRae, N.  (required)
• Kinesiology: The Mechanics & Pathomechanics of Human Movement by Oatis, C.A. (required)
• Atlas of Anatomy by Gilroy AM, MacPherson GR, & Lawrence MR
• Atlas of Anatomy 5 ed. by Netter F. 
• Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction by Radomski, M. & Trombly Latham, C. (required) 
• Medical Terminology Systems: A Body Systems Approach by Gylys, B.A. & Wedding, M.E. (required)
• Clinnically Oriented Anatomy by Moore KL, Dalley AF, & Agur AMR (required)

All roughly cost me about eh I don't know, a little under $550.... like mmm $520 maybe and that includes shipping and everything. I did not purchase from the place my program suggested. I purchased all my items online through textbooks.com, ecampus.com (can be a little expensive depending on what you get), and I got the flash cards from barnesandnoble.com. 

After reading about the flash cards on someone else's blog I decided...what the heck! They seem to have been really helpful to that person so hopefully they are just as helpful to me.

The atlas' were a pick one or the other, but I decided to get both because I didn't know which one I would like better. Most people recommend the Netter version over the Gilroy version, but I will keep you updated on my thoughts.

Everything else was required and let me tell you...some of these books are THICK! Thick and heavy! They are playing no games -- none!

Once my books started coming in though, I started getting super excited! I flipped through some of them and they seem really interesting. I can't wait to dive in! I'm still nervous, of course -- that's only normal, but I definitely don't think it's anything I can't handle.

I also had to purchase a long white lab coat, dissection kit, and non-sterile gloves. This cost me about $53 bucks from Varsity bookstore. (not pictured)

"So what have you had to do to prepare for orientation?" you may ask. Well, I'll tell you! I've had to register for classes, purchase my books and equipment, pay $51 for a background check, purchase a $45 parking permit that is only going to last me until August *side eye*, and get my Hazelwood application submitted. I have also taken one training so far, which was the HIPAA Privacy and Security Training. I still have to take the EEO - Sexual Harassment Training, Safety Services Training Program, and Lab Safety Training. I will be taking these last three all this weekend (May 2nd and 3rd)! I've also decided to make a Facebook page so that I could join the Class of 2016 MOT Student page that one of my classmates made. I do not like being searchable, which is why I didn't have a FB prior and also why I go by an alias. However, I figure if all I'm using the FB page for is to keep up with the group, then it should be fine. It will be a good way to form study groups and to stay in the loop.

I'm also working on getting proof of enrollment so that I don't get dropped from my mom's insurance. I am 20 right now and will turn 21 in a couple of weeks. I have to be a full-time student in order to stay on mom's insurance -- which I am. However, my program is talking about they won't be able to give me proof of enrollment until the 12th day of class... hmpf. So basically, mom and I have been going back and forth trying to figure everything out. Bleh!

Anyways, other than that, all I've really been doing is trying to finish the semester up. My last actual class day is on May 5th and then I have 3 finals to take! My birthday is on the 14th of May and I am super stoked. I have a whole day planned for my self: breakfast, spa treatment, mani/pedi, alamo drafthouse! Ahhhh can't wait!!!!

Welp, that's all I got for ya! I will talk to you guys in a couple weeks. If you have any questions, just let me know!

Email: OTeaTimeBlog@gmail.com

Tip of the Blog: To get the best prices for your books, I would suggest pricing the books at the place your program recommends first. Then, go online to see what you can find for cheaper. The bookstores recommended are typically overpriced or just super expensive. My favorite website is textbooks.com. However, I would recommend you compare 2-3-4 websites to see who offers the best prices! I would also suggest that you buy all used books, new if you must, but try to refrain renting your books if at all possible. You are going to want to start a personal library for yourself. You may find these books helpful later in your profession!

Tags: Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapy Student, OT Blog, OT Student Blog, Blog, OTS Blog, MOT blog, MOT student, MOT student Blog, OT Student Tips, Registering for MOT Classes, MOT Student Books

Sharing| "We're Gonna Be OTs"

Occupational Therapy Student Anthem! Love this ;) 

Source: http://youtu.be/xgb1TVGpjg8