OT Definition - Again

For one of my classes we needed to develop a large business card complete with a brief definition of occupational therapy. We had to look up 5 different definitions and discuss how we came up with our definition based on our 5 sources. I know I already shared my definition a few months ago, but here is my revision (and it might just change a few more times before I graduate) along with my tag line and image from my calling card:

Occupational Therapists help develop skills needed to overcome a disability, relearn these skills after trauma, or prevent injury through the use of activities that are meaningful to the patient.

"Giving life new meaning"

So there you go, thats what and OT does in as few words as I could possible write it in.

Summer Semester

I finally started OT school! Yay! I officially began 5 weeks ago and amazingly enough am halfway through the semester! I can't believe it. Our first summer semester is intense with 10 credits in 10 weeks, 6 of them from anatomy. In gross (or cadaver) anatomy we have already covered the back, shoulder, upper limb, pelvis and lower limb. We are now beginning our biggest unit on the head and neck. For surface anatomy we have covered the shoulder and upper limb and are halfway done with the lower limb. I can't believe how much information I have pushed into my brain in the last few weeks its absolutely crazy. I also just finished a half semester course on Evidence based practice. It was the first in a series of research classes. It was interesting, but it was hard to glean a lot from it since I know so little about OT. We have an intro to occupational science and occupational therapy class, which is very fundamental, but also very helpful. There has been a series of lectures on all different aspects of OT and OS as an academic field, as a profession, as health care. It just makes me more excited to be an OT (and it doesn't hurt that our professor is crazy and amazing!) Lastly, we each have to do a 4 week clinical experience. Mine starts next Monday at a local day camp and I can't wait to work with the kids for a few weeks.

Summer semester is hard because while we do have some OT related classes, a lot of what we are learning is background information that we need to know in order to start actual OT classes. It is sometimes hard to keep your eye on the prize when you are buried beneath anatomy papers and books. I try to keep in mind that "I need to know this in order to move on" and "it will become relevant in the next semesters" and when it gets really bad "every other OT has gone through this and they made it, you can too!" I've made it through the first half and I'm still here, so I'm pretty sure I'll make it through the second half in one piece.

Well I am delaying studying the skull so I better get back to work. Maybe next week I'll share what I've been learning because I know you are dying to find out how to palpate someone's gluteus maximus.