OT Classes are FUNNNN :D

Last semester we had a class called Human Occupation Across the Lifespan. It was a really fun class where we learned how humans develop and what occupations they typically engage in. In lab, we had the chance to experience how to eat end be fed like babies. I learned NEVER to feed babies (or anyone without teeth) with raisins haha. We all tried to soften the raisin so we could swallow but failed. In lab, we did all sorts of fun stuff like roll on mats to experience first hand babies' motor development. We also had dolls we could use to practice the reflexes babies typically show at certain ages. And oh, towards the end of the semester, the whole class also did yoga :)

During the course of the class, we would do crafts. As you may know, OTs do crafts with their patients as doing so is therapeutic to them. It helps them to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride. Not only that it keeps them moving, improving fine motor skills, but it also is a way to keep their minds busy and not think about the disease they might have.

I just want to share some of the crafts I did. I have to warn you though, I am not a very crafty person. But hey, at least I tried my best? hehe A for effort :)

Mosaic Tiling 

This was as creative as it could get =x

Finding tile pieces that would fit perfectly together was definitely NOT easy.

Wood Burning + Copper Tooling

I actually cut my finger while doing this because the edges of the cut copper was VERY sharp. I was bleeding but had to hide it so that I would not cause any commotion haha.

yeah yeah I sucked at this lol

It is definitely not my forte. 

I tried to do all sorts of fancy designs but it was just not happening.

Basket weaving

Not bad for first time basket weaver eh?

As you can see, it still serves a purpose. I use it to house my accessories :)

I just thought I show you how I did the bottom. 

we soaked the reeds to soften them so we could twist them. 

When they dried and got hard, they stayed like that. Cool huh?

Bucket List

 We did this in class. They provided us with art supplies and 

basically it was up to us how we wanted our bucket list to look.

I agree that my bucket list is to cutesy to be one haha 

But hey, why make it even more depressing, right?

And the back................ 

I don't know. Don't ask @_@x

Selected Craft

I think this is called "3D Origami"

I bought the kit and it came with about 200 rectangular papers, ribbon, and eyes.

I folded like there's no tomorrow. I think upon completing this craft, my fine motor skills improved lol

The Craft That Did Not Make IT

I originally planned on making this, but i realized it would take a really long time to complete.

And I was not sure if it turn out good T_T so I decided to go with the origami because I did that before and I knew how the finishsed product would look like. But I will definitely complete this :)

If you're interested in doing this as your craft or just want to do it for fun here is a link on how to make one:

How To Make Paper Vase

How To Make Paper Vase 2

How to Make Paper Vase 3

By: Nina Nunez

My Story: How I Decided to Do OT

MY STORY

How I Decided To Do OT

by: Nina Nunez

I came to this country nine years ago. High School was the time for me to submerge into a new culture, polish my English, adjust to the American school system, and make new friends from different countries. During this time I also I got in touch with myself more deeply.  I realized my interest in arts and music. In high school, I took photography classes and excelled in my Art classes as well. Because of this, I decided to take Advertising Design in college. We were required to take humanities and sciences courses and I found studying biology and chemistry really challenging, yet interesting. I realized that I liked art but it was not a good enough reason to do art as a profession. It was just a passion; a hobby that I can still enjoy doing while doing something else professionally. I was in the stage of what Erikson referred to as moratorium—a period when young adults take time out to find themselves. I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life but I know for a certain that I like helping people. I have always felt sympathy for those who are unfortunate.

I was hospitalized due to Spontaneous Pneumothorax in 2008 and 2009. I had tubes inserted in both sides of my chest to keep the negative pressure in the pleural space. I also had to undergo surgery to remove the blebs. This incident was a turning point for me. I saw how nice the nurses were to me. I found new respect for them and for caregivers alike. They take care for people who are not related to them. I realized I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field as well but I did not quite know what exactly.  I transferred to University at Buffalo as it is a good medical school, yet very affordable compared to other schools. At the time of my admission, I wanted to do Pharmacy. But as time went on, I expanded my options. I researched about the requirement for different majors. Occupational Therapy interested me the most.

I looked for volunteer work in the city. Volunteering really helped me decide whether I really want to pursue a career in this field. Volunteering exposed me to the profession by doing direct patient care. I did exercises and puzzles with the patients. I sat beside them and talked to them about their life. I listened eagerly to their stories while encouraging them to do the exercises. I felt happy when they said “thank you” to me just by assisting them. I can just imagine how appreciation I would receive if I become a therapist myself. Appreciation for me is better than receiving something material in return. When somebody appreciates me, I feel I have worth. There is one patient that I will never forget. Her name is Maria. I learned a lot about her during my short stay at the facility. She is fluent in four languages and she used to teach Spanish to adults whose profession requires them to learn how to speak the language. She fell in her bath tub while taking a shower so she broke the lumbar part of her spine. I really liked working with her as she was so enthusiastic and full of life despite the agony she must have faced. I saw her when she could not stand. I watched how she struggled to stand up. And I witnessed how better she has become by the end of the therapy. I saw her able to walk again. I remember her favorite exercise with me was shooting and passing a ball. The day I left was also the day of the end of her therapy. I will not forget when she said goodbye to me while holding my hands “Goodbye Nina. It was a pleasure working with you. Good luck on your studies.” Moments like this made my time volunteering worthwhile. I hope I will be able to work with people like Maria again.

Occupational Therapists are different from other health care practitioners in a way that they do not only address the physical needs of their clients but their emotional and psychological well-being as well. OTs are compassionate, and good communicators and listeners. They help people with disabilities retain their independence and live their lives to the fullest. They encourage them to engage in meaningful activities—occupations.

 I have been through a long journey finding myself and what I want to do for the rest of my professional life. Some people are lucky to know exactly what they want from the start. Even though this is not the case for me, that long road that I took made me who I am today. I may still have two more years to go until graduation, but I know all the hard work will pay off in the end. I cannot wait until the day when I can finally use all the things I learned in school in practice and help my clients live their life to the fullest.

Areas of Practice!

OT is very different than other healthcare majors because our major allows us to work in different fields.  There are currently 6 main practice areas, but there are many more developing areas that an OT can practice in.  If you do not like working in hospital settings you can work in schools, rural communities, and even industrial settings.  If you are interested in any of the areas below, click on the title!

1) Children and Youth
2) Health and Wellness
3) Mental Health
4) Productive Aging
5) Rehabilitation, Disability, and Participation
6) Work and Industry

Have you seen our flyers around NYC today? Did our flyers spark your interest in learning more about OT? If it did, then great, cause we have many many more postings to come in the next week. 

We apologize for the empty blog, but we are still working on it to include projects that we did in class such as basket weaving picture, copper burning, mosaic tiling, and more.  We will try to get most of the picture uploaded by Monday, so definitely check back.

The Occupational Therapy program is a 5 year program that includes a Bachelors degree as well as a Masters degree.  If you guys are interested in finding out about OT accredited schools near you check out this site http://www.aota.org/Educate/Schools/EntryLevelOT/38119.aspx.  For people in the New York area, these are all the schools that offer the program.  As for people not living in New York State, the website lists all the accredited schools in the United States.  The AOTA website has the complete list of schools, contact person, and links for more information if you are interested.

Columbia University (http://columbiaOT.org)
Dominican College (www.my.dc.edu/ics/Academic_Programs/Occupational_Therapy/)
D'Youville College (www.dyc.edu)
Ithaca College (www.ithaca.edu/hshp/depts/ot/)
Keuka College (http://academics.keuka.edu/academics/programs/occupational_sciences)
Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus (http://liu.edu/Brooklyn/Academics/Schools/SHP/Dept/Occupational-Therapy/Programs/BSMS-OT.aspx)
Mercy College (www.mercy.edu/occupationaltherapyms)
New York Institute of Technology (www.nyit.edu)
New York University (www.steinhardt.nyu.edu/ot/)
Sage Colleges (www.sage.edu/academics/health_sciences/programs/occupational_therapy)
State University of New York Downstate Medical Center (www.downstate.edu/CHRP/ot/)
Stony Brook University (www.stonybrook.edu/)
Touro College (www1.touro.edu/shs/ot/)
Touro College-Manhattan (www1.touro.edu/shs/ot/)
University at Buffalo, State University of New York (http://sphhp.buffalo.edu/rs/ot/bsms/index.php)
Utica College (www.utica.edu/academic/gce/ot/index.cfm)
York College, The City University of New York (www.york.cuny.edu/academics/departments/occupational-therapy)

Interested in learning more about OT?

If you guys are interested in becoming an Occupational Therapist or interested in finding out more, We highly recommend checking out www.aota.org, they provide information about everything new happening in our OT community.

What is OT??

What does OT stand for? It stands for Occupational Therapy.  And what are the roles of an occupational therapist?  Well in short...occupational therapy involves the therapeutic use of occupations to promote independence in individual's lives.  OT's commonly work with individuals with disabilities to help people regain the necessary skills needed to live independently.  Occupational therapy is very client centered and holistically centered.  OT's may be involved with the aging population, children with disabilities, home health, mental health, as well as ergonomics.  If you are interested in becoming an occupational therapist, I highly suggest you to follow our blog and learn more!