Occupational Therapy Aspirations

Although it may cause suffering and struggles, it has always been my belief that the obstacles one faces are the best learning and rewarding experiences in one’s life. Having a nephew with a physical and cognitive disability has of course brought our family obstacles, but mainly it has given us the greatest learning experience in our lives. Not only have I learned about acceptance, optimism, patience, and compassion, but it has also inspired me to be the best person I can be, and that is why I chose to take the therapeutic path in a career. As I witnessed with my nephew, occupational therapists not only aid their patients with their physical and developmental functioning, they inspire significant feelings in their patients, focusing also on …show more content…
As a recreation therapy student, I had the opportunity to work with different diagnostic populations, health disciplines, and settings. My experience with different diagnostic populations has been a gratifying experience in my educational career because it has expanded my ability to work with people with different abilities. Understanding the different symptoms, characteristics, abilities, and obstacles that each disability encompasses is essential to design an individual therapeutic treatment. Interacting with different health disciplines, including occupational therapists, recreation therapists, physical therapists, nurses, psychiatrists, and general doctors gave me an opportunity to attain and refine interpersonal skills necessary in occupational therapy to effectively communicate with patients, family members, and professionals about the patient’s symptoms, feelings, assessments, progress, and discharge plans. These experiences prepared me and inspired me to take on the challenges that an occupational therapy graduate program may offer to