Occupational Therapy Personal Statement Essay

My grandparents introduced me to Occupational Therapy. My grandma, having been diagnosed with a rare neurological degenerative disease, had a stroke that impaired her fine motor skills. My grandpa, although I was not alive at the time, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre in his 50s and was told he would be paralyzed at midlife. I watched OTs rehabilitate my grandma after her stroke so that she could complete important daily tasks again, like holding a pencil and writing with clarity. I was fascinated to see how small weekly advances turned into huge progressions in a month. My grandpa’s experience working with OTs for a year resulted in him being able to walk my aunt down the aisle on her wedding day and go back to work as a machinist. Now, my grandpa is 89 and still walking with ease. Seeing how impacted and grateful my grandparents were for OTs, motivated me to pursue a career as an OT.
Over the years, I have had the chance to be involved in a variety of opportunities that have strengthened many attributes that will allow me to be a compassionate OT. For four years, I worked as a …show more content…
I get to shadow the lead OT at this facility and meet clients who range from surgery recovery to falls. Each week, I get to see the progress that clients make and it never ceases to amaze me. I also have been able to learn about OT specializations such as lymphedema. Even though I am not an OT, I still feel passionate towards seeing improvements and the joy when progress is made or noticed. One day a woman was so joyful because she realized she regained the ability to scratch her shoulder. It’s the little things. With the opportunity to learn so much through observation and being affiliated in physically working with the clients, the downfall to shadowing is that I am not an OT yet to be able to serve others on my