(Part 1) For the first part of this PDFE assignment, I interviewed an Occupational Therapist named Ashlee that works at Infinity Children’s Services. I did the interview on Tuesday, October 5th. The questions and answers that were recorded in the interview are as follows:
1. What made you choose Occupational Therapy as a career? -I did an internship during my undergraduate studies where I followed a Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapist. I was not sure which type of therapy I wanted to study in graduate school, so after observing all of them, I decided that I enjoyed Occupational Therapy more than the others. I enjoyed it more because there seemed to be more activities you could do with the patient, and the time seemed to pass by faster when I was shadowing the OT.
2. Where did you go to school, and how long did it take to get through the program? -I went to Occupational Therapy school at the University of Tennessee at the Chattanooga campus. The program took about 2 years, and I graduated with a master’s degree.
3. Do you think that you made the right career choice? -I think so. I really enjoy what I do, and my job is very rewarding. I love working with kids, and to help these kids become more a more independent individual. Some of the kids were just slow learners, but most of the kids I work with are special needs children.
4. What is the best part of your job? -I think that the kids are the best part, but sometimes it can get kind of overwhelming. Having patience is a critical part of this job because without it, things could get frustrating. Some of these children have behavioral problems, so the problems with learning associated with their misbehavior is addressed during the therapy sessions.
5. What is the worst part of your job? I think that the worst part of the job is the paperwork. Insurance companies are constantly wanting something, and everything you do must be documented. If you get behind during the day with your paperwork, you have to stay late to finish which isn’t always fun.
6. What settings do you work in? -I work mainly in a clinical setting, but we do home visits too at Infinity. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I travel to patients’ homes to do therapy sessions. How much I travel depends on how many patients there are that need Occupational Therapy but do not have a way of getting to the clinic.
7. What made you want to work with kids? -I have always had a love for kids which influenced my choice. I also did a couple other internships and field experiences in both undergraduate and graduate school, so I got to see Occupational Therapy being practiced in different settings. Out of all the settings I experienced, pediatrics to me was by far the most fun and interesting one.
8. Do you see yourself working with a different population or in a different setting in the future? -I ended up specializing in pediatric OT, but when you pass the board exams, you are certified to work with any population in any setting. I don’t see myself changing my career to another population or setting, but it is nice to know that it is always an option.
9. What does your work week consist of (how many hours and days a week)? -I work about 40 hours a week Monday-Thursday. The work day begins at 8:30 and ends around 6:30. We see patients from 9-6, and the other time is spent preparing for the day and finishing up notes. I am at the clinic most of the time, but do home visits on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
10. Do you think that being an Occupational Therapist is a stressful job? -I wouldn’t consider it a very stressful job when you compare it to jobs like being a police officer or firefighter would be, but there are some levels of stress with any job. One of the most stressful things about my job is dealing with insurance companies. Insurance companies are constantly making changes to what they will cover, and are trying to cut back on the reimbursements for pediatric occupational therapy for children who have Medicaid. A lot of children that come to the clinic are children from low-income families, so most of them have insurance through Medicaid. They try to reduce the number of visits they will cover unless you can prove that the child will benefit from more therapy. This gets stressful because you see these children who all need help, but are sometimes not getting it because its not covered by insurance. Making sure you give the child what they need is sometimes an obstacle. The other aspect that is sometimes stressful is the kids. Although you know that some of these kids can’t control their tantrums, your patience is tested a lot when trying to calm them or give them a proper punishment for the tantrum.
(Part 2) The following is a reflection of the slide show entitled “Becoming Invaluable”:
This slide show was very informative about how to succeed in school, how to choose career, and how to get a job. Internships are very important because they allow you to gain experience in a career you are interested in pursuing . In the slide show, it was stressed that beginning this field experience early is important. Also, graduate schools often require internship or experience hours, so the more experience, the better. Being a multi-threat and a well-rounded person are favorable characteristics that graduate schools often look for in potential students. This is important because it explains how getting involved in multiple things…school organizations, community volunteering, being a scholarly student, etc…can help develop different life skills that will boost your chances of getting into graduate programs. Making goals that are challenging but reasonable is another good tip from the slide show. In 5 years, I want to be practicing pediatric occupational therapy. To help me achieve my goal and stay on track, I have made a plan of what I need to do. Planning to take the GRE, looking for Graduate Assistantships, keeping a strong GPA, and getting plenty of experience to increase competency of a certain subject are all things that should be included in a plan to attain the goal of getting into a graduate school. If attending graduate school is not for you, getting more experience hours and an increased competency is crucial in order to be a competitive candidate against those who chose to go to graduate school and get a master’s and/or doctoral degree. I didn’t know that sports careers were very competitive to get into…I would assume that for professional teams, a job would be pretty hard to land, but sport-related careers are competitive not only on the professional level but on all levels. Having a strong resume increases the likelihood of getting a desired job. Things that would be on a strong resume include outstanding grades, a lot of experience, multiple networking and professional development events, and high extracurricular and community involvement. No matter which career you look into, you should first ask yourself your desired salary, your expected quality of life, where you want to live, and what your willingness to move is. Researching multiple aspects of different career paths can help you find a job that you enjoy and that best fits your expectations.
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