The Alluring Appeal of Occupational Therapy
It is amazing that after all these years I keep coming back to OT. I have trained to do other types of work in addition to occupational therapy, but OT just calls to me.
Looking back, I would have to say I have been truly blessed with the opportunity to explore the profession and all the different aspects of treatment that we as occupational therapists can provide. When I am working as an OT I find that I feel passion, I feel authentic and totally in flow. I am stimulated and never bored, as there are no two patients alike; therefore, I need to think on my feet very quickly how to best work with them.
There have been many different arenas for exploration in order to allow me to decide what aspect of occupational therapy would meet my criteria for "the perfect job." As an older student going back to college, I felt as though I needed to make all the right choices and make the perfect choices.
I have explored, I have diverged, and of late I had let my therapy career sit fallow.
The exploration included many different practice areas, and many different places to practice. In just the area of pediatrics, I have been fortunate to work in specialized pediatric settings such as Easter Seals, in public schools, and preschools. I have also worked with children in the home, on an educational basis or medical basis.
One location where I was employed was set up in such a way that I would work in pediatrics during the school year, and work in an in-hospital rehab during the summer. That set up allowed me to gain valuable experience with adults. I love learning from all my peers on the rehab teams; I added yet another practice area to my repertoire.
As I verbalized my wish I that I would love to become the expert that my mentor was, she quickly stated that I was a "generalist."
She pointed out that being a generalist was versatile and marketable.
That sounded good, except for the times when I really did want to be the expert.
Who are the experts that you admire in your area of expertise?