Program: Master of Occupational Therapy
From the moment I discovered the profession of Occupational Therapy during the second year of my undergraduate degree, I knew this field was for me. I’ve always wanted to be in a field where science, and evidence-based practice meets compassion and connection to clients and Occupational Therapy is just that. I loved that this profession seeks to uplift all human beings, regardless of age, race, gender or disability, and assist them in living a meaningful, engaging life.
I hold many cherished memories from my time at UBC, however if I had to pick one, my favourite moment from my time at UBC would have to be when our class worked on our hand therapy module together in the OT department at UBC Hospital. It was one of the last modules we got to finish in-person before the pandemic hit in 2020 and all our courses moved online temporarily. We all had so much fun learning how to make several different hand splints together and it was so nice to see our skills improve as we got to play around with the materials and fabrics more.
If I could go back in time and tell myself one thing before starting the program, it would be to enjoy every moment and not get too hung up over grades and performance. Everyone in the program, including all of our faculty, was so supportive and strived to ensure all students succeeded. Focus on learning and incorporating your learning into fieldwork practicums and everything else will fall into place!
I recently started working at Vancouver General Hospital in a casual Occupational Therapy position, meaning I work all over the hospital covering other Occupational Therapists’ sick days or vacations. It is a great starting point for me as I get to experience working on various units and working with different client populations. From this position, I hope to gain a better sense of which patient populations or areas of Occupational Therapy I most enjoy working in so I can transition into a more focused role.