Graduate / 'Alzheimer's and Dementia seemed peculiar to me' - Occupational Therapy Grad School Essay [2]

Why OT as a career? How does an OT degree relate to immediate and long term goals?
Describe how your personal, education and professional background will help you achieve your goals.

As a twelve year old, my nana suffering from Alzheimer's and Dementia seemed peculiar to me. Following a fall in the bathroom, an occupational therapist worked with my family and her, to determine the best care and treatment plan. She benefited using steps and exercises to accommodate her decline, in function and ability. Going over nana's day, we reviewed and implemented cues, to help her regain her independence. We discussed her unique behaviors and needs, and what times were best for her to perform everyday tasks: her hygiene, meal preparations, and household duties. Together, we customized to-do lists, and instructions for common activities. These reminders were posted around the house, and easily incorporated into her everyday routine. When a home evaluation was performed, the shower was assessed as being unsafe; an adaptive shower chair was suggested to assist her. My grandparents were able to maintain an overall higher quality of life, with help from the therapist. Witnessing these incidents and seeing how prevalent it is, affecting so many families and individuals, intrigued me to want to lend a hand. My intrinsic passion surfaced in a rewarding career that incorporates my caring spirit and drive, to provide individuals the opportunity to attain their highest potential.

Having the opportunity to be around flourishing occupational therapists, has compelled me to set feasible ambitions. Continuously, I focus on goal directed activities, in the continual process of learning Occupational Therapy. Connections with professors, classmates and mentors, will help to strengthen, and apply skills, values, attitudes and professional behaviors, catalyzing my professional improvement and identity. Working with other dedicated and compassionate therapists, I will gain new viewpoints. With direct experiences and active practice, I will continue to interact with a variety of ages, impairments, and multicultural populations, shadowing and subsequently implementing client-centered practices. Diverse dynamic interactions, will competently improve my capabilities in developing, restoring, and promoting occupation-based intervention. With creative and innovative life-enhancing adaptations, I will tailor therapy programs to get clients up, around and functioning, at the highest level possible. When substantially knowledgeable and well established, I will address unmet occupational and educational needs, in communities lacking accessible services. As I continue to discover my strengths, passions, and individual talents, imminent goals will orbit around life long learning and socialization.

Experiences I have had in my personal, educational and professional background have inspired me, and will help me to flourish as an Occupational Therapist. Working with both my grandparents, and family members has exposed my charismatic, honest, kind-hearted nature, in helping others. Growing up in a single parent home, losing my father to cancer, I developed a patient, strong-willed, compassionate, nature; shaping who I am today. Being the oldest of three, a role model, has helped me to establish a hardworking, dynamic, and supportive personality. Helping to raise my two younger siblings and, always working to better myself, I take pride in my innovative uplifting resolute attitude, to carry out activities of daily life. My bright and determined stance in overcoming copious obstacles is one of many valuable traits to possess in a health care career. Through a dedicated self-directed quest, I have learned to utilize my individual drive, to work my hardest towards what means the most to me. Taking time to reflect, and acknowledge the holistic lifestyle I lead, continuously encourages me to flourish, sustaining continuous steady growth. I am certain the motivation, determination, and discipline I possess, will provide the superlative foundation to professionally integrate myself into this career.

Having an interest in our human kind and society, prompted me to double major in Communication's and Psychology, at Kean University. Everyday we communicate with others, but how many do we connect with? As a therapist, it is crucial to understand, connect, and build rapport with each client, in every dynamic engagement. Superb interpersonal skills and behavioral strategies are essential to build trust, exceed client expectations, and to provide exceptional care and service. Choosing to study behavior patterns and norms of individual's, and how to communicate across a wide range of situations, aligns with my passion and provides the stepping-stones to pursue this career path.

Donating my time at UMOM, Arizona's largest homeless shelter, helped me to interact with children between the ages of 4 to 17 years old. Children had various skill levels, with one on one interaction. I took part in enhancing their reading and writing proficiencies. Previous work experience has helped me develop strong leadership and practice, working in a team. Helping to lead in a team setting provided me the skills to be adaptable and flexible in various situations. Each interaction is unique, as each guest has different specific needs. In previous work, as in therapy, the main goal is to address what is of utmost importance to the individual and help them accomplish it. With my chaotic schedule, of work and school, I diligently enhanced my time management, organizational skills, and professional self-image; imperative attributes to possess to be a pronounced therapist.

My experiences at Nelson Pediatric Therapy, Dynamic Rehab, and Montecito Post Acute Care have furthermore benefited me greatly. At Nelson Pediatric Therapy, I observed children and adolescents, in home and clinic settings, receiving Occupational, Physical, and Speech therapy. Clients attempted to live comfortable lifestyles, struggling with cognitive, motor, perceptual, social, or sensory processing concerns. With numerous accessible therapists and clients, I had the privilege to observe diverse sessions and treatments. At Dynamic Rehab, I shadowed an exceptionally skilled nine-year certified hand therapist. With her immense experience, and wide array of clients, she applied comprehensive therapy programs with therapeutic modalities. At Montecito, therapists main focus was on the comfort and health of clients, emphasizing on strengthening, balance training, increasing range of motion, to be able to optimally participate in their own living environments.

My passion has been found in a gratifying, challenging, motivating career, promoting positive growth and change, in others and in myself. Every minute I spend in the vicinity of a therapist, is another minute I am convinced, this lifelong learning profession is the best fit for me. I am helping clients to promote and regain substantial independence, by incorporating creative, simplistic, effective exercises, to live an attainable life. I possess the foundational cognitive, social, emotional, and physical concepts; acquiring admittance into the program will continue to build upon these, constructing more advanced and complex skills. I am confident I possess the enthusiasm, passion, and drive to be a positive asset in your program.

Graduate / Why OT as a career? Long term goals? Personal, education and professional background. [4]

I am applying to grad school for Occupational Therapy. I need some feedback. Thoughts? Have I addressed each topic?

Questions that I need to address...
Why OT as a career? How does an OT degree relate to immediate and long term goals?
Describe how your personal, education and professional background will help you achieve your goals.

From a young age I recognized my innate passion, in continuing my education, in a career that would substantially impact and benefit others. Growing up in a single parent home, losing my father to cancer, I developed a strong-willed, compassionate, patient, and determined stance; shaping who I am today. Being the oldest of three, a role model, I had an underlying motivation for adventure, and a drive to discover what would be of best fit in life. I have always taken pride in my uplifting personality, and the positive resolute attitude I possess, to carry out activities of daily life. Taking a look into Occupational Therapy, I am able to incorporate these in a career that provides occupation-based intervention, to enable optimal participation with clients, in self-care, leisure, and work activities.

Clarifying my goals, I have compartmentalized my ambitions into ongoing and future. Continuously, I look to strengthen proficiencies that will help me to achieve a seat in the Occupational Therapy program. I focus on purposeful, goal directed activities to continue my active process in improving lifelong professional development. To do this, I look to expand my World in the skills, values, beliefs and professional behaviors that characterize the profession. I increase my knowledge to grow and succeed, by accentuating my willingness to learn in areas of contingency.

Through admittance and graduation, I will possess the skills, abilities, and professional behaviors, to creatively and innovatively use client-centered practices, and occupation-based inventions, in competence. Applying my professional knowledge and proficiencies, during clinicals and after obtaining my license, I will work with a variety of ages, impairments, and diverse and multicultural populations. I strive to work with diverse therapists to gain new viewpoints, in a variety of contexts and environments. My endeavors will deepen my capability of self-reflection, by providing daily experiences to catalyze improvement, life-enhancing engagements, and professional socialization. I will fulfill my desire to encouragingly help individuals, gain or restore independence, attributing to a more satisfying quality of life. After getting my license, an ongoing goal I have, is to expand and grow, throughout a lifetime of practice, by attending various workshops. When substantially knowledgeable and well established, I will address unmet occupational and educational needs in communities that lack easily accessible services. Goals I have, will persistently be modified and amplified, as I continue to discover my strengths, passions, and individual talents in my distinct career path. Outlining upcoming goals, they will orbit around life long socialization and learning, in Occupational Therapy.

Experiences that I have had in my personal, educational and professional background will help me to achieve these discussed goals. Overcoming copious obstacles through adolescence, I have established a charismatic, hardworking, dynamic, and supportive personality; all valuable traits in a health care career. Through life's explorations my honest, kindhearted, innovative position to express genuine concern, and a caring nature, has surfaced. Interactions that I have encountered strengthened my intrinsic compassion and patience, in a life-enhancing role, to add value to daily life. It is an irreplaceable experience to have a client leave with a feeling of faith and hope. It may not be today, it may not be not tomorrow, but with the continuation of exercise and therapy, they will regain feasible independence in areas meaningful to them. With my well-rounded, persistent, and determined attitude, I will make a difference as an Occupational Therapist.

Having an interest in our society and human kind, prompted me to double major in Communication's and Psychology at Kean University. If I am to help others around me, I need to learn how to facilitate my position effectively. This requires understanding how clients think, and how to interact, in a way that will get through to them. Everyday we communicate with others around us, but how many do we connect with? We hope to connect visually, intellectually, emotionally and verbally, but a countless number of us fall short. As a therapist, it is crucial to build rapport with every client; the greater the relationship, the easier it is to build trust, and to demonstrate they are of our utmost importance. Superb interpersonal skills and behavioral strategies, to cater to each patient's unique and discrete needs, is an essential skill to acquire. By studying Communication's, I learned not only how to effectively speak, but how to connect, understand, and build rapport, in distinct dynamic engagements.

Expanding on Psychology, I cultured myself on others, and the World in which we live. Choosing to study behavior patterns and norms, provided the stepping-stones to pursue a career path that is well-aligned with my passion, to make a difference in the lives of others. With a hectic schedule, of never-ending work and school, I synthesized the perfect configuration to build upon my time management and organizational skills, as well as my professional self image; all necessary to be a pronounced therapist.

Having an interest in health, nutrition, and fitness, I began my journey in a holistic life style. Taking part in running, biking, Pilates, yoga and weight training, I have seen first hand transformations in the body, that I did not think to be possible. I became intrigued to educate myself in the physiology of the body, nutrition, and inspirational stories. I continue to seek out fundamental wisdom, through a self directed and dedicated quest, to promote positive growth and change in others and myself. By implementing time for self-reflection, my personal and professional, identity and development, has broadened. Seeing developing, restoring, and promoting life-enhancing alterations, I will be able to elaborate on these as a therapist. I am certain the motivation, determination, and discipline I possess to lead a holistic lifestyle, will undoubtedly carry over into your program, as well as future career goals. As a well-rounded, balanced, self-driven individual, this will provide the superlative foundation to professionally integrate myself into this career.

My professional background of volunteer hours spent at Nelson Pediatric Therapy, and Dynamic Hand Therapy, was very diverse, and greatly expanded my knowledge of the field. At Nelson Pediatric Therapy, I observed children and adolescents, in home and clinic settings, receiving Occupational, Physical, and Speech therapy. Many of the patients attempted to live a comfortable lifestyle, struggling with cognitive, motor, perceptual, social, or sensory processing concerns. The vast amount of accessible therapists and patients, provided me the advantage to observe numerous sessions, and diverse practices. At Dynamic Hand Therapy, I had the opportunity to shadow a highly skilled nine-year certified hand therapist, with immense experience, and a wide array of clients. I was privileged to witness a variety of splits crafted, and modified in following therapy sessions.

I thrive on the chance to be part of a rewarding career, that incorporates my kind heart and drive, to provide individuals the opportunity to achieve their highest potential. Every minute I spend in the vicinity of a therapist, is another minute I am utterly convinced, this profession is the best fit for me. My passion has been found in a gratifying, inspiring, challenging, motivating lifelong learning career. I crave the one on one interaction, between therapists and clients, to promote and regain substantial independence, and self-help skills. By incorporating creative, simplistic, effective exercises, I am helping patients to live an attainable life; in my mind there is nothing better. I possess the foundational cognitive, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical concepts; admittance into the program will build upon these, to develop more advanced and complex skills. I am confident I possess the enthusiasm, passion, and drive to be a positive asset to your program.