i am quickly approaching the two month mark as an official working therapist! crazy! it has been a very challenging two months, in a lot of ways. it has also been very rewarding, and i have grown a LOT in my skills, and have made a difference in LOTS of people's lives. that's what it's all about. :) my stress and joy fluctuates by the hour of the day... yes, a new job is hard for anyone in any field, but i can say i didn't realize what i was getting myself into when i agreed to this setting and this site to be my first entry into the field! a lot of times i have wondered if a different setting with more therapists and mentors available would have been better to develop my core skills... or if i was just not cut out or had the initial background i need to be an independent OT at all. it has been ROUGH and i have questioned a LOT... but ultimately, i know i made the right choice. and two months after that horrible first week, i am thriving, making new victories each day, and discovering new challenges after each one... i have failures and let downs, and then i have wins and praises. i am sure this is the right place for me at this time in my career and that the therapist i will be in a year or in two years will be thankful for the intense experience. meanwhile, here are some of the tough points of my first job (promise i will write an entry with all GOOD things one of these days!):
1. this is my first real job (outside of all the random summertime/part-time gigs i've held the last 7 or so years), and adjusting to being on my own (on clinicals there is ALWAYS at least 1 OTR or COTA nearby to ask a question to, vent to, watch what they are doing.. copy what they are doing, and get great advice from. at my job, i am the only OT. the only one-- after being "off" for an entire three months! i was basically thrown in the water to sink or swim!
2. this is a very CHALLENGING setting. i am working as an "outpatient" therapist (by medicare terms) in an retirement community serving residents of assisted living, independent living, and memory support = approximately 350 residents. It is truly a spectrum of needs and abilities (exception: I do not see official "skilled nursing" residents (long-term nursing residents or short term rehab patients). There is a SNF on-site, in a different building with their own therapy staff- I very rarely interact with them or work in the SNF.). The patients I see represent every level of independence, every type of disability or illness (physical, cognitive, or psychosocial, and most often a combination), and requiring nearly every [reimbursable] OT modality available. I am an entry-level therapist in a job that requires advanced skills from just about every area of practice. We can see this as a good thing: I get a lot of exposure to different things and don't get bored with the same diagnoses over and over. But more often I see it as AHHHHHHH.
3. There is definitely a nationwide trend in long-term care that "assisted living facilities" are accepting residents with greater needs than what used to be considered appropriate for ALF. This deserves a long discussion. I started to write a TON then decided maybe the topic needed it's own post for my little soapbox. :) Anyway, the point is, ALF residents are either very dependent, or they are very at risk for becoming dependent down the road. Many ALFs are under-staffed for the high needs of residents, and as a result, many needs aren't being met, and many caregivers are feeling burnt out and frustrated that their position in ALF isn't "what it used to be". Much of my role currently involves caregiver training, teaching techniques and strategies that make it easier for the caregivers, and coming up with exercise programs or maintenance programs that will keep patients at their current level the longest-- as opposed to traditional "rehab" or "restorative" therapy. I still do see those typical "outpatient" folks, but for everyone else I have to be VERY creative to determine what exactly they need the most (lots of times it might be environmental mods, equipment, teaching a new routine or structure to follow, among other things), and how to ensure that everyone (i.e. caregivers and family) are on board and will carry it out without me. It's tough!
4. Did I mention I am ON MY OWN? WAAAAAAAAAH.
5. My company pays employees hourly, and we are expected to work no more than 40 hours per week, and must maintain an 81% productivity. This means I am expected to see patients for a total 6.48 hours per day (on average) bill EXACTLY for reimbursable minutes, and still manage things like paperwork (in other words, justifying the 6.48 hours I spent), emails, calling families, speaking with caregivers and nursing staff, walking to and from patient's rooms on floors and to and from the memory support unit (about 1/4 mile each time I walk down there), provide occasional in-services, attend 1-2 hour long conference calls, staff meetings, watch required training modules, order equipment for patients-- and do all of it WELL so that I don't get a denial from medicare. All the "extras" are almost more important than the patient time. (Sad- right?) So on top of all the pressure and challenges of being a new grad, being on my own, working in a difficult setting, trying to learn new modalities and make the most of each treatment session, motivate patients to even participate (many are VERY quick to refuse a scheduled session), I have added pressure to be FAST and EFFICIENT about all of it. *Phew*
(Note: A couple weeks ago, I attempted to do some paperwork off the clock so I could get it done on a Friday and not have it hanging over my head until Monday-- I got reprimanded for doing this. I would MUCH rather be salaried for this reason, but I suppose it is good that they cap me at 40 hrs. I could easily spend 60 hours per week at this job and be way more burnt out than I already am.)
6. I am still getting my feet on the ground in a new town and don't have a lot of immediate social support. I have a roommate who is actually great, but I'm pretty sure he thinks all I do is complain. :) A college friend is here too and she has been wonderful-- we just aren't joined-at-the-hip close. I know a couple other people casually, but again, not close friends who I really have a lot in common with. My coworkers are all older, and most are married and/or have kids. All of this probably wouldn't be such a huge deal-- since I've only lived here a few months and it takes time-- but approaching Christmas, it's been getting me extra down, and it's discouraging. It's hard to not have go-to plans for fun when Friday comes after a really difficult week! Relaxing, reading, cleaning, and shopping only go so far -- laughing and socializing and talking are my true stress relief!
7. Having not started my job until late October, I had very few options about how to manage my holidays and be able to travel. My parents live in Ohio, and my three older brothers live around the country (none in driving distance). Closest family is my aunt- 1.5 hour away, and my grandma, 2.5 hours away. The youngest brother got married in October in California; his wife also grew up in Ohio and her family is there too. They were both able to get a full two weeks off from their job to travel for the holidays... and my parents wanted to host an open-house reception for them since many of our hometown family friends weren't able to travel. This will be the 29th (next Saturday). My company gives employees two paid holidays per year: Thanksgiving and Christmas day. Coming on so late, I was told I could choose one additional "personal" day between Nov 12 and Jan 2, and it had to be approved; it could not be the week of Christmas day.
Well what good is having a day off on a TUESDAY?!
Therefore, I volunteered to work Christmas day in exchange to have the 28th off, in addition to the 31st, so I could actually spend substantial time with family. Working on Thanksgiving wasn't so bad, but then two days ago, I found out I'll be working Christmas Day at the SNF (where I don't usually work) -- by myself. I get to wake up in the morning-- by myself. Then I get to come home to an empty house and open two presents (one is to: me, from: me) -- by myself. And eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- by myself. All of this hit me about two days ago, and I am having a bit of a meltdown.
I think the anticipation of spending my favorite day, my most important time of year, my most looked-forward-to season- alone, is probably worse than the actual day will be. I can say this is one year I just want Christmas to be over with.
I AM looking forward to our family gift exchange on the 28th in Ohio. It will just be one of my brothers and his wife and I, and my parents. Small, and delayed, and not quite the same... but it will be amazing and I will forget ALL about this week and block it out of my head.
Merry grown up Christmas! Flying solo isn't all it's cracked up to be-- but I know I'll be stronger and a better therapist because of it, and I will appreciate all future holidays and time with family that much more.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
b's first thanksgiving... in health care
my first time working in health care on a holiday was a success! while it was sad to have to trade off both of my only two official holidays (being thanksgiving day and christmas day) in order to have feasible days to travel to see family, i knew the sacrifice was worth it, if not necessary this year. leading up to this week, it made me sad to tell friends and family that i would be spending thanksgiving day at work... coming home to have dinner alone... BUT strolling in at 7am this morning, it somehow just didn't feel like work. i LOVE my job. i had to keep reminding myself that there was actually a "holiday" going on because when i put on that name badge and start knocking on patient's doors, i get in my zone and just do my thing, and give 100% to the person i am with. every time. the fact it was a holiday almost made it more fun and enjoyable... there were certainly more smiles in the hallway, more thankfulness, more warmth between staff. then i also remember that the people who i got to serve today didn't have the choice of whether they were going to be there or not... their bodies, and timing, and medicare decided they would be waking up alone in a nursing facility this morning... not enjoying all the other holiday plans they may have had in mind.
ANYWAY, this is not meant to be a lecture on being more thankful and feeling bad about how great we have it, etc etc... but rather, my own insight into the fact that holidays are just days. for these residents and these families, every day is still one more day they are not at home. my "job" rarely feels like work. i'm really not missing anything that important or momentous that couldn't occur some other time in the year (and family get-togethers surely will). AND that i spent my day (as i do every other day) doing something with purpose and meaning and that uses my skills and talents to their potential. i am so thankful for my role and opportunities and the people who spent their thanksgiving day with me and my amazing, giving and inspiring coworkers... i feel overwhelmingly blessed this Thanksgiving!
<3
OH.... and did i say i was coming home to have dinner alone? because i MEANT i am going to my coworker's house for thanksgiving dinner with some of the other therapists and her family :) i love my job but i LOVE EVEN MORE the perk of having more than one family, with my second one being my fabulous coworkers!
ANYWAY, this is not meant to be a lecture on being more thankful and feeling bad about how great we have it, etc etc... but rather, my own insight into the fact that holidays are just days. for these residents and these families, every day is still one more day they are not at home. my "job" rarely feels like work. i'm really not missing anything that important or momentous that couldn't occur some other time in the year (and family get-togethers surely will). AND that i spent my day (as i do every other day) doing something with purpose and meaning and that uses my skills and talents to their potential. i am so thankful for my role and opportunities and the people who spent their thanksgiving day with me and my amazing, giving and inspiring coworkers... i feel overwhelmingly blessed this Thanksgiving!
<3
OH.... and did i say i was coming home to have dinner alone? because i MEANT i am going to my coworker's house for thanksgiving dinner with some of the other therapists and her family :) i love my job but i LOVE EVEN MORE the perk of having more than one family, with my second one being my fabulous coworkers!
Friday, October 19, 2012
exciting things to come...
the last few weeks have been so WEIRD.
for one, the ex-boy and i saw each other in person for the first time in two months (he broke up via text, remember) the very beginning of october. he has been in charlotte now for a rotation. the weekend prior, he was extra open with me sharing stories about some tough times he was having on his rotation, and wanting to hang out, and maybe a little bit too friendly about it... fortunately (yes, fortunately) we didn't end up seeing each other, as he had had too much to drink and i was busy with a redecorating project, and it was for the best that we weren't together during a sad, under-the-influence situation on his part, and a lonely, been-cooped-up-all-day situation on mine. however, we agreed to meet up before i was to go out of town... primarily because i wanted to retrieve a necklace of mine he still had before my brother's wedding. we met in the parking lot of his temp apartment building (they are not allowed to have any guests in the med student temp housing) on a monday night, and while he had originally said he didn't have time to see me that night, i insisted, and we sat in my car and talked for about an hour... not just friendly small talk, but about us. it was kinda like breaking up again, but more real, and with less surprise. it was hard. he sort of (i think) took back what he said about not feeling anything "romantic" for me. that almost makes it harder to accept and move on. we both said how hard it was to be sitting 12 inches from each other and not touching in some way... the spark and intense need to be with each other was THERE. it was there. i felt it and it was NOT fake because i felt it and was mad and wanted to hate him, but i couldn't. we had something. maybe we still do. he was very assured in that it is not right for us to be together anymore, and i think i am too, but only because of how sure he is. he really has a lot going on in his world, and has had a lot to deal with the last two years.. and emotionally, he is just not available for a relationship like the one we would both want with each other. and though it's been almost three weeks since that conversation... it makes me tear up thinking about how right and how good we seem to be together... but how right and good it is that we aren't.. at least right now. some part of me i think is still holding onto the possibility that the future could be different... holding on, but not depending on. i do look at other guys and feel excited about meeting new people and possible dates and flirting and the feeling of what a first kiss will be like with someone else. i know i'm not hanging on too much... but really, it's still hard and i think about him every day... and refrain from my urge to text him something or ask him how his day was. anyway.. that happened. we agreed we want to try to be friends but that we both need to be clear in our intentions and not walk a fine line between friend and more-than-friend so we can allow ourselves to heal properly. and i feel that i know myself and heart well enough that if it becomes not appropriate to be friends anymore, or that i haven't moved on by a time when i should have, or simply that a friendship can't work out... that i'll be able to listen to that feeling. but we just had too much together and respect and care about each other too much... it's a shame to lose ALL of that.
ANYWAY.
since then i have been in california for 16 days... palmdale, redondo beach, san diego, and back to palmdale... tomorrow i go to vegas! when i get back starts WORK, moving in completely to my new house, decorating (YAY), halloween!, and just the excitement of being in a new city and meeting new people and having fun. there is sooo much to look forward to and a lot of fun future posts that i am already excited about, and the potential stories they may be based on haven't even happened yet.
i find it so much harder to keep up with a routine when the rest of my life has no structure! while i've had a lot of fun days here in Cali, i've had WAY too many days of "nothing to do" and have caved tooooo often to blowing a day on the couch watching HGTV and playing on pinterest... time for ACTION!
for one, the ex-boy and i saw each other in person for the first time in two months (he broke up via text, remember) the very beginning of october. he has been in charlotte now for a rotation. the weekend prior, he was extra open with me sharing stories about some tough times he was having on his rotation, and wanting to hang out, and maybe a little bit too friendly about it... fortunately (yes, fortunately) we didn't end up seeing each other, as he had had too much to drink and i was busy with a redecorating project, and it was for the best that we weren't together during a sad, under-the-influence situation on his part, and a lonely, been-cooped-up-all-day situation on mine. however, we agreed to meet up before i was to go out of town... primarily because i wanted to retrieve a necklace of mine he still had before my brother's wedding. we met in the parking lot of his temp apartment building (they are not allowed to have any guests in the med student temp housing) on a monday night, and while he had originally said he didn't have time to see me that night, i insisted, and we sat in my car and talked for about an hour... not just friendly small talk, but about us. it was kinda like breaking up again, but more real, and with less surprise. it was hard. he sort of (i think) took back what he said about not feeling anything "romantic" for me. that almost makes it harder to accept and move on. we both said how hard it was to be sitting 12 inches from each other and not touching in some way... the spark and intense need to be with each other was THERE. it was there. i felt it and it was NOT fake because i felt it and was mad and wanted to hate him, but i couldn't. we had something. maybe we still do. he was very assured in that it is not right for us to be together anymore, and i think i am too, but only because of how sure he is. he really has a lot going on in his world, and has had a lot to deal with the last two years.. and emotionally, he is just not available for a relationship like the one we would both want with each other. and though it's been almost three weeks since that conversation... it makes me tear up thinking about how right and how good we seem to be together... but how right and good it is that we aren't.. at least right now. some part of me i think is still holding onto the possibility that the future could be different... holding on, but not depending on. i do look at other guys and feel excited about meeting new people and possible dates and flirting and the feeling of what a first kiss will be like with someone else. i know i'm not hanging on too much... but really, it's still hard and i think about him every day... and refrain from my urge to text him something or ask him how his day was. anyway.. that happened. we agreed we want to try to be friends but that we both need to be clear in our intentions and not walk a fine line between friend and more-than-friend so we can allow ourselves to heal properly. and i feel that i know myself and heart well enough that if it becomes not appropriate to be friends anymore, or that i haven't moved on by a time when i should have, or simply that a friendship can't work out... that i'll be able to listen to that feeling. but we just had too much together and respect and care about each other too much... it's a shame to lose ALL of that.
ANYWAY.
since then i have been in california for 16 days... palmdale, redondo beach, san diego, and back to palmdale... tomorrow i go to vegas! when i get back starts WORK, moving in completely to my new house, decorating (YAY), halloween!, and just the excitement of being in a new city and meeting new people and having fun. there is sooo much to look forward to and a lot of fun future posts that i am already excited about, and the potential stories they may be based on haven't even happened yet.
i find it so much harder to keep up with a routine when the rest of my life has no structure! while i've had a lot of fun days here in Cali, i've had WAY too many days of "nothing to do" and have caved tooooo often to blowing a day on the couch watching HGTV and playing on pinterest... time for ACTION!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
itineraries
planning. scheduling. looking ahead. predicting. time managing...... flexibility, open-mindedness, not committing, spontaneity, procrastination....
i am so conflicted when it comes to planning and being flexible. i like to plan. i hate the unknown. i like knowing what's going to happen and having an itinerary and sticking with it and following through. graduate july 27. take the boards sept 4. start new job oct 23. boom boom boom.
i ALWAYS get myself in trouble planning things. and i always know full well that when i make a plan it's probably not going to end up turning out that way. but i still think it's good to plan ahead. a failure to plan is a plan to fail, after all. but... even the best laid plans often go awry. so what do i do?
the thing is, i just can't help but to plan! it gives me a high. i actually enjoy the act of making a list. it makes me feel better when i plan things out, consider all possible scenarios, strategize how to be the most efficient. it makes me a little batty when i think of a month coming ahead and not knowing where i'm going to be or what i'm going to be doing on a given day, let's say, september 21. AHHHHHH. i just LOVE knowing even though i know i don't actually know. guessing makes me feel better in the mean time. but oh i just LOVE the feeling when i made a plan and it went just how i thought it would, JUST as i pictured. go me. or i love it when i got to everything on my to-do list because i followed my schedule. OR even better when i simply predicted something that was out of my control but i couldn't stand being clueless so i just guessed and put all my hopes on it because it made me feel better (see also: me in relationships. haha)... mmm bad. stop doing that.
why do i take it SO HARD when things don't go as planned. i don't like to be wrong, go back on my word, cancel or postpone a plan, or let anyone down. hate it. i tried earlier in august to just not make a plan at all, but then i hated being asked "so what are you doing this month" and saying, "i don't know!" so i make a fake plan and feel badly when it changes and i already told it to someone. AHHHH. "if you want to make God laugh, just make a plan."
it makes me a little anxious just thinking about how i'll make plans in the future. i'm really trying to plan how i will plan?
anyway, this all stems from the fact that i just booked my flights for october to go to LA for my bro#3's wedding... I'll fly out from NC, then stay in LA an extra week and a half, while they are on their honeymoon, to babysit their dog and spend more time with bro#1 who lives in san diego. when bro#3 and wife come back, i'll go to LAS VEGAS for the weekend with friends, then back to NC to get on with real life. well, looking at flight arrangements for all of this is QUITE overwhelming for someone who wants the perfect plan for something that's still a month away. well, i have to say, for the girl who loves to make plans but hates going back on them, booking $450 worth of airfare all over the country is an EXTREME relief because... i can't go back on it! i don't have to be flexible! i get to commit! and there's a schedule! no unknowns! i WILL be sitting in seat 9F at 12:10 pm. no questions asked.
aaaaaaaaaah :)
i am so conflicted when it comes to planning and being flexible. i like to plan. i hate the unknown. i like knowing what's going to happen and having an itinerary and sticking with it and following through. graduate july 27. take the boards sept 4. start new job oct 23. boom boom boom.
i ALWAYS get myself in trouble planning things. and i always know full well that when i make a plan it's probably not going to end up turning out that way. but i still think it's good to plan ahead. a failure to plan is a plan to fail, after all. but... even the best laid plans often go awry. so what do i do?
the thing is, i just can't help but to plan! it gives me a high. i actually enjoy the act of making a list. it makes me feel better when i plan things out, consider all possible scenarios, strategize how to be the most efficient. it makes me a little batty when i think of a month coming ahead and not knowing where i'm going to be or what i'm going to be doing on a given day, let's say, september 21. AHHHHHH. i just LOVE knowing even though i know i don't actually know. guessing makes me feel better in the mean time. but oh i just LOVE the feeling when i made a plan and it went just how i thought it would, JUST as i pictured. go me. or i love it when i got to everything on my to-do list because i followed my schedule. OR even better when i simply predicted something that was out of my control but i couldn't stand being clueless so i just guessed and put all my hopes on it because it made me feel better (see also: me in relationships. haha)... mmm bad. stop doing that.
why do i take it SO HARD when things don't go as planned. i don't like to be wrong, go back on my word, cancel or postpone a plan, or let anyone down. hate it. i tried earlier in august to just not make a plan at all, but then i hated being asked "so what are you doing this month" and saying, "i don't know!" so i make a fake plan and feel badly when it changes and i already told it to someone. AHHHH. "if you want to make God laugh, just make a plan."
it makes me a little anxious just thinking about how i'll make plans in the future. i'm really trying to plan how i will plan?
anyway, this all stems from the fact that i just booked my flights for october to go to LA for my bro#3's wedding... I'll fly out from NC, then stay in LA an extra week and a half, while they are on their honeymoon, to babysit their dog and spend more time with bro#1 who lives in san diego. when bro#3 and wife come back, i'll go to LAS VEGAS for the weekend with friends, then back to NC to get on with real life. well, looking at flight arrangements for all of this is QUITE overwhelming for someone who wants the perfect plan for something that's still a month away. well, i have to say, for the girl who loves to make plans but hates going back on them, booking $450 worth of airfare all over the country is an EXTREME relief because... i can't go back on it! i don't have to be flexible! i get to commit! and there's a schedule! no unknowns! i WILL be sitting in seat 9F at 12:10 pm. no questions asked.
aaaaaaaaaah :)
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
a bad start means a good finish?
yay! just got home from taking the NBCOT Exam to become a certified OTR! one more step complete... now more waiting.
it was an hour-and-a-half drive from my parent's house to the testing center...and mixed with a 9am scheduled test, i was getting anxiety last night about being late. so i gave myself 2.5 hours to get there. haha, maybe a bit of a stretch, but there WAS a good bit of rush hour traffic outside of columbus and it never feels good to feel rushed.... and reading back over the conseuqences/procedure if i was late and the $500 cost... yeah no thanks. so i was 30-45 minutes early, got taken care of right away, and got to start before 9 ... much better than waiting. only... just have to say, thank GOD i hadn't completely unpacked my car amidst all the traveling and moving the last month. not only did i need two forms of ID, but two forms of signed ID... and of course my signed credit card was missing because i had it out when i was ordering practice tests the other day. an older man signing in next to me wished me luck and i said, "off to a great start, don't even have the right kind of ID!" to which he responded, "that just means you'll have a good finish!" THANKFULLY for labeling efforts two years ago, i knew exactly where my passport was in a file box in the back of my car. day saved. and THEN as i sit down to take my test... nothing comes up on the screen. did i miss an instruction? is my computer broken? am i just being impatient and the test will pop up in a second? i sat there for a good 10 minutes looking at the home screen clicking around and waiting for something to happen, haha. then as the proctor walked by, i grabbed his attention and we got everything figured out and i was on my way. haha, GREAT start.
looking back at my education i have to say that i appreciate, more than ever, the approach and philosophy of the program i graduated from. the emphasis on theory, clinical reasoning and ethics would have been a lot harder to learn on your own than all the topics and diagnoses and facts and protocols in my study guide. even though our program lacked a lot of formal testing (much more clinical application assignments, writing, problem-based learning, case studies, and critical analysis of research), i am glad i got what i got in the short two year time frame. it's impossible to know everything you need to know for every area of OT at the end of two years, especially when our profession doesn't require specialization. but with facts and evidence and protocols that are always changing anyways, it makes much more sense to teach the process and skills to problem-solve and think through situations. still... in the clinic, i'll totally be able to look up a diagnosis or term or milestone i don't remember or recognize, or ask another therapist, or actually physically see the impairment. but, i guess that's why we don't have to get a perfect score to pass, and why we still require supervision when we first start working, and why we have to continue participating in continuing ed (oh yeah, and also why health services are constantly audited and checked to make sure people are doing their job). anyway, i guess what i'm saying is, even though the test is a pretty big step in becoming a practitioner, it definitely doesn't stand alone in assuring good OT.
here's to the next 40 years of a career in which i'll never stop learning!
p.s. i am on the lookout for OTs/PTs/STs/other rehab professionals or students or interested people whose blogs i can follow! if you're out there, speak up and comment so we can find each other! :)
it was an hour-and-a-half drive from my parent's house to the testing center...and mixed with a 9am scheduled test, i was getting anxiety last night about being late. so i gave myself 2.5 hours to get there. haha, maybe a bit of a stretch, but there WAS a good bit of rush hour traffic outside of columbus and it never feels good to feel rushed.... and reading back over the conseuqences/procedure if i was late and the $500 cost... yeah no thanks. so i was 30-45 minutes early, got taken care of right away, and got to start before 9 ... much better than waiting. only... just have to say, thank GOD i hadn't completely unpacked my car amidst all the traveling and moving the last month. not only did i need two forms of ID, but two forms of signed ID... and of course my signed credit card was missing because i had it out when i was ordering practice tests the other day. an older man signing in next to me wished me luck and i said, "off to a great start, don't even have the right kind of ID!" to which he responded, "that just means you'll have a good finish!" THANKFULLY for labeling efforts two years ago, i knew exactly where my passport was in a file box in the back of my car. day saved. and THEN as i sit down to take my test... nothing comes up on the screen. did i miss an instruction? is my computer broken? am i just being impatient and the test will pop up in a second? i sat there for a good 10 minutes looking at the home screen clicking around and waiting for something to happen, haha. then as the proctor walked by, i grabbed his attention and we got everything figured out and i was on my way. haha, GREAT start.
looking back at my education i have to say that i appreciate, more than ever, the approach and philosophy of the program i graduated from. the emphasis on theory, clinical reasoning and ethics would have been a lot harder to learn on your own than all the topics and diagnoses and facts and protocols in my study guide. even though our program lacked a lot of formal testing (much more clinical application assignments, writing, problem-based learning, case studies, and critical analysis of research), i am glad i got what i got in the short two year time frame. it's impossible to know everything you need to know for every area of OT at the end of two years, especially when our profession doesn't require specialization. but with facts and evidence and protocols that are always changing anyways, it makes much more sense to teach the process and skills to problem-solve and think through situations. still... in the clinic, i'll totally be able to look up a diagnosis or term or milestone i don't remember or recognize, or ask another therapist, or actually physically see the impairment. but, i guess that's why we don't have to get a perfect score to pass, and why we still require supervision when we first start working, and why we have to continue participating in continuing ed (oh yeah, and also why health services are constantly audited and checked to make sure people are doing their job). anyway, i guess what i'm saying is, even though the test is a pretty big step in becoming a practitioner, it definitely doesn't stand alone in assuring good OT.
here's to the next 40 years of a career in which i'll never stop learning!
p.s. i am on the lookout for OTs/PTs/STs/other rehab professionals or students or interested people whose blogs i can follow! if you're out there, speak up and comment so we can find each other! :)
Monday, September 3, 2012
my "medical life" debut!
confession: i've already been "secretly" following some of the blogs on this link up. i'm new at the blog thing, so i've been slow to try to publicize (not to mention i'm still trying to figure out how everything works...), BUT i figure it's time to become an official follower and link up to this lovely blog community, sooo here we go!
i'm participating in my first 'medical mondays' blog hop and have linked up with yall! (i don't think i have any loyal followers yet outside of the link up but here is the "button" link in case anyone does stumble across my blog from the outside world!)
my story:
i am a soon-to-be* occupational therapist dating a third-year medical student long-distance. like all relationships, we've got our good times and hard times... but i've discovered that finding support and encouragement through those hard times has shown to be difficult because of the lack of insight from my close friends about what medical life is like.
i'm not a super confident writer, but sometimes (when i force myself) it becomes a good outlet for me to process thoughts and feelings; not just about my dating life, but my transition to being an autonomous healthcare provider, moving to a new city and adopting a new way of life as an independent adult after knowing only the student life, making progress on my goals, and just being a 20-something. so, i decided to start this blog... just last week. :)
i'm still getting the hang of things, refining my writing style, and learning to find the balance between being a good producer of writing/stories, as well as a good follower and supporter of others' blogs! that being said, those of you who are stumbling across this today: i would appreciate any feedback or suggestions on how to improve my writing, blog style, tips for ease of use... or even dating advice, work advice, moving advice, and useless advice!
i'm really excited to make my official "debut" today, getting my blog out there, and opening up to a new community as i go through all the adventures of this next year! thanks for having me!
*"soon-to-be": see also, taking my board exam TOMORROW. clearly i'm being very studious and productive this morning. :)
i'm participating in my first 'medical mondays' blog hop and have linked up with yall! (i don't think i have any loyal followers yet outside of the link up but here is the "button" link in case anyone does stumble across my blog from the outside world!)
my story:
i am a soon-to-be* occupational therapist dating a third-year medical student long-distance. like all relationships, we've got our good times and hard times... but i've discovered that finding support and encouragement through those hard times has shown to be difficult because of the lack of insight from my close friends about what medical life is like.
i'm not a super confident writer, but sometimes (when i force myself) it becomes a good outlet for me to process thoughts and feelings; not just about my dating life, but my transition to being an autonomous healthcare provider, moving to a new city and adopting a new way of life as an independent adult after knowing only the student life, making progress on my goals, and just being a 20-something. so, i decided to start this blog... just last week. :)
i'm still getting the hang of things, refining my writing style, and learning to find the balance between being a good producer of writing/stories, as well as a good follower and supporter of others' blogs! that being said, those of you who are stumbling across this today: i would appreciate any feedback or suggestions on how to improve my writing, blog style, tips for ease of use... or even dating advice, work advice, moving advice, and useless advice!
i'm really excited to make my official "debut" today, getting my blog out there, and opening up to a new community as i go through all the adventures of this next year! thanks for having me!
*"soon-to-be": see also, taking my board exam TOMORROW. clearly i'm being very studious and productive this morning. :)
Friday, August 31, 2012
catching up
today's lil adventure in the kitchen included one of my best friends from high school, L! so glad to have friends that also make an effort to see each other and stay in touch the rare opportunities. so happy this particular adventure included lots of catching up, and looong stories. so good.
anyway, we made s'more bars to go along with our gourmet frozen pizza, haha. L was inspired by pinterest and the ingredients in the cupboard at my parents' house... plus a quick trip to town for chocolate. i'm not big on marshmallow, but these turned out pretty good and gooey (but of course, looked NOTHING like the picture...)... definitely will have to microwave the leftovers to make them carry out their extra yummy and gooeyness. the parents are out of town until monday so it's just me and the cookies and the s'more bars... i can do this.
skipped my workout today, replaced by a TherapyEd practice test (okay, it was one I already took... but still, it's pretty tough to remember 170 questions so i think my 91% wasn't too bad!) and a little more studying, and two short walks to my neighbor's house (plus how many laps around the house trying to chase down their cat?). i figure the other neighbors may not recognize me since i'm rarely in town, so i hope they're not creeped out about this girl randomly coming over to the house and walking all around it yelling "frankieeeee" and embarrassingly whistling and jingling my keys. how do you call a cat anyway?
____________________
my workout report from the last couple days definitely doesn't match up to the half-marathon plan less than 3 months away... looks like me and my running shoes REALLY have some catching up to do this weekend.....
anyway, we made s'more bars to go along with our gourmet frozen pizza, haha. L was inspired by pinterest and the ingredients in the cupboard at my parents' house... plus a quick trip to town for chocolate. i'm not big on marshmallow, but these turned out pretty good and gooey (but of course, looked NOTHING like the picture...)... definitely will have to microwave the leftovers to make them carry out their extra yummy and gooeyness. the parents are out of town until monday so it's just me and the cookies and the s'more bars... i can do this.
skipped my workout today, replaced by a TherapyEd practice test (okay, it was one I already took... but still, it's pretty tough to remember 170 questions so i think my 91% wasn't too bad!) and a little more studying, and two short walks to my neighbor's house (plus how many laps around the house trying to chase down their cat?). i figure the other neighbors may not recognize me since i'm rarely in town, so i hope they're not creeped out about this girl randomly coming over to the house and walking all around it yelling "frankieeeee" and embarrassingly whistling and jingling my keys. how do you call a cat anyway?
____________________
my workout report from the last couple days definitely doesn't match up to the half-marathon plan less than 3 months away... looks like me and my running shoes REALLY have some catching up to do this weekend.....
Thursday, August 30, 2012
perfect
i've undertaken a couple of projects together with my mom these few weeks while i am home... one of them being planning and making invitations for the rehearsal dinner for my brother's wedding in october. i get a little obsessive on these types of projects-- then end up procrastinating because i want it to be absolutely perfect. well, close to perfection was good enough for today as i sat down and printed off invites, made precise cuts with the paper cutter (one of my favorites...), hole punched, and threaded ribbon to make the cutest clean-cut, preppy-styled little invites, all ready to send out tomorrow... sure they're not EXACTLY the same as one another... but will anyone even know?!
*i SHOULD be a good blogger and post a picture of the cute invites, but i currently lack a working camera. working on it......
the other project is helping to prepare dinners for my parents so we can all eat together and relax when they get home (they are way OVERWORKED during the week... i don't know how they do it!), and to try some new recipes and switch things up a bit. SO today i made double chocolate cherry almond cookies. let's just say that so far, i haven't found a "new recipe" yet that i'd like to repeat
three days ago..... i ended my 7 year streak of not having a car accident. the good news: NO ONE was injured, thank GOD. and luckily, the other vehicle was already pretty beat-up, so the driver brushed it off and said he wouldn't pursue any damages or charges. *phew!* the bad news: it was completely my fault, resulted in about $2,000 of damage to my car (which is only two years old...), leading me to be an emotional wreck the last few days. you know how something bad happens, and you just replay it over and over in your head trying to figure out what happened? and you know how helpful it is to do that? not at all. i think my spirit and pride were more damaged than the car itself...
anyway, also thank GOD i have decent auto coverage, so it's all getting taken care of with a fairly manageable deductible... really makes me appreciate all those hefty insurance payments i've made over my driving life... insurance is there for a reason.
there's a lesson to be learned from just about everything i suppose! nobody's perfect... not even me.
____________________
today's workout: 6 minute run to neighbor's house i'm "house sitting" for to bring in their mail and let their cat in and out, 6 minute run home + jillian michael's ripped in 30-level 1
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
long story long...
my friends pick on me for telling the longest, most detailed stories.
:) sometimes i even preface my stories with "long story long..." because i know there is no way to shorten it. i mean, you have to set the context and tell the back story before
you get into the details! i think there must be a bio/about me section
where i can lay the backdrop of my lift up to now, so look out for that. but the present is
where i'll start...
about a month ago, i finished my clinicals and thus my MASTERS DEGREE in OT! I've since been traveling all over to see friends and family on my time off, taking time to relax and pamper myself a bit, and STUDYING for my board exam coming up on September 4! before i move back to NC to get settled and start my new job in a new city at the end of October, I'm spending some time at my parents' house in my hometown in Ohio. studying and relaxing can only carry a day so far, so meanwhile, i've set a few goals for myself:
- train for and run my first half marathon on nov 11
- find an amazing (yet reasonably priced) apartment in uptown Charlotte
- find an amazing roommate to live in said apartment
- planning a west coast trip in october to include visiting two of my bros, see my brother and his fiancee get married, house and puppy-sitting, and a pitstop in las vegas!
- be patient, strong, bold, honest and loving in my relationship with this pretty amazing guy... :)
- save money to pay for aforementioned lifestyle (i.e. living with my parents for a little longer than i'd like...) and the car damage from a careless accident earlier this week..... oops.
- indulge in an obscene amount of television garbage (hello, daily mini-marathons of saved by the bell and boy meets world on MTV...)
- be a little bit bold with some cooking endeavors to help my busy, overworked parents a little bit
- after my test, go to Charlotte to stay with a friend while looking for a permanent housing situation
- rest!
these are just a few of the topics will appear in some future posts, along with tidbits about my adventure of becoming something i have worked toward for the last 6 years- an occupational therapist! i'll try to keep it down to the very necessary deets...... buuut no guarantees. sometimes the details are the best part! and sometimes you just need somebody to (pretend to) listen.
like i said, i tell long stories.
____________________
today's workout: run 1.2 miles out, walked back + jillian michaels' ripped in 30-level 1
about a month ago, i finished my clinicals and thus my MASTERS DEGREE in OT! I've since been traveling all over to see friends and family on my time off, taking time to relax and pamper myself a bit, and STUDYING for my board exam coming up on September 4! before i move back to NC to get settled and start my new job in a new city at the end of October, I'm spending some time at my parents' house in my hometown in Ohio. studying and relaxing can only carry a day so far, so meanwhile, i've set a few goals for myself:
- train for and run my first half marathon on nov 11
- find an amazing (yet reasonably priced) apartment in uptown Charlotte
- find an amazing roommate to live in said apartment
- planning a west coast trip in october to include visiting two of my bros, see my brother and his fiancee get married, house and puppy-sitting, and a pitstop in las vegas!
- be patient, strong, bold, honest and loving in my relationship with this pretty amazing guy... :)
- save money to pay for aforementioned lifestyle (i.e. living with my parents for a little longer than i'd like...) and the car damage from a careless accident earlier this week..... oops.
- indulge in an obscene amount of television garbage (hello, daily mini-marathons of saved by the bell and boy meets world on MTV...)
- be a little bit bold with some cooking endeavors to help my busy, overworked parents a little bit
- after my test, go to Charlotte to stay with a friend while looking for a permanent housing situation
- rest!
these are just a few of the topics will appear in some future posts, along with tidbits about my adventure of becoming something i have worked toward for the last 6 years- an occupational therapist! i'll try to keep it down to the very necessary deets...... buuut no guarantees. sometimes the details are the best part! and sometimes you just need somebody to (pretend to) listen.
like i said, i tell long stories.
____________________
today's workout: run 1.2 miles out, walked back + jillian michaels' ripped in 30-level 1
"my first post"
recently i've discovered several blogs that i really enjoy reading
and keeping up with. i find it interesting how attached i've gotten and how much i know about a few strangers' lives, yet
they know nothing about me.
i think i've always strayed away from writing for an audience because i didn't think i had anything interesting or meaningful to say. always dreaded writing assignments, and still feel self-conscious about every email or instant message or text i write-- triple checking and correcting myself constantly. but i know that the best thing to do when you have trouble starting- is to just start.
i think i read something in a blog once along the lines of "maybe someone somewhere may come across this at a time when they really need it..." well, i've been on that side and have actually been comforted by reading something "ordinary" from another person's experience. i think that would be a pretty cool thing to give to someone else. here goes!
i think i've always strayed away from writing for an audience because i didn't think i had anything interesting or meaningful to say. always dreaded writing assignments, and still feel self-conscious about every email or instant message or text i write-- triple checking and correcting myself constantly. but i know that the best thing to do when you have trouble starting- is to just start.
i think i read something in a blog once along the lines of "maybe someone somewhere may come across this at a time when they really need it..." well, i've been on that side and have actually been comforted by reading something "ordinary" from another person's experience. i think that would be a pretty cool thing to give to someone else. here goes!
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