Comments for OT Rocks! http://otrocks.com A blog about Occupational Therapy Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:24:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Fieldwork by Lynda http://otrocks.com/2012/fieldwork/#comment-440 Lynda Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:24:02 +0000 http://otrocks.com/?p=384#comment-440 Thank You for being such a wonderful OT and giving back to our profession by building its future! Thank You for being such a wonderful OT and giving back to our profession by building its future!

]]> Comment on Working in a SNF by Lynda Garza http://otrocks.com/2012/working-in-a-snf/#comment-439 Lynda Garza Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:21:36 +0000 http://otrocks.com/?p=314#comment-439 Mariel, this is so true! It has been a long time since I worked in a SNF and your comments reminded me how much I love acute care. Mariel, this is so true! It has been a long time since I worked in a SNF and your comments reminded me how much I love acute care.

]]> Comment on Fieldwork by elisabeth http://otrocks.com/2012/fieldwork/#comment-425 elisabeth Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:59:23 +0000 http://otrocks.com/?p=384#comment-425 Hi Mariel, nice, lively blog about everyday OT! Thanks for taking OT students! Lynda reminded me about your blog when we ran into each other at the CAOTFC last friday: It was the Southern California OT Fieldwork Conference: I hope you can come along next time - it is an annual free meeting in LA. It would be important for recent OT graduates - like your self - to call attention to what you needed as an OT student in FW II and what the reality of placements are when you start a job.. I find it rewarding to mentor OTs of " the future"; I am proud to know you are working with all sorts of challenges succesfully as a beginning therapist, and I am delighted when an OTS said I had allowed him to experience many learning situations including the oportunities to fail, another recent OTS was excited that SBH OT was a good fit and validated her wish to become an OT. Be well! Hi Mariel,
nice, lively blog about everyday OT!
Thanks for taking OT students!
Lynda reminded me about your blog when we ran into each other at the CAOTFC last friday:
It was the Southern California OT Fieldwork Conference: I hope you can come along next time – it is an annual free meeting in LA.
It would be important for recent OT graduates – like your self – to call attention to what you needed as an OT student in FW II
and what the reality of placements are when you start a job..
I find it rewarding to mentor OTs of ” the future”;
I am proud to know you are working with all sorts of challenges succesfully as a beginning therapist, and I am delighted when an OTS said I had allowed him to experience many learning situations including the oportunities to fail,
another recent OTS was excited that SBH OT was a good fit and validated her wish to become an OT.
Be well!

]]> Comment on The little things by Fieldwork http://otrocks.com/2012/the-little-things/#comment-410 Fieldwork Thu, 05 Apr 2012 05:02:13 +0000 http://otrocks.com/?p=356#comment-410 [...] My first OT student just finished her fieldwork with me. Fieldwork is a 12 week internship, in which the student is essentially an occupational therapist, with supervision of course. Fieldwork is where you do the bulk of your learning. Yes, you learn the foundations and theory in school, but if you are like me, you learn better by doing. This is real life experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my fieldwork. However, I realize now that I did not get very good training in my fieldwork. I worked at the VA, doing acute care and outpatient hands. I really focused on hands, which was great and so challenging for me. I saw traumatic brain injuries as well, which was very interesting. Meeting young, new veterans who sustained concussions because they were in roadside explosions or got hit with IEDs….that was an amazing experience.  I also worked in senior behavioral health. I LOVE demented, depressed and delusional seniors! That was my most favorite experience because it did not feel like work. I love the brain, I love psychology, I love geriatrics and I love activities. It was such a good fit. However, these trainings were not great in learning acute care equipment like ventilators, ICP, dialysis, craniotomies, etc. (See http://otrocks.com/2012/the-little-things/) [...] [...] My first OT student just finished her fieldwork with me. Fieldwork is a 12 week internship, in which the student is essentially an occupational therapist, with supervision of course. Fieldwork is where you do the bulk of your learning. Yes, you learn the foundations and theory in school, but if you are like me, you learn better by doing. This is real life experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my fieldwork. However, I realize now that I did not get very good training in my fieldwork. I worked at the VA, doing acute care and outpatient hands. I really focused on hands, which was great and so challenging for me. I saw traumatic brain injuries as well, which was very interesting. Meeting young, new veterans who sustained concussions because they were in roadside explosions or got hit with IEDs….that was an amazing experience.  I also worked in senior behavioral health. I LOVE demented, depressed and delusional seniors! That was my most favorite experience because it did not feel like work. I love the brain, I love psychology, I love geriatrics and I love activities. It was such a good fit. However, these trainings were not great in learning acute care equipment like ventilators, ICP, dialysis, craniotomies, etc. (See http://otrocks.com/2012/the-little-things/) [...]

]]> Comment on Inpatient or Outpatient by Jodi http://otrocks.com/2012/inpatient-or-outpatient/#comment-343 Jodi Sun, 11 Mar 2012 08:26:53 +0000 http://otrocks.com/?p=273#comment-343 Once again, thanks so much for the incredible insight and wisdom, Mariel. Take care of yourself (and your traps!) please! I definitely care if you injure yourself. Also, Kim showed me this, but check it out! It is an informative interview about being an OT in private practice! http://studentdoctor.net/2012/01/20-questions-heidi-nejezchleb-tringali-ot/ P.S. I will ask you during my hours if you can speak/answer questions at any of our GBMs for next quarter. I will let you know the dates and times! Once again, thanks so much for the incredible insight and wisdom, Mariel. Take care of yourself (and your traps!) please! I definitely care if you injure yourself.

Also, Kim showed me this, but check it out! It is an informative interview about being an OT in private practice! http://studentdoctor.net/2012/01/20-questions-heidi-nejezchleb-tringali-ot/

P.S. I will ask you during my hours if you can speak/answer questions at any of our GBMs for next quarter. I will let you know the dates and times!

]]> Comment on Exercise and the Job by Jodi http://otrocks.com/2012/exercise-and-the-job/#comment-304 Jodi Sun, 26 Feb 2012 06:30:23 +0000 http://otrocks.com/?p=286#comment-304 Mariel! It's so great to read your funny and introspective blogs! It's kind of embarassing, but I like to read (not religiously, of course) from time to time because I feel like it's another way to learn and absorb more information about rehab and therapy as a whole. Please keep telling your side of the story because I know a lot of my peers and I love hearing stories from your perspective. Mariel! It’s so great to read your funny and introspective blogs! It’s kind of embarassing, but I like to read (not religiously, of course) from time to time because I feel like it’s another way to learn and absorb more information about rehab and therapy as a whole. Please keep telling your side of the story because I know a lot of my peers and I love hearing stories from your perspective.

]]> Comment on Exercise and the Job by Rozzie http://otrocks.com/2012/exercise-and-the-job/#comment-293 Rozzie Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:15:02 +0000 http://otrocks.com/?p=286#comment-293 Thumbs up!! My neck and upper back have been killing me lately. Let's me know that the job isnt enough exercise, need to do other things. Thumbs up!! My neck and upper back have been killing me lately. Let’s me know that the job isnt enough exercise, need to do other things.

]]> Comment on Interview process by Roberta http://otrocks.com/2011/interview-process/#comment-257 Roberta Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:03:24 +0000 http://otrocks.com/?p=296#comment-257 Hey Mariel, Love the blog! I am the new OT that will be working with you at the end of January. I am very excited to start! I checked out your blog after my last interview and just checked it tonight to see if you posted anything anywhere about dress. So glad to find an entry devoted to what you and others wear to work. Perfect! If you have any specific recommendations please let me know. Enjoy the holidays and your time off next week! Looking forward to seeing you soon! ~Roberta Hey Mariel,

Love the blog! I am the new OT that will be working with you at the end of January. I am very excited to start! I checked out your blog after my last interview and just checked it tonight to see if you posted anything anywhere about dress. So glad to find an entry devoted to what you and others wear to work. Perfect! If you have any specific recommendations please let me know. Enjoy the holidays and your time off next week! Looking forward to seeing you soon!

~Roberta

]]> Comment on Birth Control pills by ah http://otrocks.com/2011/birth-control-pills/#comment-239 ah Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:23:39 +0000 http://otrocks.com/?p=144#comment-239 http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/08/9307469-fda-panel-add-stronger-warnings-to-birth-control-labels http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/08/9307469-fda-panel-add-stronger-warnings-to-birth-control-labels

]]> Comment on Chinese medicine by ah http://otrocks.com/2011/chinese-medicine/#comment-237 ah Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:41:22 +0000 http://otrocks.com/?p=241#comment-237 Hi! It was fun reading your Chinese medicine experience. FYI, there are OTs (and PTs and speech therapists) in China. I visited a hospital in Shanghai last time I was there, and went to the rehab department. They have OTs and PTs working alongside massage therapists! There was one stroke patient I remember who was getting tuina (chinese medical massage) from the massage therapists, followed right then by the PT getting the patient up for gait training. It was pretty cool! I did meet the PTs and OTs, but there was a bit of a language barrier so we didn't have a conversation. What's really nice is the integration of western and eastern. I think China is ahead of us in this area - it's taking us way too long to adapt their techniques... Hi! It was fun reading your Chinese medicine experience. FYI, there are OTs (and PTs and speech therapists) in China. I visited a hospital in Shanghai last time I was there, and went to the rehab department. They have OTs and PTs working alongside massage therapists! There was one stroke patient I remember who was getting tuina (chinese medical massage) from the massage therapists, followed right then by the PT getting the patient up for gait training. It was pretty cool! I did meet the PTs and OTs, but there was a bit of a language barrier so we didn’t have a conversation.
What’s really nice is the integration of western and eastern. I think China is ahead of us in this area – it’s taking us way too long to adapt their techniques…

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