I’m excited and eager to handle an actual patient especially in the psychiatric setting. Many people think that they have their own dimension and that their ideas are quite “out – of –the – world”. I think that’s what makes it interesting for OTs. During the fieldwork, I think I did well in the COPM and MSE part. I find it difficult to conduct an MSE on the unresponsive client. All in all, I’ve handled three patients during the fieldwork. The good thing was, an OT intern and a respective CS was around to guide me. I’ll try to do better next time by reading more about psychiatric conditions, reviewing related cases, and making hypothetical IEs to practice and hone my OT skills.

          Handling an actual patient for the first time is a very challenging factor that could have contributed to my performance. Using the ample knowledge from my “OT toolbox”, I think I’m not even halfway close to the myriad of techniques, tools, and standardized tests that should be learned to be an effective OT. I’m looking forward to seeing more patients from the UP –PGH Ward 7. I’ll try to be more prepared next time to improve my second fieldwork. I’ll just have to keep in mind that I need to help those patients to be functional using the potentials and strengths that they have.

I become more interested in the profession because everyday I’m taking one step forward, understanding how complicated yet exciting it is to be an OT. It’s important to remember that occupational therapy is different for every person. No two people are alike and no two treatments are the same either. Once the occupational therapist figures out what you want to learn to do, then he or she will come up with a plan. Often, that means breaking an activity into several smaller parts, just like learning a song note by note. For example, if you want to take a bath you might first learn how to turn on the water, then adjust the temperature, find the soap and towel, and finally, get into the tub. Once the plan is made, then all it takes is practice, practice, practice. See? OTs really are obsessive – compulsive by nature.

Occupational therapy requires unequivocal dedication, and often rewards its practitioners with a tremendous sense of accomplishment. The profession calls for the best of those individuals who practice it; occupational therapists must be compassionate, caring, patient, and capable of commanding the respect and trust of people within their care. After the fieldwork, I’ve internalized something, and that is - the satisfaction you get from helping someone reclaim their life is enormous.