Occupational Therapy: Why Do You Want To Be An Occupational Therapist

It’s easy to take everyday tasks like walking up the stairs for granted and not consider the effect not being able complete them would have on us. I believe everyone deserves the best quality of life and being able to complete everyday tasks is a part of this. Occupational Therapy is a profession where innovative and practical solutions are used to assist individuals to achieve “everyday tasks”. I want to be an occupational therapist as because by equipping people with skills and adapting environments you can positively change someone's life by giving people back their independence and increasing their confidence. One of the main principles behind occupational therapy is the idea that the best way to help individuals to restore their health is by providing them with the skills and confidence they need to live their lives. Being part of a profession that was based around these ideals would be a privilege as well as a rewarding experience that would satisfy my desire to help improve the lives of others.

In June 2017, I travelled to America (Atlanta, Georgia) for my Year 10 Work Experience. I had a very rare opportunity to do work experience at Emory University Hospital during which I was able to shadow a surgeon at the hospital where my aunt works. I was allowed to follow the surgeon into consultations with patients and put away medical charts. I also had the opportunity to go to the theatre to observe two surgeries. I also observed how the surgeon treated and managed different types of patients according to their medical conditions.

Because of the experiences which I had during my time at Emory university Hospital, USA, I did another work experience at Acute Medical Unit (AMU) of Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in February 2019. Over the one week work experience placement, I followed the doctors during their ward rounds to observe how doctors interact with their patients and how junior doctors in training are mentored by Consultants. I learnt how to use the blood pressure machine, saw how a catheter is inserted and drained and was shown how the x-ray equipment is operated.

I was also able to witness first-hand the variety and diversity of specialities involved in medicine and the importance of multi-disciplinary collaboration among various professionals in the administration of patient care. Through this I was able to learn team work, importance of effective communication and composure under stressful conditions.

I participated in the Destination STEMM (DSTEMM) mentoring programme of The Windsor Fellowship designed for students considering a career in a STEMM field between September 2018 and February 2019. I benefitted from the interaction and support from an allocated Mentor from a scientific subject area throughout the programme.

I took part in the 2018 National Citizen Service Programme lasting three weeks. During the programme, I participated in community activities which were somewhat challenging and required teamwork and trust to boost morale and ensure effective performance as a group.

Outside of the curriculum, I participated in some athletics events in my school. I have also participated in my Church’s Youth Musical during the Youth Convention and also in the Nativity play during Christmas. I also enjoy swimming. I enjoy travelling so I’m constantly going to different countries to try and experience new cultures and environments. I have visited places which include Turkey, America, Greece, Dubai, France, Germany and Nigeria. I am also a keen reader who enjoys fiction but I do branch off from time to time to other book genres.

I have also participated as the team leader in Public Speaking through which I learnt the art of teamwork and mentoring others to achieve a desired goal. This was during the Model UN at my school where I led a group of speakers representing the country of Somalia. Doing this helped me to become confident when speaking to a group of people and to be able to get my point across without it resulting in arguments with people with opposing opinions. Since I was the group leader during Model UN it also meant that not only did I have to be organised but I also had to keep my team organised and made sure everyone worked to task. Going to a language school has given me the opportunity to travel to various countries on exchanges. While on exchanges I lived with other families so this allowed me to become comfortable when in new situations.

I understand becoming an occupational therapist requires enormous sacrifice and dedication but is also very rewarding due to the lifetime of continuous professional development and learning required to keep up-to-date with new medical practices. . I want to be part of such a rewarding and diverse career and I believe that I have the interests, skills and understanding required to make a good applicant for the occupational therapy course at university.