What I Learned During My First Year As An OT

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐎𝐓

✨ what you read in the textbook is scarcely like what you see in real life

✨ you are not expected to know everything

✨ having a mentor makes the transition from student to practitioner more reassuring

✨ share your opinions - you are a clinician and people value your insight; don’t pigeon hole yourself into silence or shyness just because you are a “new grad”

✨ you are prepared to rise above the occasion even in uncertainty (ie global pandemic)

✨ working with other disciplines is so rewarding and there are so many ways to grow/learn from each other

✨ human connection with your clients is so important

✨ you have the opportunity to advocate and be the voice for someone or a family - use it.

And while I could probably write a hundred more bullet points about my first year as an OT, I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned is to not let fear hold you back from your goals...whether that be starting a program, getting a certification, changing settings, writing a book, doing research, etc. Go for it!

It’s better to pursue a dream than to wait and forever wonder “what if?”