The Memory Unit OT

You might remember from my last post that my college experience actually started at the community/associates degree level. I was dead-set on becoming a preschool teacher, and really had no interest in attending a 4-year school when I graduated high school.

So I enrolled in one of the local community colleges, while also working two part-time jobs. After deciding would jump ship from the early intervention route to an OT program, I started courses at Husson University in Bangor, ME.

At that time, the school offered a 5-year accelerated Master’s Degree Program that was also a dual-degree program. By graduation, students had earned a B.S. in Healthcare Studies and an M.S. in Occupational Therapy. Because I already had 2 years of prerequisite courses from community college, I was able to transfer into the OT program in the middle of the undergraduate phase. This allowed for an even smoother transition into the graduate phase of the program.

I started in 2013, taking the remainder of my undergraduate courses that were more specific to Husson’s program.

In the fall of 2014, I started the graduate phase. This first semester included courses like Functional Anatomy with a cadaver lab portion, Occupational Therapy Models, and OT Ethics. I remember making one of my first graduate-level friends while squatting outside the cadaver lab on day one because the smell of formaldehyde made us both feel woozy.

Beginning the following Spring, we completed 3 40-hour clinical observations (aka our Level 1 Fieldwork placements) over the course of three semesters.

I wouldn’t say any of mine were particularly thrilling. The first was in a large Skilled Nursing Facility close to my parent’s home and was probably the most occupation-based of all of them. I spent Spring Break of 2014 getting my entire 40 hours.

The second was over the course of the following Fall semester. It was at what’s called a Mental Health Clubhouse that was located in downtown Bangor. I essentially learned how to be a case manager/social worker. The only reason this setting qualified as an OT Clinical was because the facility was run by an OTR.

Fortunately, I shared that clinical with 2 other students from my class, both of whom were super kind and easy going. I know that in part, that clinical setting was used to make sure we all had a placement since pickings were slim in the greater Bangor area. But clinically speaking it wasn’t my favorite.

The third and final Level 1 was through an Early Intervention Center, again close to my parents house so that I could complete the entire 40 hours over another Spring Break. I really hated this one. Which I suppose is ironic considering I had originally wanted to be a preschool teacher.

I can’t remember exactly what the problem was, but for some reason that placement was super last minute. I think I was supposed to go to a sensory integration outpatient clinic for kids (which I was super excited about), and that facility cancelled my placement at the last minute. So I ended up at this Early Intervention Center which was primarily home health. I shadowed 2 different therapists (because everyone there worked a half-day) and therefore had to drive myself to each of these homes to meet the therapists there. It was super stressful and super not my vibe.

From there, the remainder of the program felt like a rush and whirlwind.

We were knee-deep in course work, and I was working part-time as a tour guide/ admissions aide for the campus (which I adored).

Undergrad graduation happened in the Spring of 2016 and the start of Level 2 Fieldwork placements quickly followed that summer.

Level 2 Fieldworks are 12 weeks, and are exactly what you think of when you think of a clinical rotation.

A few weeks shadowing your supervising therapist and then a slow build until you as the student are treating ‘your own’ caseload.

My first clinical was through an outpatient adult rehab clinic housed in a hospital branch setting. My supervisor was a Certified Hand Therapist, and I absolutely loved her. She was so kind right from the start, made me feel comfortable and confident, and taught me a ton about upper extremity anatomy, physiology, and function. Plus she had a great rapport with the other therapists (which meant I did too by the end of the 12 weeks) and we often spent lunch breaks grabbing a quick bit from the grocery store or eating desserts from the hospital’s cafeteria. And since this clinical was over the summer, I was able to live at home and easily take vacation with my family after completing the 12 weeks.

Our final in-class semester was spent working on our Graduate Research Capstone.

Each capstone was lead by a member of the department, and we as students were divided up amongst the project. I worked in a group of 4 students under the supervision of our Department Head. Our research focused primarily on the needs of Caregivers to individuals living with cancer. We partnered with a local resource center designed to provide support and housing to patients and their families.

That project was the final hurrah before our last Level 2 placement and graduation.

For my second clinical, I remained Bangor to get the most out of my apartment (since I was paying rent). There is a psychiatric hospital fairly close to our university’s campus that many previous OT students worked at. Which meant that many current OT students went to this setting for Fieldwork placement.

While I loved my supervising therapist here as well, I really did not like the setting. I had to go through extensive training on self protection, physical restraints, and how to use the panic button attached to my name badge.

I was on the pediatric inpatient unit. I remember witnessing a 5-year-old put a staff member in a choke-hold on my first day and was ready for a swift exit myself. But I’m glad I stuck it out. I learned a ton about group therapy as we held groups upstairs on the inpatient unit and downstairs in the afternoon for the outpatient program. This setting also taught me everything I know about Sensory Integration. My supervisor was well educated in this area, and gave me a plethora of information about the topic, which I’ve since used extensively in the memory care setting.

After completing the 12 weeks, I spent about a month at home and then returned to Bangor for a few weeks before graduation. At that time, we were given an NBCOT exam prep course and were asked to present on our Level 2 placement.

Once graduation season rolled around, the remaining few weeks as a college student flew by.

We had a pinning ceremony, a hooding ceremony, and then finally graduation (which was the same day as my 24th birthday!).

All-in-all, I really enjoyed by college experience. I made the best friends of my life. I learned more about myself than I ever expected too. And I really fell in love with occupational therapy.

Moving in to the SNF setting as a new grad, I certainly wish I had been given more experience and training in additional adult rehab. But that first job set me up for success. I’ll tell you more about that soon!