Prac Reflections

I have quite an honest confession to make. For the first time in my 3 years of studying OT, I have really enjoyed working as an OT at my practical venue. As 2nd years we were a bunch of nervous and unsure students, blundering through with great ideas but poor implementation. I admit I often questioned myself repeatedly on the 'point of it all'. It becomes really difficult to gain from something when you cannot see the progress. Last year we did mainly assessments with our patients and did not observe the great impact treatment has on patients.

This year I feel like a whole new world has opened up to me. I am finally starting to 'see the point'! Over and above this I feel that my experiences have really helped me grow as a person. To see progress from a patient you have spent hours preparing treatments for, is phenomenal to say the least. I have really learnt to appreciate the baby steps they take on the road to improvement. Receiving a smile or a laugh from a patient may seem small, but they may have not smiled in days or months! Seeing my patients light up when I walk through the door, is one of the most heart warming experiences that I shall treasure forever. I still am not sure whether I am more inclined to be a Psychiatric or a Physical OT, but one thing is for sure: The appreciation received and self-fulfilment gained from my  work with my Psych patients, I have yet to experience from working in a physical setting.  During many of my previous practical experiences I would often be at a loss as to what my purpose was. How am I helping these people? What difference can I make to their lives? What is the purpose of my treatment when I can't see any results? These questions held me back from achieving true success with my patients. However, this practical block simply opened my eyes to a world of opportunity out there, and the difference I could truly make. 

As OT's one of our frequent aims with patients are to provide external motivation to participate, and thereafter attempt to turn that external motivation into internal motivation, so that they may initiate participation spontaneously once treatment has concluded. I feel pretty much the same way about my own motivation to achieve as an OT. I had a brilliant supervisor in my first semester practical block, who really inspired and motivated me to bring out my true potential. This semester I feel the internal motivation coming through in my own desire to take initiative. I no longer felt the need for constant inspiration. I had found it within myself and from my own desire to see my patients achieve. I hope this new found inspiration can carry me through into 4th year, where we will not have supervisors on hand for most of our practical's.

With all the stress OT has put me through I could very well compile a list of complaints. Instead I finally feel that it all has been worth it. I cannot wait to be a practising OT, minus the countless case studies, case presentations and projects we have to submit. If you read my post on Values Clarification, you will know that I had an inner struggle between choosing Pharmacy or OT. I am now happy to say I have definitely made the right decision! You may wonder why it has taken me so long to reach this stage. It is simply because I was waiting to have that "Ah hah" moment. Its relatively easy to spew out theory, but to take that apply it, and then see results. That’s the light bulb moment I was seeking. And I think what ever profession you might be in, you can never perform to your full potential nor be happy in your profession until  you believe in what you are doing.



The lesson I learnt here, is simply to love what you do. If you are not passionate about what you do, you can never achieve true potential!