Mock Interview Reflection

     We recently completed a mock interview for class, which was good practice for what we will be doing in the next several months as we graduate and begin to look for jobs. Overall I think I did well in my interview but I definitely could have done better. I answered the questions sufficiently but sometimes did not phrase it as effectively as I would have liked.
     To prepare, I went over the resources provided to us, which included articles about different interview questions and how to answer them as well as questions to ask the interviewer. I also went over how to answer some questions in my head. I could have prepared better by having more questions to ask prepared and by going through practice questions with someone beforehand.
     Something that I did not expect was how long it would take me to think through how I wanted to answer some of the questions! While it did take a moment, I did typically avoid fillers such as "like" and "um," which is something I have improved over time although I did still notice myself using a few fillers. In the future I will go over questions and answers out loud so I can be more intentional with my wording and to work on avoiding these fillers. I will also thoroughly research the company I am interviewing with so I am able to ask appropriate questions that are not able to be found online.
     One thing that I learned from this process is how important it is to prepare for an interview and be able to answer difficult questions. The interviewer I had said that it is a good idea to be prepared for questions that are illegal, such as asking if you plan to have children. That is something that I would not have previously considered but an issue that may be faced in future interviews. This mock interview was good preparation for what is to come as I begin to search for jobs in the near future!

Aging and Sexual Health

     Our guest speaker on Aging and Sexual Health was very well-informed on the topic and made something that can be uncomfortable to talk about a little less awkward. One of the main takeaways I got from this lecture was that it's important for OTs to address sexual health with older adults and to refer them to a sex therapist if needed.
     One intervention that OTs can address with an individual client in regard to this topic is, if the client has stated they feel socially isolated, to discuss with the client possible leisure activities and social participation occupations that might help them find a romantic partner (MacRae, 2013). The OT and client can brainstorm hobbies that the client enjoys and then find groups that they may be able to join where they could meet others with similar interests. It would be important to stress to the client that they must behave appropriately with other group members though, and let relationships form naturally.
     A population intervention is to create an educational inservice that can be shared regarding safe sex practices. This may be particularly useful in nursing homes in that it might make the residents feel more comfortable discussing safe sex.
     While it may be uncomfortable for OTs, especially new grads, to talk about sexual health with our clients, there may be times when the client needs someone to address it and we are the only person that the client feels like they can talk to. Because of this, it is an area that we must have at least a basic knowledge on and have others to refer to if needed.

Driving and Community Mobility Reflection

     The guest speaker on driving and community mobility in our Older Adults course was very interesting and engaging. One thing that I took away from the lecture is that all occupational therapists, no matter what population they work with, should have at least some knowledge on driving and community mobility. I also learned that we must be sure to avoid giving clients false hope on being able to drive, as this can be a huge disappointment for them if they likely will not be able to, as well as a waste of their time and money.
     One occupational therapy intervention for driving and community mobility that can be done with a group is a "field trip" in which the group learns to navigate their community using public transportation. A group that may benefit from this is those in a group home for individuals with moderate intellectual disabilities. With one therapist or other professional per three or so clients, the group can practice the skills necessary to take public transportation, such as a bus system or the subway.
     An OT intervention for driving and community mobility that may be done with an individual client is simulated driving to improve the client's physical abilities related to driving. One area to address is the ability to turn their neck to either side in order to check their mirrors and to the side when changing lanes. Another area that should be addressed is active range of motion of the upper extremities. The client must be able to turn the steering wheel, move any levers for blinkers or windshield wipers, and reach the gear shift.
     No matter where an individual is in the lifespan, driving is a very important indicator of freedom. This is true for the teenager just learning to drive, as well as the aging adult whose cognition may be declining. Because of this, all OTs should have a basic understanding of interventions to address driving and community mobility.

Nutrition and Aging Reflection

     The guest speaker on Nutrition for our Older Adults class was very informative. I learned a lot about how important it is to make sure individuals in the hospital are getting enough calories for them to heal properly and that it is quite common for patients to be malnourished. We also learned that if we work at a hospital, we should get to know the registered dietitian on our floor so we are able to work with them to ensure our clients are getting the nutrition they need.
     One intervention that occupational therapists can do with an individual in regards to nutrition is to educate the client on how to check nutrition facts while grocery shopping. You could start by bringing in food boxes to the clinic or client's home to first go over what is on nutrition facts and how to make sense of it. After the client understands the nutrition facts, the OT and client could go to a grocery store and assess their ability to grocery shop independently while also checking the nutrition facts.
     A group intervention that could be done by an occupational therapist that relates to nutrition is a support group for individuals with type two diabetes and how to manage nutrition for these individuals. During the group the OT and group members can discuss proper nutrition for diabetics. The OT may also want to have a registered dietician present for the meeting, but allow the group members to have plenty of discussion amongst themselves.
     While it is not commonly thought of as an area that is within the scope of practice for occupational therapists, nutrition is within our scope of practice to an extent. Making sure you know a registered dietitian in your area can be helpful for both you and your clients. This will give you a resource to gain more knowledge as well as someone you can refer clients to for nutritional needs.

Glyph Reflection

Early in our OT school career, we were asked to make a "glyph" of ourselves based on our views of leadership, and we just recently made another of the same glyph to determine if our view of leadership has changed while being in school. Some examples of the meanings of the shapes were pointy eyebrows if you see yourself as a behind-the-scenes leader vs. curved eyebrows if you see yourself as an out-in-front leader and round ears if you think technology is often an important part of leadership vs. pointy ears if you do not. 

As you can see, both of my pictures are pretty similar. The two things that changed were the addition of glasses and an accessory to my more recent glyph. The meaning of the glasses is that I now think I have had more leadership positions than others my age, while I did not believe so at the beginning of OT school. Over the past year and a half I have taken on quite a few new leadership positions, both in school and outside of school. One in-school position I have taken on is a family liaison for Go Baby Go, a program where physical and occupational therapy students and engineering students modify toy electric cars for children who may not typically be able to use them. This position has helped me grow my communication skills tremendously, both between the parents of the children and other students and professors.

Having an accessory in the drawing shows that I see myself as a leader. I have definitely pushed myself to be more involved in OT school and I am so glad that I have! I know that these opportunities are helping me become a better person and future occupational therapist; I am so grateful for being in a program that gives students so many areas to be involved with the school and community.

LI FWC Debriefing

Neuro Note: Brain on Fire

     The book Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan is a memoir about and by Calahan, a journalist for the New York Post in her mid-twenties. Typically an intelligent, outgoing, and friendly woman, she starts experiencing strange symptoms that first seem like the flu but then become more psychiatric in nature and much more concerning, such as hallucinations, seizures, and behavioral outbursts that were very unlike her normal self. After visiting several different doctors and a month-long stay at the hospital, Susannah is finally diagnosed with anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis, a rare and likely under-diagnosed autoimmune disease. The disease has a roughly 75% chance of normal recovery or mild side-effects, and a 25% chance of severe side-effects or death, even if it is caught early and treated. Luckily, Susannah makes a full recovery and is later able to return to her life as a journalist and continue in her relationships, both with her boyfriend and other friends and family.

     I chose Brain on Fire because it was a book I had read my freshman year of college for an introduction to psychology class. (Funnily enough, it was for extra credit in that class, as is this neuro note that I'm writing. I've always been a sucker for extra credit points.) I enjoyed the book back then, and when I saw it on the list of resources, I thought it would be interesting to reread it now- five years later, with a bachelor's degree and a semester of occupation therapy school under my belt. I now have a much deeper understanding of many of the neurological terms used in the book and I have a greater appreciation for the book and the doctors mentioned in it.

     While Susannah did not see an occupational therapist, there were a few places I could see her benefitting from occupational therapy. As she is recovering from the disease, a months- and years-long process, Susannah is very nervous to return to living by herself after living with her parents during this time, but she is also desperate for the freedom that it will allow her. I think seeing an OT would have helped her re-learn her usual occupations and also increase her confidence about living by herself.

     Something that I took away from this book is that it can be incredibly helpful to get a second opinion as practitioners when we are working with a client who is outside our area of expertise. Susannah saw several different doctors and got several incorrect diagnoses until her neurologist at the hospital sought the help of someone who had experience in cases like Susannah's. This doctor was finally able to correctly diagnose Susannah and get her the treatment needed to start on the road to recovery. While we as OTs will not be diagnosing people, we can learn from this and refer clients to other therapists or get ideas from them to best help our clients when we may not know exactly what to do. I am so glad that I chose to reread this book, and I highly recommend others to read it as well.

Cahalan, S. (2012). Brain on fire: My month of madness. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster
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