Going international for Level III placement

Why an international placement? I've been asked this question many times, both in Canada and Hong Kong (HK), by family, friends and colleagues. This moment right now is a good chance to remind myself of why I chose to be on the other side of the world for my final placement. Especially since I will be writing my placement goals soon!

Why go international?

• To be fully immersed in the Chinese culture, as more than just a tourist.
• As a CBC (Chinese born Canadian), I've only identify with my Chinese culture through my parents. This is a chance for me to really experience Chinese culture and better develop a sense of what "Being Chinese" means to me.
• To see and learn about how OTs work on the other side of the world.
• To learn about the healthcare system and Hong Kong.
• To continue to gain self-awareness about what kind of OT I want to be.
• To develop my skills in cultural competency.

Stop being the Therapy Student, and think like a Student Therapist

Wisdom from my preceptor during my midterm evaluation! (This blog post is about 3 weeks late...)

My preceptor has a way with words and this phrase is just so fitting to where I am in my professional career. The reality of being in my second last fieldwork placement and with only one school term left could not have been put in more concise terms!  But until my preceptor spoke those words, I was still very much thinking of myself as "just" a student studying occupational therapy.

Saying Less, More Often and Ask, Don't Tell

Although my placement population is considered "pediatrics" on paper, the reality is that I work with families and not just the individual child. You can teach, coach, and make all the recommendations you want with preschoolers, but chances are, the three year old has minimal understanding of what you tell them. The reality is: your recommendations aren't high on their priority list (which probably consists of: Play, play, eat, play, play, sleep). Who can blame them? So for all those who want to work with kids, keep in mind that you'll really be working with the parents and their family as much as you get to interact with the kiddies. =)

This reality hasn't deterred me from pursuing OT work with kids. It's only made me realize the skills that I need to work on in order to work more effectively with these families to really provide family-centered care.

Do I call myself a "Runner"?

Until recently, I've been hesitant to call myself a "runner". Just like I wouldn't call myself an "athlete", because I feel as though these labels require qualifications such as speed and strength. But since my first 10K, it's become apparent to me that maybe I am one of them, a "runner".

An Intervention that doesn't "work out" is an Assessment

I thought I'd start noting some tidbits of wisdom and thoughts from my placement experience. I had the intention of doing this during my last placement, but I never found the time to follow through with it. So I'm buckling down to write some of this tidbits down from this placement.

"An intervention that doesn't work out is an assessment": something wise that my current placement preceptor told me during the first two weeks of placement. I think it applies to any clinical setting and population that OTs work with, but especially applicable to children and their families. If we can see "failed" interventions as an assessment, then we will putting ourselves in a mindset that is ready to learn from our clients! Better yet, we should carry this experimental mindset with each intervention plan. If we put aside our own agendas and idealized results, there will be more possibilities available for our clients.

My First 10 K!

This morning, I ran my first 10K today with Queen's Engineers Without Borders (EWB) as part of their Run to End Poverty (R2EP) campaign.

I heard about this EWB's R2EP in September at the Orientation week sidewalk sale this year. This run came at a good time because I was looking for my next run. I had started to run as a hobby in the spring, and ran my first 5 and 8Ks this past spring and summer. Running helps me start the day off right, gives me the time and energy to think about how to tackle life's ups and downs, and destress after a long day. When I learned about EWB doing this R2EP, I thought: Why not run for a cause? Why not run to Help Others?

Same Thoughts, Four Years Later

I recently had a deja vu moment. Not just a simple flashback... perhaps more of a revelation that brought to light a particular pattern of thinking that I thought deserved some self-reflection. Here's my story: