Goodness of Fit

As I'm reading up on Sensory Integration (SI) theory and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), I come across the term "Goodness of Fit" which is a concept that I can really relate to.

But wait.
Hold up!
Why am I reading about SI and SPD, when I'm at a placement focused on orthopedics?? Ok. Let's back up a bit.

Same Material means Less Friction

A lesson in physics and cultural competency.

A middle aged female patient comes in with carpal tunnel syndrome, and the OT decides to treat here with a static wrist splint. I'm watching from the side, because at the time, I was practicing how to mold my own paddle splint (which was and is still going terribly...). When it came time to start making her cast, the patient says that she won't be able to take off her jade bangle. She had put it on in her younger days and after two pregnancies, her wrist had grown and now the bangle no longer comes off. She tells the OT that she's fine with going home to have her husband brake the bracelet off with a hammer, but the concern was that it would be done in an unsafe manner, potentially causing further harm to the patient's wrist. My preceptor is called in to help take it off.

Who am I out of context? Part 1

Inspired by 5 second rule's post "Who are you out of context?", where she asks the thoughtful question:

When you travel, do you think you become more or less who you truly are? 

Congee vs. Soup vs. Water

A lesson in burns and cultural competency.

As my preceptor was teaching me about burns management, he asks me the question of whether having hot water splashed on you or hot soup would hurt more. And I responded...

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.