Forewarning: I write this not to discourage anyone from pursuing OT but to share my personal experience. I also do not write this to offend anyone. The opinions expressed are solely of those who have spoken them and I am not responsible for the way they feel.
Today in one word: heartbreaking. My first mentor in OT has completely let me down. I started working with this place thinking I was going to be introduced to the wonderful world of OT and I would live happily ever after. Well, not exactly but either way I wasn’t expecting what I got.
In my two weeks of working there I haven’t learned much regarding the field of OT. What I have learned (again) is how to fold laundry, make copies, file, disinfect, clean, walk back and forth between client and front desk several times, and let’s not forget the art of sitting so far removed from the “action” that I couldn’t tell you what was going on. Besides my first day, the experience has been pretty questionable. I figured it was a small price to pay for learning though and didn’t think too much about it… until today.
The last client of the day was a doctor and thus begins the conversation regarding the new health bill. Both OT and MD agree that they work so hard for their money, take good care of themselves, and don’t want to pay for the “undesirables” of society who bring bad health on themselves. Who are the undesirables you ask? Well, apparently anyone who is obese, has multiple children and on welfare, and anyone in general who receives any government aid. Then, the OT turns to be and asks, “What’s your excuse for being overweight?”
….
Oh, it gets better.
I begin to explain to her how my entire family is overweight, not morbidly obese mind you, but not super model skinny either. I consider myself to be chunky weighing in at 180 pounds but not obese. My Mom’s parents died when she was just sixteen and they were never taught how to properly be healthy. I tell her that my family has never stressed taking care of themselves and how since being married I have lost 15 pounds. However, this brings her into a tirade against my family; how they are “ignorant, repulsive, worthless individuals that she shouldn’t have to take care of. She works everyday so hard, makes good food choices, and works out 6 times a week”. If anyone else is close to your family, you know how much it hurts to hear someone criticize your family. Albeit, they make not have made the best of choices and only exercise three times a week, does that make them bad people who don’t deserve healthcare as well? I honestly do not know how I feel about the health care reform because I just haven’t read up enough on it yet to make an educated decision. I do however know what it’s like to grow up without health insurance. To not be able to afford it and have to let many illnesses run their course. To get so sick waiting it out you end up in much more pain. To not be able to afford new glasses so you have to tape and glue and hold your old glasses together. My parents both have jobs and they are manual labor jobs. They work just as hard, if not harder, than someone else. They were not fortunate enough to even graduate high school but I am so thankful everyday for them. They have changed my sister and I’s futures and enabled us to have a chance at a “good life”. They have done the best they can with what they knew and I think they should be applauded, not judged or harshly criticized. Yes, I do think there are people who abuse the system but not everyone (my family doesn’t even receive welfare).
Anyway, after pulling myself in the bathroom I decided I am going to try even more to get into a hospital setting. I don’t think anyone deserves to be made to feel less than they are. I know all OT’s don’t feel the same and I am going to make sure I am not someone that makes any judgments about my patients. I’m off my soapbox for today. 
I just really wanted to get it off my chest. As for me, I’m just going to pick my feet up and keep on volunteering (hopefully elsewhere SOON!!).
That’s it for now. I will be back writing soon. Please bear with me, it’s the end of the semester so school is crazy and to top it off I partially tore my ACL (that’s a ligament in my knee). Hope the month of April is treating everyone well! Remember, it’s OT awareness month so go out there and spread the news about occupational therapy! 
You can never be too safe right?
Ha ha. My school doesn’t even offer a cadaver lab and the A&P is online. I don’t even think most schools accept that. The irony of all this is I don’t even go to a small private university. I go to a very large, popular, public university but yet they never seem to offer anything useful to me. It makes me wish I had known what profession I wanted to go into so I could have been better prepared. Does or has anyone else ever felt this way? Like you are trying to get into the game when it’s already in the 7th inning? It’s an awful feeling. I also know plenty of people who work their butt off for their dreams. That will be me and I hope you too. I figure if I don’t get in somewhere I will take a year or semester, take some classes, do more volunteering, and try again. I once had this professor who ended up with 3 bachelor’s, 2 master’s, and was currently working on her doctorate because she had just found out what she wanted to do. That’s dedication.
