Occupational therapy is the mechanism of helping others perform skills they want, need or are obligated to be able to do. They aren’t like physical therapists, speech therapists, or nurses, they are occupational therapists; they help to fulfill the basic human needs for survival. The scope of their practice revolves around a holistic approach, or seeing a patient as a whole and how it could potentially impact the independence or capability to achieve activities of daily living.
This past labor day weekend, Bre Aker, Julia Speir and Linzy and Lacy Granger from the Western New Mexico University Occupational Therapy Assistant program attended the annual 2016 NMOTA conference that was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At the gathering, many occupational therapists from throughout the state gathered to share new ideas and listen to many diverse approaches about studies or new research to not only expand our therapeutic knowledge but also, learn new ways to help different types of patients be successful.
Each WNMU OTA student dispersed into different talks throughout the two days, collecting information and taking notes so that each one could share new perspectives and what they learned to one another. Overall, it proved to be a great experience and really opened a door of opportunity toward learning what it takes to become an occupational therapist not only in the state of New Mexico, but also the requirements throughout the nation.
A member of the second year OTA team, Linzy Granger stated, “The conference made me want to continue to pursue my degree and my education to better help individuals complete tasks they want and need to accomplish. I believe I can create a connection with clients and make them feel comfortable while they are engaged in therapy. I want to help individuals through the process to achieve their goals.”
Occupational therapy is a good profession to get into. It’s not only a demanding field but also very rewarding, due to its ability to directly impact the functional abilities and independence of people within your community. If you or someone you know is interested in applying for the OTA program here at WNMU please contact any OTA student or program director, Connie Rooks at Connie.Rooks@wnmu.edu.
