Potential OT Settings For Me

   Whenever I am asked what my dream job is in OT and ultimately where I want to end up after I graduate, I really do not have an answer. I have always been passionate about OT and the variety of services that can be provided, but not sure where I want to end up. However, a couple of settings really have sparked my interest throughout shadowing and our first month of school. First is acute care in the hospital setting. This is where I completed the majority of my shadowing hours and at first hated thought that I would never want to end up there. But after the initial shock that the hospital and acute care can give you, I really enjoyed my days working there. I liked the aspect of teamwork that is used in acute care between OT, PT, Speech, doctors and other professionals in the hospital. You get the opportunity to work with others and share ideas and techniques which is a great way to build your skills and increase your knowledge. No two days in acute care will ever be the same. Meaning, you will constantly be seeing new cases and new diagnosis's and will never get in a set routine of clients and treatments.
   Another setting that has recently caught my attention during this first month at UTHSC is working in the school system. I have never been familiar with the work of OT's in school until just recently and I feel like to is something that I would really enjoy. I believe it would be such a fulfilling setting being able to impact children at a young age and make a difference in their lives. This setting would also allow me to work with a wide variety of kids with multiple levels of needs. Working in the school system would also allow you to spread the word about OT to the parents, teachers and other members of the school system that may not be aware of our profession. Overall, I am enjoying learning more in depth about each role that an OT can have in a variety of different and am excited to see where my passion ends up being!