Perseverance is Key

Often in our profession, it seems that we are the ones motivating our clients, encouraging them to never give up, despite the insurmountable circumstances. We are there to see them through the many ups and downs they face during the treatment process. We even help their families cope with a new diagnosis or injury their loved one is facing. But my question is, how do we as future OTs become motivated?

It is no secret that getting into occupational therapy school is a large feat in itself. We as students had to compete against hundreds of others who are as equally as qualified, motivated, and skilled, yet we are the ones who made it. Why is that?

The answer to both of these questions is perseverance. The process of applying to occupational therapy school involved jumping through a lot of hoops, getting observation hours, references from mentors and professors, and writing a really killer admissions essay. But even after all of that hard work, so many people still get rejected; people like me.

I was not admitted into UTHSC's OT program the first time I applied. I was discouraged and upset, but I did NOT give up. I persevered, took the GRE 2 more times, got an internship and full-time job experience under my belt, and I was ready to apply again. I had confidence in the skills and knowledge that I had learned from the first time I applied to the second. I felt I was much more competent and deserving of being accepted into the program for which I had worked so hard to be in.

Because we as OT students persevered and encountered many obstacles just getting into school, I feel that we are able to help our clients succeed and reach their goals, because we know what it is like to want something so badly, yet it being just out of reach. We can be the driving force that helps keep them going, and we will always be reminded why we are all here in the first place - because we want to help people.