Best way to spend my summer for OT?

[undergradx]

Hi, I'm a sophomore planning to go into OT and am trying to plan out my summer. I can basically do psych research, volunteer/shadow, or do an internship. Although, so far I haven't found any OT related internships for undergrad students. Currently, I volunteer at an ER once a week. I've had a lot of people tell me I should really have research experience, since I have none now, but I'm not sure it'd help for OT. 😕

On another note, I'd like to graduate early as well (in 3 years, with a BS in psych) and take a gap year to volunteer, research, work, etc. Would this hurt my chances for grad school at all? I would apply at the start of what would have been my senior year, after I graduate.

Thanks in advance for your help! Any advice is appreciated 🙂

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[kgirl0042]

I would start working on your volunteer/shadowing hours. I looked around for undergrad OT internships as well, and never really found any. As far as research goes, I worked as a lab assistant for 2 years during undergrad, and I'm hoping it will help me out, but since this is my first time applying to OT programs, I can't really judge how valuable research experience is. But I did my lab work during the school year, so if that sounds like a feasible option for your schedule, you could just dedicate your summer to volunteering and start your research in the fall.

 

[jewel11786]

Taking a gap year is always good. I did Americorps for 2 years after graduating with my undergrad and it was an amazing experience. During this time you should start preparing for applying to grad school by researching different programs and their requirements and also taking any pre-req courses you need and preparing for the GRE if you plan on taking it. You can get shadowing/observation hours by volunteering at a nursing home, hospital, or rehab department, but be sure to speak with the volunteer coordinator about your goals in observing OT. I found it difficult to volunteer at a private practice or outpatient setting, as they are very small and usually very busy. The larger hospitals and institutions usually have regular volunteers and are able to handle volunteer requests. You can also try volunteering with local non-profits that serve people with disabilities or look into working with summer camps for people with disabilities, they usually employ OTs.