Hi guys!!! I'm a first year in the MOT program. Congrats to those of you who have received acceptance into the LLU MOT program for the class of 2022 (That's right, it's a 3-year masters program)! If you're on the waitlist, that's still a major accomplishment because hundreds of people applied and you were still noticed and considered.
Loma Linda University is so unique in that it focuses on whole person care: physically, spiritually, mentally, intellectually. That's why our motto is "To make man whole" and to continue Jesus' teachings! I've been in the program for 7 months now and it's been challenging, yet so rewarding and I feel so supported by the OT department faculty and my classmates. We have 53 people in our cohort, and I'm assuming they will end up accepting around the same amount for this year.
Your first class will be Human Gross Anatomy starting this June! It's a 7-week intensive course of human anatomy. You will truly "live, eat, and breathe" anatomy, so please don't start studying now because 1: you will burn out before you've even started, and 2: it's counterintuitive because the instructors provide very specific and detailed notes on what you will learn each week (the whole week's notes are posted online ahead of time, and sometimes they are pre-colored if you want to pay to print in color)
Here's what I recommend for surviving AND thriving in anatomy:
-Live on campus if you can. If you really don't want to live in on-campus housing, you can move after the summer quarter. I can't even begin to tell you how helpful it has been living on campus (I always have a parking spot, I could come back to my room for lunch, to nap, or if I just felt overwhelmed...also I woke up for lab late once and from the moment I woke up to the moment I was in the lab was 5 minutes)
-Meal prep every Sunday before classes (wish I would have done that)
-Print out your notes for just that week every Sunday (keeps you prepared for the week without being too overwhelmed for the following weeks)
-1 3-4 inch binder (after anatomy I had over 250 pages of notes in the binder)
-Multiple pairs of scrubs (I can't even begin to describe how gross I felt after being in the lab around cadavers for hours every day), there's really no time for laundry during the week, I did laundry on weekends
-1 thigh-length labcoat (this lab coat gets dirty quick, so I stopped trying to keep it perfectly clean. Also, don't bother getting it embroidered like many of my classmates did because it got so stained during anatomy and we haven't used the lab coat since anatomy)
-2 boxes of gloves (i went through multiple pairs a day)
-designated pens/pencils to keep in your lab coat that you won't mind getting cadaver on (sounds crass but it's true)
-wet wipes (to clean your tweezers, binder, clipboard, and/or notes after every lab)
-Twistable colored pencils (I was smart and read this thread before anatomy and a first year recommended that- it REALLY helped because I was able to keep up with the coloring and not have to worry about breaking the colored pencils, sharpening them, or them shortening)
-DO NOT PULL ALL NIGHTERS OR EVEN CLOSE TO ALL NIGHTERS I promise you it will only hurt you. I normally go to bed 12 am even during this program and I found myself passing out around 10 or 10:30 pm. Every day is exhausting, we were in lecture/lab 8am-5pm Mon-Thurs usually and then I went back to my dorm on campus, ate/relaxed for an hour, and went to the library for 4 hours Monday-Thursday. That alone puts so much stress on your body you NEED to go to sleep at a decent hour.
-Pro tip: our on-campus library does have individual study rooms for people like me that cannot study around other people because 1. it's overwhelming and 2. I didn't know what I was talking about yet. Many people don't know about these individual study rooms but they're there and I made good use of them! You can rent for up to two hours at a time at the front desk. You give them your ID badge and they give you a key to an assigned private study room upstairs and every 2 hours you can renew it if you want.
-Do NOT just rote memorize, I promise you that information will leave your brain just as quickly as you learned it. Really try to nail down the concepts, visually seeing the structures (on cadaver in lab, in pictures, on yourself, on your lab partners), and then you can learn the specific details, such as "brachialis inserts on the ulnar tuberosity and coronoid process of the ulna" Otherwise, it's just a jumble of anatomical jargon that will not benefit you in the long-term and might even hurt you for the weekly exams
-Find out how you study best. Not everyone studies the same, learns the same, or retains information at the same rate, and you know what? IT'S OKAY. Don't get down on yourself, you are obviously intelligent and worthy because 1. God created you, and 2. The OT department accepted you into graduate school. I know for me, I needed alone time to sit down and really process the information. Then every day you get to see your TA for that week, so ask them questions!! That's what they're there for. Clarify information and ask the TA to quiz you when you feel confident (that's how I ended up getting a lot of 1:1 or 2:1 time with them, which is really hard to get) Afterwards, I would make a quizlet and study with my lab group member. I know other people liked to study in groups and that's awesome if that works for you! There's also open lab time after lecture on Wednesday nights.
-Exams are every Friday (lab exam and lecture exam) so you have Monday-Thursday to learn the information every week before the exams
-Don't work during this time!!! If you absolutely have to, only work on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (you finish your exams around 12 pm on Fridays and are free until lecture Monday mornings), I applied for and received an on-campus job after summer anatomy ended and I'm so thankful for that timing
-Take a break on the weekends! This is crucial for your mental, physical, and spiritual health. If you want to get ahead and start reviewing for the next week's material, that's awesome, but make sure to take one full 24 hour day off to relax. I guarantee that WILL benefit you in many ways
-Now the burning question: you need an 81% (B-) overall to pass this course and continue on in the program. If you find yourself struggling DO NOT withdraw and go silent. You worked so hard to get here. Do not lose this opportunity out of struggling and fear. If you're struggling YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Talk to your TAs, your lab group members, and the professors. The pride isn't worth losing out on this amazing opportunity.
Each week of anatomy you stick with your small lab group (usually 4-5 people) and rotate among the TAs so you can learn from different bodies and every TA has helpful tips and different teaching styles.
Phew! That was a lot. I'm not going to sugar coat it, this course is so dang tedious, but it is fascinating and rewarding how much you learn about this amazing body God created. You CAN do this, I believe in you all. God has led you here and he WILL NOT abandon you. Much love to you all and welcome home to Loma Linda University Masters of Occupational Therapy program!
This emoji is not even accurate bc more like ugly crying in shock.
Don't give up trying though! You can always apply again next year!