Hi! If anyone has the time could you look over my personal statement and let me know your opinion on it? thank you 
Our entire life is made up of impressionable moments, and at my early age I have only experienced a few. One I can identify is the impression that occupational therapy had on me in my first exercise science class in college, Foundations of Exercise Science. I had an instant passion for the subject. The mixture of creativity and knowledge that is required is a combination of skills I found to be unparalleled to other occupations and interested me deeply. The following summer, I was given the opportunity to get a glimpse of what life would be like as an occupational therapist at a pediatric outpatient therapy center while employed as a therapy aide. When I was able to observe a treatment or intervention, it furthered my interest and confirmed that I was pursuing the occupation of my future. In addition to this, I work as a therapy aide at Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Hospital, where I am able to witness patient’s process of admission through discharge. I am very grateful to have worked with these patients because they were a constant reminder as to why I want to serve people through occupational therapy. To see a patient’s smile when they received news that they were well enough to be discharged or when they knew they had completed one of their goals, was also a reminder as to why I want to be an occupational therapist. Whether I am playing darts with brain injury patients to improve their balance, being an attentive listener to patients who maybe struggled with one of their sessions, or dressing up in a costume to help a child overcome their fear of mascots I truly enjoyed each and every shift at both of my therapy aide positions. The glimpses of sessions at either of my therapy aide jobs, regardless of what is happening in the outside world, would capture my attention and lift my spirits. Knowing that the treatments these patients are receiving will have a positive impact on their future and ultimately may be considered by them, an impressionable moment. All the hard work put in during interventions or treatments will ultimately lead them successfully to their goals and I want to be part of that process to facilitate effective rehabilitation so the patient may gain the skills they need to live independently.
Inventing new ways to enhance the lives of others through occupational therapy is a significant goal of mine that I will strive for throughout my career. With that being said, my short-term professional goal is to become an occupational therapist in any setting which maintains my passion after I graduate. I have shadowed primarily in pediatrics and in a hospital setting, but I am extremely eager and excited to learn about other areas where occupational therapy is utilized. This education would help me to explore the various areas of study I could pursue to reach my long- term goal to become an established and reliable occupational therapist and utilize the knowledge and experience I would gain from this education. It is my hope to conduct research in the hopes of developing creative and new interventions to improve the quality of life for others.
Throughout my work experiences, I have garnered traits such as communication, patience, compassion, and several others that I believe will assist me in my goal of becoming a proficient occupational therapist. Communication is one of the most critical qualities that I have gained throughout my professional development. During my time as a therapy aide at Cleveland Clinic, it was imperative that all the therapy aides communicated at all times in order for several important tasks to be completed efficiently and on time. We are responsible for a variety of important tasks throughout the hospital, so it is important that all therapy aides be on the same page about who is completing what task. Clear and concise communication is required in order to maintain organization in the hospital. My interpersonal skills were first cultivated during my time as a server at a local restaurant where I learned how to interact and empathize people of all ages. This job would set the foundation to allow me to become a very proficient therapy aide because I was already accustomed to speaking to many people all day. My interpersonal skills constantly help me provide quality patient experiences. These skills will assist me in the OT field as effective communication, both speaking and listening, with patients, family members, coworkers, insurance companies and any other will improve the chances of a successful outcome for the patient. I also accredit my time in the hospitality world for cultivating another critical skill, patience. No matter how frustrated or upset a customer was, I always kept my composure and communicated respectfully to their concerns. This ability immensely helped me during my time at Cleveland Clinic. I see patients get frustrated with therapy sessions and they would express that to me. As a result, I quickly learned how to pause and listen carefully to what the patient is saying and respond calmly in a productive manner to ease the patient’s worries. I learned that usually when a patient may seem surly or rude, it is not coming from a place of spite, but rather they are scared or frustrated with their prognosis, pain, or situation in general. Overall, occupational therapists not only care for the physical body, but also the psychological aspect as well. When I observed at both clinics, I noticed that the occupational therapists were not just therapists, but also coaches and cheerleaders to the patients. With being an occupational therapist also comes a responsibility to encourage and facilitate rehabilitation through encouragement and positivity with any issues a patient may face.
I have prepared myself academically at John Carroll University for the rigorous classes of OT. I am graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science, as well as graduating with a minor in Psychology. Both areas of study which greatly prepared me for the coursework and load that I will experience in an OT program. With exercise science, I gained an extensive amount of knowledge and understanding of the human body. With that, I also have a considerable understanding of the mind through my psychology courses. This minor will help me to better understand what a patient may be going through psychologically and will allow me to configure the most effective way to motivate a patient through mental and emotional strains. Furthering my studies in occupational therapy will be a great way to mesh the knowledge of both mind and body that I have gained throughout my four years at John Carroll. Furthermore, attending a liberal arts college has allowed me to develop creatively and empathetically through classes involving philosophy, religion and humanities. My education has molded me to be a well-rounded and successful student that is fully prepared to take on the educational challenge of OT school to pursue my goal of becoming a successful occupational therapist.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
Our entire life is made up of impressionable moments, and at my early age I have only experienced a few. One I can identify is the impression that occupational therapy had on me in my first exercise science class in college, Foundations of Exercise Science. I had an instant passion for the subject. The mixture of creativity and knowledge that is required is a combination of skills I found to be unparalleled to other occupations and interested me deeply. The following summer, I was given the opportunity to get a glimpse of what life would be like as an occupational therapist at a pediatric outpatient therapy center while employed as a therapy aide. When I was able to observe a treatment or intervention, it furthered my interest and confirmed that I was pursuing the occupation of my future. In addition to this, I work as a therapy aide at Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Hospital, where I am able to witness patient’s process of admission through discharge. I am very grateful to have worked with these patients because they were a constant reminder as to why I want to serve people through occupational therapy. To see a patient’s smile when they received news that they were well enough to be discharged or when they knew they had completed one of their goals, was also a reminder as to why I want to be an occupational therapist. Whether I am playing darts with brain injury patients to improve their balance, being an attentive listener to patients who maybe struggled with one of their sessions, or dressing up in a costume to help a child overcome their fear of mascots I truly enjoyed each and every shift at both of my therapy aide positions. The glimpses of sessions at either of my therapy aide jobs, regardless of what is happening in the outside world, would capture my attention and lift my spirits. Knowing that the treatments these patients are receiving will have a positive impact on their future and ultimately may be considered by them, an impressionable moment. All the hard work put in during interventions or treatments will ultimately lead them successfully to their goals and I want to be part of that process to facilitate effective rehabilitation so the patient may gain the skills they need to live independently.
Inventing new ways to enhance the lives of others through occupational therapy is a significant goal of mine that I will strive for throughout my career. With that being said, my short-term professional goal is to become an occupational therapist in any setting which maintains my passion after I graduate. I have shadowed primarily in pediatrics and in a hospital setting, but I am extremely eager and excited to learn about other areas where occupational therapy is utilized. This education would help me to explore the various areas of study I could pursue to reach my long- term goal to become an established and reliable occupational therapist and utilize the knowledge and experience I would gain from this education. It is my hope to conduct research in the hopes of developing creative and new interventions to improve the quality of life for others.
Throughout my work experiences, I have garnered traits such as communication, patience, compassion, and several others that I believe will assist me in my goal of becoming a proficient occupational therapist. Communication is one of the most critical qualities that I have gained throughout my professional development. During my time as a therapy aide at Cleveland Clinic, it was imperative that all the therapy aides communicated at all times in order for several important tasks to be completed efficiently and on time. We are responsible for a variety of important tasks throughout the hospital, so it is important that all therapy aides be on the same page about who is completing what task. Clear and concise communication is required in order to maintain organization in the hospital. My interpersonal skills were first cultivated during my time as a server at a local restaurant where I learned how to interact and empathize people of all ages. This job would set the foundation to allow me to become a very proficient therapy aide because I was already accustomed to speaking to many people all day. My interpersonal skills constantly help me provide quality patient experiences. These skills will assist me in the OT field as effective communication, both speaking and listening, with patients, family members, coworkers, insurance companies and any other will improve the chances of a successful outcome for the patient. I also accredit my time in the hospitality world for cultivating another critical skill, patience. No matter how frustrated or upset a customer was, I always kept my composure and communicated respectfully to their concerns. This ability immensely helped me during my time at Cleveland Clinic. I see patients get frustrated with therapy sessions and they would express that to me. As a result, I quickly learned how to pause and listen carefully to what the patient is saying and respond calmly in a productive manner to ease the patient’s worries. I learned that usually when a patient may seem surly or rude, it is not coming from a place of spite, but rather they are scared or frustrated with their prognosis, pain, or situation in general. Overall, occupational therapists not only care for the physical body, but also the psychological aspect as well. When I observed at both clinics, I noticed that the occupational therapists were not just therapists, but also coaches and cheerleaders to the patients. With being an occupational therapist also comes a responsibility to encourage and facilitate rehabilitation through encouragement and positivity with any issues a patient may face.
I have prepared myself academically at John Carroll University for the rigorous classes of OT. I am graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science, as well as graduating with a minor in Psychology. Both areas of study which greatly prepared me for the coursework and load that I will experience in an OT program. With exercise science, I gained an extensive amount of knowledge and understanding of the human body. With that, I also have a considerable understanding of the mind through my psychology courses. This minor will help me to better understand what a patient may be going through psychologically and will allow me to configure the most effective way to motivate a patient through mental and emotional strains. Furthering my studies in occupational therapy will be a great way to mesh the knowledge of both mind and body that I have gained throughout my four years at John Carroll. Furthermore, attending a liberal arts college has allowed me to develop creatively and empathetically through classes involving philosophy, religion and humanities. My education has molded me to be a well-rounded and successful student that is fully prepared to take on the educational challenge of OT school to pursue my goal of becoming a successful occupational therapist.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
