I grew up wanting to do something in the medical field and was on a pre-med track going into college and then was considering all the different options/fields out there. I thought about [physical therapy] just because of my own experience with it during my basketball career but ultimately wanted to do something that treats patients holistically and I found OT.

My little brother saw an OT for sensory challenges as a little kid, and I remember going to those with him and was very intrigued by the sensory gym and saw how much positive impact it made on him. And later, once I decided on OT, my grandmother always would tell me how great the OTs were that worked with her while she was in the hospital, not only working with her on functional mobility after her bone marrow transplant, but also with the mental health aspect of it all as well.

I would tell them to spend some time really understanding and learning what OT looks like in practice across different settings and honestly create an elevator pitch on what OT is because it is shocking how many people we work with do not know. I would say try to observe as many settings as you can, ask questions (no question is a bad question), and talk with other OTs about their experience and what their day-to-day looks like. Lastly, just stay open-minded. Many of my classmates (just like me) entered OT school with one setting in mind and discovered new passions along the way or other settings that interested us, so trust the process and grow with it. Most importantly, know that you will not know everything even after OT school, and that it is okay to learn from your colleagues and that you will learn to be a better clinician with experience and time. :)