A Love Note to the Class of 2018

Photocredit: University of Utah Division of Occupational Therapy

I’ve thought a lot over the past few weeks about what I wanted to write about once finals finished. This semester has come with so many discoveries about OT, myself, and how I interact with the world around me. Starting school this past fall, I didn’t want to build false hopes about what it would or would not be. I had my expectations of the academic standards, but as far as the social implications of school, I didn’t know what to expect. Building the relationships I have within my cohort has been my favorite part of school. I love these people. I would not have guessed that the first few months of school would have made us as close are we are. I depend on them for so much. My class helps motivate me when morale is low, they give me words of encouragement when something doesn’t go according to plan, and they have all become such important friends to me. Future OTs, this is one of the many reasons OT school seriously rocks.

I have a lot of favorite moments from the semester, many have been shared over a cadaver table, during class discussions, or taking a much needed Starbucks run. These people understand me, and we all get along so well. Everyone has a different background, and I love learning from their experiences. I am having a really challenging time articulating exactly how much I value these people. They are so incredible, smart, and talented. It’s humbling to be sharing the same space.

I am keeping this blog post short, because I am truly speechless. I cannot express the love and feeling of gratitude fully. School has been my largest blessing and biggest challenge. I am obsessed with what I do. It is my passion in life, and my truest love. I guess, the best way for me to wrap up this post is to simply say thank you.

So many people have helped me throughout the year; whether is was preparatory work for school, being my study-buddy, or advice that was given from the classes ahead, I am very very luck.

Thankyouthankyouthankyou

- L

Dissection lab: What to Expect When You're Not Expecting It

Let’s talk cadavers. I know, it’s not the sexiest topic, but it has become incredibly important in my education. The U of U is one of the few OT programs that has a dissection lab where the student performs the dissection. While it’s not the most glamorous experience, getting an up close look with the actual anatomy solidifies a lot of the material you learn in class. Being in lab has been an incredibly profound experience. It’s humbling to know that your cadaver was a person who selflessly donated their body for our education. This person has invested in me in the most personal way. This is the point where I have to say “thank you” to my person. Thank you to their family to honor their wishes. Thank you for the opportunity to learn, and I promise to honor their decision in my future practice. 

Now, here are some things to know when working with cadavers.

1. It’s not for the faint of heart. The human body, as incredible as it is, can be pretty gross. It’s messy, and smelly, and can be very frustrating. There are some things you wouldn’t have guessed you would do in your life; like dislocating a femur to identify ligamentous attachments, inflating lungs to see what inspiration looks like, and irrigating the heart. There have been many expressions of excitement, and horror. It’s beautiful, and scary, and you’ll never be the same after.

2. Accept the unknown. Everybody is different, and every body is different. During dissection, nothing is ever exactly by the book. It takes an interesting combination of creative play and critical thinking to do a good dissection. I have learned this semester that my hand coordination is awkward (thanks for the insight, Beth). Fortunately, I am okay with not being an expert dissector. I take comfort that skills in cadaver dissection is not a day-to-day skill that I will rely on as an OT. Also, I lucked out and am in a group of students who do killer dissections. I get to learn from their craft, they are the people who make me successful.

3. A little bit of hysteria is okay. I’m not going to fully disclose what we do in dissection. This is for the people who don’t care to know the details. And for any future OT students, I don’t want to ruin the fun of you discovering this for yourself. I think dissection lab has a way of making a class uniformly telepathic. There were some days in lab when after reading the lab manual we all shared the same thought, “they want us to do what??”. You gain the skill of reading your lab partners' minds. I think lab is the ultimate team builder. It breaks down every social barrier that exists. You learn to work together to get the task done, and you figure out each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It feels like a micro-family. You’ll laugh together, you’ll secretly all dread dissection some days, and you will find enchantment while you’re in the thick of it.

We finished our last dissection lab yesterday. I have the final to prep for, but one chapter in my graduate school experience has closed. One thing has been crossed off the very, very, very long list. It’s exciting and a little nostalgic. I have a lot of ahead of me, but I have a feeling that it’s going to go by too quickly.   

Now, I need to go study. Peace.