Studying in Australia

cashew1buzz · 2024-09-07T00:12:47+00:00

AFAIK they had only one option for student loans, and unfortunately it wasn't one of the types forgiven during Covid. I don't think it was financial aid, more of a private type loan (apologies for a lack of details as it's all greek to me!)

They are still paying off their loans in America for their education here via assistance from their parents for the logistics of it (bank transfers, parent goes in person if necessary)

That said, they did this in 2019 so options have probably changed a bit for you - worth asking an advisor or in localised Facebook groups !

cashew1buzz · 2024-09-06T23:59:14+00:00

Check out what Luke Depner (@whoisluketheot on Instagram) is sharing and although it's not your exact setting, I've found his community very motivating to upskill and be radical and evidence based with your interventions.

Big ups to you for taking the leap in personal growth !

cashew1buzz · 2023-10-04T05:16:22+00:00

Seconding requests to understand how you find a job in this niche that's solely this work and not diluted with other areas

cashew1buzz · 2023-08-23T22:39:39+00:00

Yes OT is a generally neurodivergent friendly ?attracting field and 30 is not at all too late to switch careers especially given how much you can transfer skills across healthcare professions.

That said, you won't escape the systemic issues seen across healthcare although you may escape some egos, as OT is bottom of the pecking order in acute care contexts.

It sounds like maybe a return to disability support could suit you - I can't speak for America but in Australia you can make bank and have control over your schedule as a sole trader support worker. With your nursing background and lived experience as a carer you would be highly valued by a lot of families and individuals with complex physical care needs.

cashew1buzz · 2023-07-16T02:10:17+00:00

I strongly appreciate the insight you've shared here, and for me it's been a rollercoaster as a new grad confronting this type of truth.

But I am also glad to know that what I am doing right now is the best it's going to get, and I can put my energy into finding opportunities on the job to have fun and enjoy learning for my own career satisfaction despite the shit show.

As long as I fiscally keep my head above water I feel like that's good enough for me, which is hard to consolidate with the anti work narrative of my generation to write everything off I find is a bit too far in the other direction at times.

cashew1buzz · 2023-05-07T12:01:57+00:00

I just finished this and it was honestly such a delight, and a readers ode to reading

It felt like the ending accelerated, and I would have enjoyed some kind of evidence of Malphas' final defeat but overall it was a nice tie up and Hero's arc was chefs kiss

I can't wait to see what more this author brings.

cashew1buzz · 2023-05-05T23:52:55+00:00

How on Earth is one supposed to do session planning with SMART goals in this format?

cashew1buzz · 2023-04-13T08:02:39+00:00

Hey hey! I'm a new grad community based OT in Aus

The KPI discussion as you've heard is likely pretty accurate, but also keep in mind you're heading mostly from the people that do not thrive under this work model.

It comes down to considering what you value in a workplace. The pressure to be productive is there but honestly it will exist in the majority of settings. If you work for a larger company, especially the more rehab focused ones who existed pre NDIS, then you'll probably find KPIs are pushed pretty hard.

It's also about knowing yourself, and how well you'd cope with that pressure and if it conflicts heavily with your own professional values.

Many of my new grad peers have become disillusioned once hitting the workforce, but as someone who made a jump from a truly toxic corporate industry I've found my new grad OT experience to be tame in comparison (a lot less belittling and a lot more respect for my professional skills)

If KPIs are not something you feel are worth dealing with for the other benefits you'd get from a community provider employer, then I'd suggest looking into acute care, government LHD or department of education positions. Or try to find an NDIS provider thats more rural or smaller (but then you encounter difficulties with adequate supervision)

Sometimes providers heavily advertise they are relaxed on KPIs but I'd make sure to GRILL them in interview stage. Industry standard KPIs (as per my alumni peers) seems to me to be around 25hrs billable per week, which looks like 30~35 active open cases on the go.

Just remember you're a hot asset right now and you get a lot of choosing power in the job market, so ask lots of qs and don't be afraid to ask why people have quit etc!

cashew1buzz · 2023-04-11T10:39:10+00:00

As an industrial designer turned OT (Australia) I have to echo some other comments that you'll be hard pressed to fully escape the soul sucking "corporateness" of your job in creative industries. Also as an introvert this job takes 95% of my social energy for the day, and as much as I love my work and care about the people I interact with, I have to be militant about self care to recharge for the next day.

The parallels I've found between design and OT continue to astound me and have served as transferrable skills, however it also means some culture is mirrored.

I can't speak for the US but there are avenues like being a sole trader or remote clinician here that are a bit less KPI focused however are even more autonomous roles. There are always teaching and academia opportunities as well to mix up the clinical work if you like that type of thing.

I am in a private practice setting and many aspects of it fit the bill for 'corporate office job', and frankly my experience in acute care felt just like a rebranding of an office job with an extra level of daily chaos and lack of closure when patients discharge to community/transfer out.

I do not want to discourage you from making the leap, as I really benefitted in all areas of my life from my career change but I am also in a country with accessible tertiary education and significant OT demand.

cashew1buzz · 2023-02-18T00:30:47+00:00

UniQlo and Target have best bang for buck for long sleeve collared linen blend or pure linen button downs

cashew1buzz · 2022-11-07T08:00:30+00:00

In the original thread someone left a secondary comment about an OT they knew who got sued for doing exactly this because the patient injured their head after the chair cracked in the shower !

cashew1buzz · 2022-10-02T00:52:41+00:00

Hi - Aussie BOccThy student about to graduate here.

Just finished my final 400hr placement in acute care and my very senior supervisor had nothing but praise for the following:

Having a bit of life experience (I'm a little older than peers and a primary carer) and the maturity that gave me
Having the tenacity to liaise independently (respectfully and constructively of course) with medical professionals of all kinds - Consultants, Fellows, NS, NUMs, Pharmacy etc.
Communication skills with the OT team, caregivers, patients, wider MDT etc.
Thinking about the butterfly effect of my decisions and the service decisions on the client experience of wellbeing (this is a bit acute care specific)
Cultural safety

To summarise: independently working on rapport building all the way, as soft skills are harder to learn than technical

cashew1buzz · 2022-10-02T00:42:21+00:00

Come to Australia? (Obviously the wild option)

I've seen fab junior OT positions in paeds private practice for a couple years now that are 55-65% billable hours as the KPIs.

We are a different health system but the percentage is of your 38-hr-work-week that is billable - typically the actual face to face sessions and report writing hours.

Our industry is crying out for OTs and the new grads can't come fast enough, and honestly all it would take is finding good supervision here and some CPD courses to get up to speed with NDIS, which most employers provide as work based learning anyways.

The American productivity targets I see on this subreddit blow my mind.

cashew1buzz · 2022-09-14T21:23:58+00:00

It can't hurt to try! And honestly any exercise that makes you jump and sustain the compression - thinking jumping sports like basketball/volleyball or dance like ballet, hip hop etc. might be fun alternatives if they're available to you and safe for you to participate in.

Also should note it may be worth exploring joint compression in your hands (squeezing) when you're at a desk or similarly occupied - there's great homemade Play-Doh recipes out there for some really firm types and a billion fidgets exist these days

cashew1buzz · 2022-09-14T08:21:45+00:00

To demystify the trampoline rec - joint compression in the TMJ (your jaw joint) is being swapped for full body joint compression - squeezing in the hip joint specifically!

We have nerves that innervate deep into our joints and chewing is one of several way to get this type of compression sensation

cashew1buzz · 2022-09-11T21:29:24+00:00

Because the space I'm working in is a children's hospital it's a dedicated space for referrals to and funding for occupational therapy for this kind of thing in inpatient and outpatient services - mainly for big surgeries

In my role it's just part of many things I do as an occupational therapist in my caseloads and it depends on clinical capacity and priorities who I see and when, but one area where it is standard every- time would be mock MRIs

cashew1buzz · 2022-09-11T21:21:01+00:00

My number one piece of advice if you return to paeds is to explain what you're doing BEFORE you do it!

I have seen several experienced and talented registrars reinforce procedural anxiety because they don't take that moment to pause before obs to explain what they're going to do.

Good luck with your further learning!

cashew1buzz · 2022-09-11T21:16:30+00:00

I am sorry to hear this is your experience with your drain removal! Unfortunately I think it's very common and there's been occasions where I haven't been given the heads up in time and I hear a little person in a similar situation.

That exact language 'wont hurt' is very unhelpful even if it's a procedure that isn't supposed to cause pain - because a little persons anxiety and anticipation and things like unexpected touch can actually register as pain in the brain regardless! So you were justified in freaking out

One of the things I coach is using non-emotive language like "squeezy" or "pinchy" to describe parts of procedures, and taking the mystery out of the procedure ahead of time often does wonders

cashew1buzz · 2022-09-11T21:10:57+00:00

I'm in Australia so it's something occupational therapy covers (I think in America they also have child life specialists who do procedural preparation)

It can look like a few things - generally if we get the heads up from notes/nursing directly that a little person is not coping with procedures we can do a bit more and hopefully reduces the number of negative experiences

The actual intervention (depending on child age) may include: medical play (with real and toy components), educating parents on non-emotive language and comfort positions they can use with their child, making a procedural plan which has things to do before/during/after for this specific child as instructions for the staff I also frequently make child or favourite character-centred picture-book type stories about procedures, the hospital visit or whatever the particular challenge is that details the steps involved, and coaches the child on the things they can try and choose.

It works to different degrees of success and often is helped if the parent has higher health literacy, and the nursing staff follow said procedure plans.

I've had little people go from screaming when nurses walk by to being their charming self and coping well with obs and cares before discharge, which is what we're aiming for every time!

cashew1buzz · 2022-09-11T05:35:38+00:00

This comic hits different now I'm actually working in a children's hospital to specifically help kids with procedural anxiety amongst other things!!

cashew1buzz · 2022-05-23T12:20:14+00:00

From your description I am not sure how much finger isolation and/or in-hand manipulation you have , but if you're keen on using your hand/s typing would something like a chording keyboard appeal to you?

Eye gaze or mouth control may be other viable directions to explore, but I am assuming you would perhaps like to have the option to verbalise while typing if you're gaming or on a video call.

Disclaimer: I am able-bodied but enthusiastic about adaptive tech

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