r/OccupationalTherapyPH

This is an open diary for anyone really involved in occupational therapy. It could be a call for help or really just to vent anonymously.

This field is both rewarding and overwhelming. Every day is never really the same, both for the good and bad, and it really pushes me to go out of my comfort zone and improve as a person.

I’m someone who really values growth, but because of how wide our scope is (and how wide I chose to make my career), I do get easily overwhelmed. I’m still working on efficient regulation and currently surviving off caffeine AHAHA. I’m also in my first year of self funding, so I’m still figuring out the balance between work, play, and home mgmnt

I’m still a young practitioner and really just want to provide the best I can for my clients, but I’m scared of burnout as a struggling perfectionist. As much as I want to become “better,” there’s no clear checklist for becoming a “good” OT, and no one is really supervising every aspect of our work. Sometimes I genuinely don’t know when I’m doing badly or when something is already “good enough.”

I was hoping to get some wisdom/advice from more experienced OTs. Especially things you wish you knew or did when you were starting out.

For context, I’m 6 months into practice and currently working in ff:

• A pediatric clinic, mostly with ASD/ADHD
• Another setting where I see geriatric clients with dementia/stroke, children with CP/GDD, as well as adolescents with social difficulties or executive dysfunction

It’s quite a wide scope, but I originally wanted to experience different areas and figure out where I genuinely flourish before I zero in on a smaller population, hoping to make use of natural skills and optimize.

I’m fortunate to have great mentors at work. I ask them questions whenever I can and I love their insight, but I do wonder how other OTs outside our clinic might approach a similar case.

I noticed I really struggle with knowing what to actually do with what I observe, especially in early intervention with developing joint attn pa. I know a lot of that comes with clinical reasoning, flexibility, and TUS, which are all things I’m still trying to build. I just don’t really know where to start.

It does get easier with time, and I’m still learning from the clinicians I work with and how they seem to do these things so automatically. I try not to let the imposter syndrome get the best of me, but I’ve also heard that maybe it never completely goes away as long as you’re still learning.

Thank you for reading the thoughtss! im looking forward to reading this again , who knows what set of goals ill have in a year mark ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ hehe

Hello! Im a first year OT student in DLSMHSI and I’ve been worrying about what the process will be like after grad since the school isn’t approved yet by the WFOT, considering that I want to work in the US. I just want to know:

1. what the requirements are besides getting my masters (+ can my masters be done in the US?).
2. Do I have to take the ph boards?
3. I’m a dual citizen (us & ph), will that make my process easier?
4. What OT related jobs can I do while I take my masters?

hi! i’m a current Gr12 HUMSS student in SBCA and i’ve always wanted to pursue psych. but with further research, i’ve come to like occupational therapy more since it is more hands-on with clients and in demand right now. though some people tell me that your strand doesn’t matter when it comes to choosing a course in college, i’m still worried with its outcome if i did pursue OT as a HUMSS student even if it really is my dream course.

since i got to know about BS OT at a late time, i didn’t get a chance to apply for BS OT in UP. so now i’m trying to weigh the pros and cons between UST and DLSMHSI in terms of BS OT.

which one would you recommend more?

UST is part of the big four, and i wanna have some fun during my youth since UST has more of a variety when it comes to people and having a social life. many people recommend UST because it is well equipped and has a good reputation in terms of BS OT. however, it is prone to flooding and i’m not sure my fam would allow me to get a dorm. also not sure with the amount of workload.

DLSMHSI, on the other hand, is not in manila and has a quieter community overall. they say it’s good enough and it’s “fast-paced” enough that you‘d really learn from the subjects. although my worry is it’s not WFOT certified which worries me compared to UST which IS WFOT certified.

what advice could you give me and do you have other recommendations? pls let me know about the schools’ communities, your experiences, and personal perspectives on this matter.

i’d really appreciate it a lot! ~

To those currently working in the OT field, registered OTRPs, or pursuing a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy: I would like to ask if anyone here might be open to a part-time academic mentoring arrangement.

Hear me out first. This is not intended to promote laziness or academic dependence in any way.

I understand that everyone has different learning styles, levels, and pacing when it comes to absorbing information. However, I’ve realized that I learn most effectively when complex information is broken down and explained to me in chunks, rather than relying solely on group studies or text references.

I am in 2nd year level and currently looking for an academic mentor who can supplement my learning for specific modules/subjects and provide feedback or proofreading on my academic work. My goal is not simply to “get by” in class or have someone do the work for me. I genuinely want to understand the materials more deeply, develop better clinical and academic reasoning, and learn from someone with actual experience in the OT field. I’m mainly hoping for expert feedback, clarification, and guidance in unpacking difficult concepts.

If this is something you might be interested in, or if you know someone who offers this kind of mentoring, please feel free to comment below or send me a message. I would be happy to discuss the arrangement, schedule, and compensation privately.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!

Curious about the experiences of Filipino OTs who migrated to other countries such as Australia, US, Canada, etc.

How was the process? and what can you say about the overall experience?

Thanks

Itong LGU na ito, nag-offer ng free Occupational Therapy assessment for kids, hindi man lang nag-check kung may license yung OT 🙈

hello po OTs!!! would like to ask lang po if any of you knows the benefits of a full-time OT I in a public hospital (particularly PGH)? i know the pay is not that high (salary grade 11) but i was thinking if the benefits are able to make up for it? i really want to apply to pgh because they have both adult & pedia, plus the splinting looks very interesting. but it’s a big commitment since im also contributing to our family bills.

any insight will be very much appreciated 🥹

thank you po OTRPs!!!

Hello po! I'm currently a 1st yr IRREG enrolling for BSOT po. (i'm a transferee) Bali nagkaron po ako ng pre-reg nung tuesday and I was already given a schedule.

Tanong ko lang po kung pwede po kayang ipa alter 'yung sched ko sa isang araw? huhu wala po kasing pahinga in between classes as in 3 subjects per day and isa lang break (30 mins lang)

sub 1: 7:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. (Introduction to Occupational Therapy)
sub 2: 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. (Therapeutic Skills in Occupational Therapy) (Lecture)
sub 3: 1:30 P.M. - 4:30 P.M. (Concepts in Occupational Therapy)

HUHU THANK U PO SA MAKAKASAGOT 😓🙏🏻