WVU students celebrate National Occupational Therapy Month

West Virginia University occupational therapy students are “Bringing Possibilities to Life” for their patients – which is not only the theme of National Occupational Therapy month this April, but a guiding principle of their practice and profession.

“Occupational therapists help patients who have an injury, illness or disability transition back to completing daily activities independently,” says second-year occupational therapy student Madison Wetzel. “We collaborate with our patients to learn and understand their beliefs, values, support systems and spirituality to find the best solutions for them.”

Occupational therapy utilizes a client-centered approach to rehabilitation meaning that every client identifies their own goals for recovery. The program, which is housed in the School of Medicine, focuses on an individualized approach to care to break down the barriers that impact a person's emotional, social and physical needs.

“Based on the patient’s individual goals, students learn to collaborate to create a customized plan to help the client return to their ‘occupations’,” says SueAnn Woods, Ph.D., assistant professor for the WVU School of Medicine Division of Occupational Therapy.

Dr. Woods explains that occupations can be anything from self-care tasks, driving, work, caring for their child or even typing on a keyboard. The important thing is that practitioners know how to identify patient goals and obstacles in order to push patients towards recovery.

Occupational therapy students at WVU receive the benefits of hands-on classroom, community, and clinical experiences that develop the competence and confidence necessary to help patients experience life the way they want to.

“We get to advocate for our patients even when they are unable to speak for themselves,” says first-year occupational therapy student Elijah Fagan. “Occupational therapists connect and interact with patients on a deeper level to help them overcome personal obstacles.”

Obstacles range from life skills, such as getting dressed and brushing teeth, to positive behavior skills, such as anger management.

“No matter how much time we spend with our patients, we are able to effectively change the course of their lives,” says Wetzel.

To learn more about Occupational Therapy at WVU, visit https://medicine.wvu.edu/ot/.