There will be other applicants with higher scores and better grades than mine mostly because I have only been in active recovery for the past year from my own psychological disorder, Bulimia. I humbly ask, however, for you to accept me into your program because I have now completed all the prerequisite coursework and I am also working very hard to develop creative goals for professional service to some of the most vulnerable members of our community in San Francisco.
I've always had a special passion for working with children and I plan to focus my long-term efforts on treating children who suffer from neurological impairments. As an aide for a pediatric physical therapist, I have the unique opportunity to observe her work with a variety of children ranging from those with forms of cerebral palsy, to those who have received Botox injections or undergone orthopedic surgeries. Because of my extensive involvement during treatment sessions and the establishment of a mutual comfort level with the young patients, multiple families have hired me to assist with their child at their homes. While babysitting is not generally thought of as a highly professional activity, in my case this experience is especially relevant since it is with this population that I want to work. After graduating in August of 2010 from XXXX University with a BS in physiology, I began working as a rehabilitation aide.
I always knew there was an overlap between PT and OT. What intrigued me most about OT was the fact that it not only focuses on the patient's physical challenges, but it also addresses cognitive impairments in an integral fashion. The past few months I have been involved with San Francisco City Impact—a charitable non-profit organization—serving the Tenderloin district, an area known for its high crime and poverty rates. At the Health and Wellness Center, I have been able to witness and help patients walking into our clinic directly from off the streets--both spiritually and emotionally broken.
The main reason why I want to become an occupational therapist is because I would like to promote health and help individuals achieve more productive and satisfying lives. A young, bilingual Chinese American woman, still only 27, you have already helped me to heal and to discover my destiny. Since one of the prerequisites of your program is an art class, my world lit up like a video game when I enrolled in Chinese paint brushing. This class provided me with the direction that I needed to control my own ailment, and to find a great sense of purpose and joy in my activity, enhancing my dignity through creation and inspiring me to move forward towards graduate school in OT at San Francisco State University.
I want to devote my life to helping some of the most vulnerable members of our community to achieve a higher quality of life in body, mind, and spirit, through the development of greater confidence in their skills and abilities.
OT Masters Personal Statement, Occupational Therapy