Introducing the fourteenth guest of my column is a passionate student who is blooming in to a dedicated professional.She has found her interest to not practice conventional and explore the less attended areas of OT practice.With her hard work and dedication she has received a very good response to her efforts of implementing new ideas and concepts into practice.
Dr Priya is a graduate in Occupational therapy from Mumbai, Seth.G.S.Medical College .She is currently a Doctoral candidate at USC and a resident at the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice where she works with clients to implement lifestyle changes and improve self-management of a variety of conditions primarily speaking of mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and stress and other chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity.
She also delivers ergonomic services to the USC employees and has started with OT consultations to the LGBTQ students at USC’s LGBT Resource Center to expand the horizons of Lifestyle Redesign.
She has been constantly involved in implementing newer ideas and techniques in exploring her area of interest further with her passion and commitment.
Lets read her views further:
1) How has been your journey of transformation from Student in India to a professional in US?
This place has taught me a lot of life lessons and transformed me into a new person both at professional and personal out front. Precisely speaking the transformation was from being a student in India to being a masters student in US and then to a doctoral candidate ( a dichotomy between being a student and a professional) in US. With every phase my perspective along with the personality changed. It has made me more confident, more vocal and more independent in true sense which of course was possible due to my supportive and precious friends/extended family/roommates (Vidhisha, Pooja, Harshada).
2) What is your primary area of work interest and what are the challenges you face in your practice?
My primary area of work interest is in health promotion and wellness. I help people with lifestyle interventions to cope with mental health concerns like stress, anxiety, depression and others, weight management as well diabetes management concerns. In addition to this, I have spent a lot of time in providing ergonomic services to USC employees in the past one year which I am truly passionate about. Meeting different personalities, intervening in their lifestyle and convincing them for a change is very challenging.
3) According to you ,Can lifestyle redesign and Wellness be one of the mainstream practices of OT in India and how?
India has a long way to go with wellness practices however given the growing awareness regarding health especially in metropolitan cities, people are becoming more open to investing in their health and well-being. I truly feel that it is a slow growing area for OT however with right leadership it can become a mainstream practice.
4) A lot of young OTs have concern over Master's in India or abroad .What is your advise to them?
My advise is to focus on their passion and bloom. However, I wouldn't deny the fact that masters in abroad gave me a different perspective towards OT and it was during my masters that I found my true calling. It did work out amazingly well for me which changed my life but need not be true for everyone. But I would definitely like to tell all the young OTs to read, research and explore the field because it has got a lot of potential than we know.
I dislike the most: Disrespectful people
My favourite Occupations: Meeting new people, reading books, music, drawing, watching movies and exploring new places with friends.
P.S: I extend my gratitude to her for her valuable time.See you all next Saturday with another guest.
-SSW
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| Dr Priya ( OT) |
Dr Priya is a graduate in Occupational therapy from Mumbai, Seth.G.S.Medical College .She is currently a Doctoral candidate at USC and a resident at the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice where she works with clients to implement lifestyle changes and improve self-management of a variety of conditions primarily speaking of mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and stress and other chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity.
She also delivers ergonomic services to the USC employees and has started with OT consultations to the LGBTQ students at USC’s LGBT Resource Center to expand the horizons of Lifestyle Redesign.
She has been constantly involved in implementing newer ideas and techniques in exploring her area of interest further with her passion and commitment.
Lets read her views further:
1) How has been your journey of transformation from Student in India to a professional in US?
This place has taught me a lot of life lessons and transformed me into a new person both at professional and personal out front. Precisely speaking the transformation was from being a student in India to being a masters student in US and then to a doctoral candidate ( a dichotomy between being a student and a professional) in US. With every phase my perspective along with the personality changed. It has made me more confident, more vocal and more independent in true sense which of course was possible due to my supportive and precious friends/extended family/roommates (Vidhisha, Pooja, Harshada).
2) What is your primary area of work interest and what are the challenges you face in your practice?
My primary area of work interest is in health promotion and wellness. I help people with lifestyle interventions to cope with mental health concerns like stress, anxiety, depression and others, weight management as well diabetes management concerns. In addition to this, I have spent a lot of time in providing ergonomic services to USC employees in the past one year which I am truly passionate about. Meeting different personalities, intervening in their lifestyle and convincing them for a change is very challenging.
3) According to you ,Can lifestyle redesign and Wellness be one of the mainstream practices of OT in India and how?
India has a long way to go with wellness practices however given the growing awareness regarding health especially in metropolitan cities, people are becoming more open to investing in their health and well-being. I truly feel that it is a slow growing area for OT however with right leadership it can become a mainstream practice.
4) A lot of young OTs have concern over Master's in India or abroad .What is your advise to them?
My advise is to focus on their passion and bloom. However, I wouldn't deny the fact that masters in abroad gave me a different perspective towards OT and it was during my masters that I found my true calling. It did work out amazingly well for me which changed my life but need not be true for everyone. But I would definitely like to tell all the young OTs to read, research and explore the field because it has got a lot of potential than we know.
5)
Do you see yourself getting back to India to expand your practice
further in future?
Yes definitely! India is a country with lot of
opportunities and Indians need these services. Along with service
provision I am looking forward to expanding OT’s knowledge base in
wellness. As it is said, “Prevention is better than cure”, I strongly
believe that Wellness practices through the lens of OT would be play a
significant role in India’s healthcare system and improving the
longevity of Indian masses.
Your highlights:
My Professional Strength: Communications skills, Ergonomics, Mental health
My Inspirational Moment: Health Promotion and Wellness class in my Master’s program at USC
ignited strong interest in me to pursue wellness.My Professional Strength: Communications skills, Ergonomics, Mental health
My Inspirational Moment: Health Promotion and Wellness class in my Master’s program at USC
I dislike the most: Disrespectful people
My favourite Occupations: Meeting new people, reading books, music, drawing, watching movies and exploring new places with friends.
P.S: I extend my gratitude to her for her valuable time.See you all next Saturday with another guest.
-SSW
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