Occupational Therapy Personal Statement

Alan Withworth

Read our real example of Occupational Therapy personal statement to be able to work on your application for university.

Occupational Therapy Personal Statement Example

To me, occupational therapy’s guiding principles – above all, equipping individuals with the skills and confidence to lead full, rewarding lives – strike a chord as the best way to restore health. It would be a privilege and an enriching experience to be part of a profession based on these ideals that could improve the lives of others.

As a result of my diverse upbringing, I have excellent communication and empathy skills. After living in various countries throughout my childhood, my family and I finally settled in the United Kingdom. Living temporarily in several different places, often overcoming language barriers, has helped me to appreciate communication and to strive to improve it. I have also encountered people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds by living in such a diverse range of places.

My experience completing the first year of a BSc in Biomedical Sciences, which I believed did not suit my career goals or academic interests, demonstrated my aptitude for higher education and suitability to work as an occupational therapist. I left the course after feeling that course did not suit my interests or career goals. The position I held as a course representative required me to communicate effectively with fellow students and assist in formulating proposals that would improve the quality of the course for them. These skills are relevant to the work of occupational therapists, in my opinion. In addition, the experience of taking an unsuitable course has taught me not to make big decisions lightly and to pursue a career I am genuinely interested in. I feel confident that occupational therapy is the right course for me, and I look forward to completing it with full enthusiasm.

As a result of shadowing an occupational therapist, I have gained a deeper understanding of this fascinating field. The experience of eyeing the work of the therapist and seeing how the central goal of everything that they did was orchestrated at helping people to lead fulfilling lives, whether through coaching people on techniques to control problems such as anxiety or assisting individuals to develop plans for themselves, was inspirational. I was positively impressed with the therapist’s ability to understand people’s conditions through a combination of talking to them and keeping an eye on them as they went about their business, not to mention the importance that the therapist attached to assessing each individual thoroughly to ensure that the help that they offered would benefit the individual and their circumstances.

I recently spent four weeks volunteering at a local school, where I worked daily with the children. I spent a considerable amount of the time on the placement working with a disabled girl, in the form of helping her and keeping her company during breaks and lunchtimes. Being able to help children in this way was a great pleasure, and working with kids from a variety of backgrounds made me realise the significance of the role that occupational therapists can play in helping children who come from troubled families. Indeed, the rewarding experience of working with children has made me develop an interest in working as a paediatric occupational therapist one day. I was inspired to carry out this work experience through the sense of accomplishment I derived from helping to organise a Christmas party for a group of disabled children whilst I was at college. The experience made me realise that helping people was something that drives me to make the most of my skills and abilities. I believe that qualifying as an occupational therapist would be an ideal profession for me to be able to do this.

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