Choosing a meaningful career - Rebecca's story as an Occupational Therapy student

What inspired you to choose the Occupational Therapy programme at Salford?

Occupational Therapy stood out to me as a career because it’s all about helping people to do things which are meaningful to them. I had worked with children and teenagers for a long time and found that the things they enjoyed doing really helped them to find out who they were and to enjoy life even during difficult times. Occupational Therapists work in a wide range of settings so there will be lots of opportunity for variety in my career. I could even work in Australia!

I chose Salford because it felt like the best fit for me. I visited four universities and was impressed by all of them but at Salford stood out. The staff are so enthusiastic and make such an effort to make the course fun and engaging. I love that I can walk into Manchester in twenty minutes. As a mature student, it made sense for me to commute and Salford has fantastic train, bus and road links.

What does a typical week look like for you?

A typical week at uni is a mixture of lectures, small group sessions, simulation and independent study. I also enjoy going to the gym with some of my course-mates in the morning before lectures, it’s a great way to start the day! I tend to write assignments in the library as I find it helps me to focus and there is such a wide range of both physical and digital books.

Occupational Therapy placements are carried out in blocks. In the first year, we had a four-week placement. I really like that placements are arranged like this as it meant I could really immerse myself in being on placement and was around to follow the course of a service user from start to finish. Placement blocks are like having a full-time job.

We’re also given time to write up reflections and other university-related work. There was a lot to do but I never felt overwhelmed. I’m looking forward to my next placement at the start of year 2!

What has been your most memorable moment during the course so far?

The most memorable moments for me have been working with the actors in the simulation suites and also the friends I’ve made on the course. I’ve been able to play the role of an Occupational Therapist on camera as a part of a simulation which I found really rewarding. As a mature student, I expected to find that most people on the course were a lot younger than me but when I arrived, I found that about half the course is made up of mature students. Everyone gets on well but it’s nice to have people who are a similar age to me.

I loved my first placement – my educator went to such an effort to make sure I got to experience as much as possible whilst I was there. She also encouraged me to build my confidence by leading assessments with service users.

How do you feel this course prepares you for future roles in healthcare?

I feel this course is really helping to prepare me for a role in healthcare. We regularly have Occupational Therapists from a wide range of settings coming in to speak to us about what their working day looks like. We have five placements throughout the course which means we can experience a range of settings. The personal development modules help us to think about how we will handle workplace stress, working with a multi-disciplinary team and caring for our own personal wellbeing.

We also receive compulsory training from the NHS every year in infection control, how to safely move a patient and basic life support.

Simulation is a also brilliant way to prepare for working in healthcare. The ward settings at the University of Salford are so realistic and it’s helped me to understand some of the paperwork and protocols in a hospital setting which I would not otherwise have understood.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about applying to the Occupational Therapy programme?

I’d advise anyone who is thinking about applying to the Occupational Therapy programme to come and visit the university and see for themselves. This allows you to test out travelling to the campus, to meet the tutors and to get a feel for the facilities available.

Something I found very helpful was finding an Occupational Therapist to speak with about the role. This gave me some really useful insights into what it’s like to be an Occupational Therapist and helped me to decide whether or not the job would suit me.

How do you manage self-care and downtime while studying and working in healthcare?

I like to batch cook on a Sunday and pack my lunches so that all my meals are sorted for the week. This really helps as I’m able to get home from uni to a ready made hot meal. Exercise is also very important to me – my Dad and I do half marathons. This means I get to spend time with family as well as keeping fit. There‘s a great sports centre on campus and I like to use the gym with friends or go swimming before lectures. On sunny days, the river Irwell is a lovely place for a walk. We’re lucky at Salford to have plenty of green space around us.

Reading is also something which helps me to wind down. As a commuter, I enjoy having time to myself to read.

As someone who lives alone, social activities are important. I go to something called Songchat on Wednesday evenings which is just like a book club but for songs! I also enjoy playing saxophone in a monthly jazz jam.