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Ever since I was little, I have known that my future career would involve helping people in some way; however, this exact career remained unclear to me for quite some time. All I truly knew up until my senior year of high school was that I always found a sense of pride and accomplishment in helping others, whether it be with a minor or major task or circumstance. During my senior year of high school, a family friend introduced me to the field of occupational therapy. Through further research into what exactly this profession entailed, what educational requirements and degrees I needed to obtain, as well as what settings I could work in, I decided that this was the ideal future career for me. I fell in love with the flexibility and endless opportunities the field of occupational therapy could provide me with. I knew that my skills in helping others, such as my effective communication skills, interpersonal skills, immense sense of empathy, and creativity, would allow me to be a successful occupational therapist.

My undergraduate education at Worcester State University to obtain my Bachelor’s in Occupational Studies further reassured my belief that occupational therapy would be the right career for me. Within my undergraduate education, we were provided with various fieldwork opportunities that required us to work with different populations at different locations and further develop appropriate intervention sessions to align with both our assignments and with the client’s wants, needs, and preferences. At each fieldwork location, I was able to see how my expertise and ability to build rapport with clients changed their lives for the better in real-time. I look forward to completing my studies within the Worcester State University Master of Occupational Therapy program and furthering my knowledge and experience during Level II Fieldwork. I will apply all of the knowledge and skills learned over the past four years of my undergraduate education at Worcester State University to further allow me to become the best future occupational therapist that I can be.

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Personal Philosophy of Occupational Therapy

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Personal Philosophy of Occupational Therapy

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Occupational therapy is based on the idea that purposeful activities, also known as occupations, can help individuals adapt, prevent dysfunction, and further promote their health and well-being. Practitioners within the field of occupational therapy believe that individuals have an innate need and right to participate in meaningful occupations throughout their lives and that these activities can further benefit individuals, families, and communities/populations. Occupational therapy is further based on numerous beliefs and philosophical components, some of which include the belief that humans are complex beings that constantly adapt and grow and that learning is a lifelong process.

Ultimately, I believe that occupational therapy can be defined as the culmination of multiple ideas, philosophical components, and theories that aid practitioners in enabling clients to be able to participate in meaningful occupations they want to do, need to do, or have to do as independently as possible in the least restrictive environment and in the most natural context.

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As a future occupational therapist, I believe that there are many different skills one needs to have to be successful. A few strengths that I believe I have that will help me be a successful occupational therapist in the future include my ability to be creative in terms of coming up with various intervention session ideas that may be outside of the box, my strong ability to build rapport with clients utilizing my communication skills and empathetic approaches, and my ability to work well in a team setting.

Although it may be easy and preferable to only address our strengths when it comes to both a professional and personal context, it is also important that we self-reflect and address our weaknesses as well. I know that I am not as strong in my ability to be a leader and take charge in group settings. To work on this skill, I will push myself to take a more prominent role in any group projects, fieldwork experiences, etc. that I am provided with going forward. I will document what went well, what could be improved, and how it made me feel, as well as what I did to take on a bigger role in each circumstance. Documenting this will allow me to hold myself accountable as well as see my progress over time. Another weakness I know I have and would further like to work on is my ability to document in a concise and easy-to-follow format. In the past, I have noticed that I tend to write a lot, no matter the circumstance or assignment. Going forward, I will work on my ability to be concise while still including all of the necessary information and aspects to get my point across by setting word limits for myself and imagining that I am someone else reading over my work. By doing this, I will put myself in a different mindset and be able to ask myself, “Is this necessary to get my point across, or is this a filler sentence with unnecessary information?”. This will be a big challenge for me; however, it will benefit me immensely in the future for documentation purposes as they need to be written in short periods, be clear and concise, and be easy to follow by other healthcare professionals.

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Professional Goals: 1/3/5 Years from Graduation

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Professional Goals: 1/3/5 Years from Graduation

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By December 2026, I will pass the NBCOT Exam and obtain my license in the states of Massachusetts and Maine. To achieve this goal, I will create a weekly study guide plan for myself to utilize at least 3 days a week starting in the 2024 Fall Semester. This plan will last until I am prepared to take the examination after I graduate in December 2025 and feel as though I know the information to the best of my ability.

By December 2028, I will have a job as either an early intervention or outpatient mental health setting occupational therapist. To achieve this goal, I will utilize my LinkedIn platform to connect and further apply to at least six different entry-level occupational therapy positions by April 2027.

By December 2030, I will have chosen one specific area of the profession that I want to further specialize in, whether it be working with pediatrics in an early intervention setting or with adolescents in a mental health setting. To achieve this goal, I will spend my time from December 2028 up until December 2030 to experience both settings and determine which I believe is a better fit for myself. I will determine which setting is a better fit for me by listing the pros and cons of each and further reflecting on how each setting made me feel.

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Artifact I: Fieldwork Experience Intervention Plan and Reflection

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Artifact I: Fieldwork Experience Intervention Plan and Reflection

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Attached above is a PDF copy of my Field Experience Intervention Plan and Reflection assignment that I completed alongside a classmate for OT423: Therapeutic Approaches Lab for Children/Adolescents in the 2024 Spring Semester of my senior year of undergraduate education.

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Fieldwork Experience Intervention Plan and Reflection 2024

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Artifact II: Assistive Technology Design and Fabrication

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Artifact II: Assistive Technology Design and Fabrication

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Attached above is a PDF copy of my Assistive Technology Design and Fabrication assignment that I completed today for OT401: Assistive Technology in the 2023 Fall Semester of my senior year of undergraduate education.

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Assistive Technology Design and Fabrication - Hayley MacNeil

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The professional certifications that I have obtained include the following:

Basic Life Support (BLS)

Social & Behavioral Research - Basic/Refresher (CITI Program)

Information Privacy Security (IPS) (CITI Program)

Documentation of the above certifications will be provided in separate screenshots within the portfolio directly below.

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Professional Certifications: Basic Life Support (BLS)

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Professional Certifications: Basic Life Support (BLS)

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Professional Certifications: Social & Behavioral Research - Basic Refresher (CITI Program) 

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Professional Certifications: Social & Behavioral Research - Basic Refresher (CITI Program) 

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Professional Certifications: Information Privacy Security (IPS) (CITI Program)

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Professional Certifications: Information Privacy Security (IPS) (CITI Program)

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As of now, I have not had any experience with community service. However, I hope to contribute more to various types of community service programs and organizations in the near future. By further participating in community service programs and organizations, I will strive to work on my leadership skills and gain experience with various populations I may not be able to work with otherwise.

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Beginning in the 2024 Fall Semester, I will develop a study plan and further download the NBCOT Exam Prep app to study for the exam in small sessions. I will study utilizing this app for at least 2-3 hours weekly to not overwhelm myself with too much information but also ensure I am spending an adequate amount of time reviewing the years' worth of course information as well. I will slowly increase the amount of time I spend studying utilizing the NBCOT Exam Prep app as the 2024 Fall Semester progresses and the 2025 Spring Semester approaches.

Beginning in the 2025 Spring Semester, I will further expand the types of resources I will utilize to study for the NBCOT exam, incorporating the various resources provided on the NBCOT website, which include the StudyPack, self-assessments, practice tests, knowledge matches, study guides, flashcards, and practice sims tools. I will use all of the previously listed resources in addition to the NBCOT Exam Prep app for weekly study sessions lasting at least 3-4 hours. As the 2025 Spring Semester progresses, I will begin to take practice tests on a biweekly basis to test my knowledge and evaluate what areas I may need to devote more attention to. All of the previously listed study methods will be utilized along with a study guide planner to ensure that I am held accountable for my study habits and can plan out when I can devote my undivided attention to preparing for the exam. I will continue studying, slowly increasing the amount of time spent on each method and resource as the end of the 2025 Spring Semester approaches until I have scheduled my exam date.

I will take my NBCOT exam by the end of February 2026, allowing myself ample time to study after my graduate courses have ended and I can dedicate all of my time and energy towards studying for the exam. By giving myself an extra two months to study for the exam, I will be able to give myself a bit of time to prepare so that I do not feel rushed but also do not feel too relaxed and comfortable about not moving my professional career forward. Once I am prepared and ready to sit for the exam, I will take the NBCOT exam in Massachusetts and further apply for licensure in both Massachusetts and Maine. To apply for licensure in the state of Massachusetts, I will first pay a fee and then submit an application on the Mass.gov website. To apply for licensure in the state of Maine, I will pay a fee as well and then submit an application on the Maine.gov website.