Some new blogs to check out from this link

http://mastersinoccupationaltherapy.org/2010/top-50-occupational-therapy-blogs/

I started working on updating my blog when I saw a traffic source was from this link…which I was unaware of! It's called “Top 50 Occupational Therapy Blogs” and I am number one on the list (I don't think it's in any order though). From what I skimmed, it may be the work of a bot, considering that its descriptions of each blog are somewhat off. For example, the ABC Therapeutics blog is next on the list and it says it focuses primarily on hand therapy, which is a big fat lie! The author, Chris, writes a lot about evidence-based practice, policy, and work within pediatrics. I have followed him for years. I recommend you take this list with a HUGE grain of salt (maybe an entire salt shaker), but it may give you some new links to peruse, at least. 🙂

Oh the OT job interviews. :) Must be zen!

Hello everyone!

I've finally completed quite the flurry of interviews lately, and I have my heart set on a certain one. We will see what happens. All I can do is hope and ask everyone to send good thoughts out. I mentioned this blog which now makes me a little nervous. I am very proud of many of my older posts way back from when I started OT school, and I still get a lot of e-mails/comments from people who chose OT partially because of this blog. I also think I frequently share helpful information. I'm being written about (along with another awesome OT, Cheryl, and a few others) in an upcoming OT Practice article on social media, and I've had an article published on social media and OT in OT Practice as well. I feel like it can be an incredible tool in practice and I love all the networking that has taken place because of it! However, what worries me is that even though I am never completely unfiltered, I do frequently ramble, and I don't know how popular that might be if job interviewers were to review my blog. I try to avoid controversy and do a very good job of it, but that doesn't change the fact of my rambling!

I know that if I get this job I want, I will need to be more careful about my grammar and rambling since I would be working with the type of people who like to Google. I can't blame them, I totally google EVERYONE. 🙂 It's a good way to learn about people. I try to never post something I wouldn't let my grandmother see, which I think is a good rule of thumb. But that doesn't mean I am proud of some of my ramblings. ALTHOUGH….I do hear from people that say they like the ramblings because they are true and honest. So, hmm.

I am proud this blog has now had over 200,000 views and has well over 1,000 posts…many of them in my first few years of OT school and fewer as I evolved into a practitioner due to concerns over HIPAA. I hope this blog continues to evolve and that my voice remains the same, true and honest and real, yet perhaps a little less ramble-y and a little more articulately thoughtful. For anyone coming here for the first time, I recommend glancing through the archives at some of the beginning pieces, and I will be working on updating links to more recent OT blogs. I love reading the OT blogs of new OT students, fresh with passion and excitement (and stress and fatigue! But it gets better).

Thanks everyone for being supportive readers. Please send good thoughts my way that this job goes through – I am VERY excited about it and hope with all my heart that it becomes a reality.

A link about occupation in relation to the recent NZ Earthquake

http://healthskills.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/an-occupational-view-of-the-christchurch-earthquake/

I thought this was a very thoughtful piece on occupation in the wake of a massive earthquake. A friend/blog mentor of mine, Merrolee, posted this on her Facebook and I wanted to share it.