THE COMMUNIQUÉ
S T U D E N T C O N C L AV E
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he discussed health management and
maintenance as an “unsung occupation”
and that as OT practitioners, we can be a
part of “developing, managing, and main-
taining routines for health and wellness pro-
motion, such as physical fitness, nutrition,
decreased health risk behaviors and medi-
cation behaviors” (AOTA, 2014). His ses-
sion gave me the encouragement and boost
of confidence to continue to share our dis-
tinct value and how our skills as OT practi-
tioners span across various occupations
throughout settings within the clinic and the
community.
Students and faculty from South Suburban College OTA Program
Connecting what I have learned in
the classroom, fieldwork experience, and
now in my time in a community-based set-
ting and various hospital affiliates at my doctoral internship, I have personally wrestled with the constraints
within our current healthcare system. The World Health Organization stated, “health inequities are systematic
differences in health outcomes” (WHO, 2020). With this, I appreciated how Dr. Gillen shared the mission of
Choosing Wisely, which is “to promote conversations between clinicians and patients by helping patients
choose care that is: supported by evidence, not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received,
free from harm, and truly necessary”. It reinforces the importance of addressing health disparities by provid-
ing educational resources and connecting clients to continue to participate in their desired occupations in the
“least restrictive environment.”
As far as the breakout sessions go, I know graduation is in a few short months, so I really appreciated
the time to learn about the NBCOT and the value of having the OTR credential. I also appreciated learning
about various statistics, including the average time that people who have passed the NBCOT exam take 3.76
hours to complete it (is it just me, or will I be sure to bring snacks with protein for the 4+ hours we are in the
testing center?). I also appreciated the time they allotted to have either an OT or SRAlab staff member re-
view our resumes - what a unique and special opportunity.
Lastly, the SRAlab tours were wonderful. It was neat to see the different floors including the spinal
cord, brain injury, and pediatric floors. The person who gave us the tour is an occupational therapist at
SRALab and was open to any questions we had and hearing his experience as a recent OT graduate was
very helpful.
I’m thankful for this opportunity! Thank you to ILOTA and SRAlab for all the hard work that you all put
in for a great event for future OT practitioners!
Cassidy’s Personal Experience
Within about 45 minutes of being in attendance at the ILOTA Student Conclave I immediately was
faced with a large amount of guilt. Why have I waited until my third year of OT school to attend this event?
Though the guilt still persists within me, I was ultimately very surprised at how impactful and useful this expe-
rience was for me. I have attended other educational conferences in the past and always have left with
mixed feelings and uncertainty about the information that was just presented to me. However, the ability to
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