I am sitting on a career panel as an occupational therapist - how cool!

On 10/17/25 at 12:30-1:30 pm, I'll be at the Hershey Antique Auto Museum located at 161 Museum Dr.  Hershey, PA 17033. PENN HOSA is hosting a career panel for students interested in healthcare fields. What an amazing way to learn about all of the different healthcare professions out there - I truly believe there is something for everyone. The panel will be asking me questions and I thought it would be fun to share the answers with you. Everyone's career path is different, here is mine:

Pennsbury High School graduate -> Lafayette College Graduate with a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering -> Thomas Jefferson University Graduate with a Master's in Occupational Therapy -> Certification in Aging in Place -> Certification in Fall Prevention

Where do you work and what do you do?  

I have been an OT for 17 years and have worked in a skilled nursing facility, hospital, and then home care. A few years ago, I started my own business that helps clients adapt their environment so that they can age in place at home or modify their home setup if they are differently-abled to better suit their healthcare needs.

What's a typical day at work?

On a perfect day, I would answer emails, return phone calls, setup up networking meetings, update my website, and refresh my google business profile. I’d have a meeting with one of many referral partners to collaborate about the future health of our businesses as well as travel to a client's home for a visit. The client visit would consist of an interview with the client and their family as well as an in-depth home safety assessment. After my client visit was completed, I’d return to my home office and get started on putting together the client’s home safety report, complete with pictures, notes, measurements, recommendations, and resources.

Why did you decide on this profession?

I received a bachelor’s degree in something totally different. When I started my career after college, I realized that I did not truly enjoy the career path that I decided for myself when I was 18 years old. I really thought about the subjects that I enjoyed and realized that they were psychology and medical science. However, I did not want to be a doctor or a nurse and looked into other health professions. My mother brought up occupational therapy as an option. When I researched occupational therapy, I knew it was the perfect fit for me. I could help people, learn the subjects I love, and work in many different settings. I still love it and love all the OTs I have met throughout my career.

What's the career path/ladder?

As of now…

1st - An accredited bachelor’s degree or any kind is needed, preferrable in a related field, such as biology, health science, or psychology. Make sure to complete the prerequisite courses.

2nd - Then a 2 year full-time accredited Master’s program. Some programs are setup to allow for students to work while they go to school. Other programs are a combined bachelor’s and master’s program, which last 5 years instead of 6 years.

3rd - Pass the National Accreditation Exam by NBCOT to be a practicing OT (requires continuing education credits and license renewal every 2 years)

4th - Optional at this time is a Doctorate program, which is 1 additional year of education with a focus on advanced clinical practice, leadership, teaching, and research in the OT field. There are combined masters and doctoral programs that exist.

What do you wish you knew when you were getting started?

I wish I knew that most of my skills would be learned on the job and that I should have really taken my field work seriously and learned as much as possible.