Myself sitting down on a chair wearing a grey jumper and the background is grey. I have my laptop (a black Acer) in one hand and I am holding up my bottle green OT trousers in the other hand.
Occupational Therapy Student

The Fear of Not Knowing Where I’ll Be Next Year: OT Week 2020

Georgia Vine (she/hers)

It’s #OTWeek2020!

This is a week where occupational therapist around the country share their stories. This year the theme has promoted why individuals should #ChooseOT.

Earlier on in the week, I did a head-to-head with Margaret in which we discussed my journey into occupational therapy and towards the end of the head-to-head, we talked briefly about my future.

Yes this is a pun on one of my favourite musicals- Hairspray!

I want to talk about my future in a little more detail in this blog. This is because, for the first time in my life I don’t know what I will be doing next year, and it’s very daunting. For example, when I was in my last year of school, I knew that I was going to go to college, and when I was in the last year of college, I knew that I was going to go to university. My places at college and university weren’t secure until later that year but I had an idea of what I’d be doing.

But this time I really have no clue where I’ll be in November 2021…

I have ideas of where I want to be (although I know I shouldn’t because there’s a world of OT that I need to explore). Ideally, I’d love to be working in paediatrics- we all know how much I loved my paediatrics placement in 2019 because I talk about it all the time. However, I’m aware that paediatrics is very competitive and therefore I must be open to other options.

I am always open to opportunities and to be fair the idea of a band 5 rotation does interest me. This would give me the chance to explore a few more areas. However, if I was to go down this path how do I find the right rotation for me, that fits in with my complex needs?

I am aware that I need to start looking into jobs and I have started; I do need to get me teeth stuck into it a bit more though. It is daunting, but I’d like to think that when I finish in May I have a job on the horizons.

If this is not the case, this is scary for me just like it is for anyone else in my position, having a disability though, increases the worries.

Then I have to consider my blog… (don’t worry I’m not leaving it behind), the whole point is I don’t want to leave it behind! I want to continue to raise awareness of online communities and online healthcare and I want to take this further. But will I be able to if I have a full-time job?

Look, I know I will continue to raise awareness. However, what if I don’t have as much time to dedicate to my projects? How will I ensure that the reduced time I may have is meaningful to others who interact with my content and meaningful to me as I continue my personal and professional journey?

My blog and my work outside of university certainly has a higher profile than it did a year ago and with the help of my supervisor and other people that I work with my blogging career will be staying with me for a long time. I know that this is something that I want to take further and further. But I am starting to think, how will I fit this in around my job?

For example, a lot of the assignments I have this year are based on creating an intervention or a service development. So, I always bring up online communities in my assignments. However, what if I struggle to find these opportunities in the world of paid work?

The truth is, I don’t know where I’ll be this time next year and I don’t know what I’ll be doing. However, what I do know is that wherever I go, Not So Terrible Palsy and my passion to raise awareness for online communities and online healthcare will be going with me. Do I know what this will look like yet? Aggghhh no, I do not.

I have many dreams about my future, and I have enough fire in my belly to achieve what I want to achieve. Yes, it’s still daunting. However, with a fantastic support network around me, and a drive to do something I’m so enthusiastic about nothing is impossible.

Happy Occupational Therapy Week 2020! #OTWeek2020 #ChooseOT

Thank you for reading,

Georgia
@georgiavine4213
@GeorgiaVineOT

Published by Georgia Vine (she/hers)

I am Georgia, an occupational therapist working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Occupational Therapy at The University of Huddersfield. My passions aside from activism and occupational therapy are reading, theatre, and music, including gigs and festivals! I am Head Ambassador for CP Teens UK and a disability blogger writing about my lived experienced of cerebral palsy and life as a disabled occupational therapist. In 2021 I was named a Rising Star on the Shaw Trust's #DisabilityPower100. I am a founding member of AbleOTUK an advocacy and network group for occupational therapists and students with lived experience of disability. I am currently writing my debut book to dismantle ableism in occupational therapy practice. Email: georgia@notsoterriblepalsy.com