My name is Mauli Chothani and I am currently a second-year Occupational Therapy student. During our last semester, we have two clinical rotations, each 12 weeks long. My first clinical rotation was scheduled to be January 6 through March 27. We are given a one-week break, and my second clinical rotation was scheduled to be April 6 through July 26.
When COVID-19 began in March, I had two more weeks left of my first clinical rotation in an outpatient pediatric setting. The facility had to quickly shut down and move to teletherapy. It was challenging treating kids virtually because there was a lot more parent involvement required, and kids usually don’t have the same equipment at home that is used in clinic.
My second clinical rotation is in an outpatient orthopedic setting, focusing on upper extremity injuries. Since COVID was at its peak around the time I was supposed to begin in April, the student clinical affiliation program was temporarily furloughed. Therefore, my graduation was also delayed. Fortunately, I was able to begin on July 13, I will be finishing up on October 2 and graduating that same month.
Although COVID-19 delayed my rotation schedule and delayed my graduation, I used the time off to my advantage. I picked up on new hobbies, caught up with family/friends via Zoom, and virtually taught children English. Having the break was much needed!
- Mauli is a second-year occupational therapy student at Salus University
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