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AOTA Reflection Paper

Gretchen Kempf
The University of Scranton












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I attended this years 94
th
annual American Occupational Therapy Association
(AOTA) Conference and Expo in Baltimore, Maryland on April 3
rd
through April 6
th
,
2014. Being my first time attending a conference, I had no idea what to expect, but found
it very informative and overall a great experience. Two sessions that I found
exceptionally helpful for my needs as an occupational therapy student were Examination
Preparation: Whats Your Roadmap? and Landing Your First Job from A to Z.
Examination Preparation: Whats Your Roadmap was the first educational session
that I attended at the conference. It was an hour long and discussed different test taking
techniques essential to completing and passing the NBCOT Examination. Students were
not only presented with different test taking skills such as how to narrow down answers
when picking from 8-10 multiple choices, but also with sample test questions. The
sample questions were very helpful because it allowed me to see the format in which
questions will be asked and gave me an idea of what kind of information the exam will
test me on. As informative as the presentation was, the most helpful part for me was
being able to speak with other occupational therapy students. It was reassuring to see how
many other students are out there embarking on the same educational journey as me.
Landing Your First Job from A to Z was also very informative. This session
consisted of resume, interview, and cover letter dos and donts. Information on job sites
and how to access job availability in your area was also given. The speaker was a job
recruiter herself, and all her tips came from her personal experience of reviewing resumes
and conducting job interviews. Talking to other students in the audience was also very
helpful. We talked about our different clinical experiences and it allowed me a glimpse
into various clinical settings.
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Overall, I enjoyed both sessions and feel like I have gained useful information to
help create a roadmap for my future as an occupational therapist. This conference and
expo reassured me that I have made the right career choice and also emphasized my
desire to complete school and begin my journey as a true therapist. I met wonderful
people who all had great things to say about their jobs and experiences as occupational
therapists.