Corinne Buffo

Reflection on Assigned Videos

Learning from multiple diverse speakers through guest lecturers and assigned videos

benefited my occupational therapy education by continuing to expand my exposure to different

cultures and the injustices they face. Hearing stories of lived experiences from these speakers

helps to develop sympathy and empathy towards groups we may not have otherwise been

exposed to before we enter our careers. This benefits how we will approach other cultures in our

practice and ensures we have the knowledge to eliminate miscommunications we may have

made without these experiences. It can provide us with information about the kinds of questions

we should be asking our clients, as well as give us insight about the appropriate time to ask these

questions.

I was already aware of a few of the suitable practices to use while watching the

interpreter videos. This previous knowledge was gained through my time working in an

outpatient pediatric clinic and interacting with interpreters from a scheduler perspective and

while working with patients with the therapists. I was already aware that one should face the

client and not the interpreter when addressing the client. I also knew to speak in first person

when attempting to address the client. Through watching these videos, I realized that a therapist

should take care in handling side conversations between the interpreter and client, and the

therapist should ask the interpreter to explain these conversations to ensure that all necessary

health information is shared with the practitioner. As therapists we must take care to pause

while speaking so the interpreter has time to do their job. I learned that it was important for an

interpreter to add the client’s tone or style of speaking to their interpretation to ensure a clear

message was being translated.

 I was particularly moved by Chimamanda Adichie’s TED talk. I enjoyed her dry humor

incorporated into her insightful stories of injustice, and was surprised that the issues she had

endured were things that were still occurring in the modern day world. I was taken aback when

she spoke of her professor telling her that her novel was not “authentically African.” It made me

think about how much our society still tells people how they “should” act based on how they

look, even if not to the extreme level that Adichie experienced, and how unconscious we are of

our tendency to do this. Her statement that she was often met with “patronizing well-meaning

pity” struck me as I thought about how we quickly react with pity to those we perceive to be less

fortunate than ourselves. I resonated with her call to begin telling, and perhaps most importantly

listening to, a balance of stories about various cultures.

I agreed with America Bracho’s plans to change the current healthcare system, although

my outlook is somewhat bleak about the ability to do so on a country-wide scale with the

condition of our current national healthcare system. However, I believe with effort this change

can at least begin to be established at local levels. Bracho takes on an occupational therapy

perspective in her opinion that people are the experts of their own lives and their own

communities, and are more in tune with what is needed and what is possible within these areas.

She embraces helping people advocate for their own health. She shows similarities to Adichie’s

ideas when she combats the typical view of the “poor, devastated” communities worldwide that

are actually full of hope, empowerment, and inclusion. This video reminded me of my

experience volunteering for the diabetes IPE night. I was surprised and excited that the medical

student, PA student, and pharmacy student in my group all asked questions that reflected a

holistic view of the patient. Our final goals were specifically related to the patient’s daily tasks
and interests, and the patient was able to have a say in these goals. It gave me hope that

Bracho’s vision of healthcare can be applied, at a minimum, within the level of the community.

The guest speakers throughout this semester have expanded my knowledge of the

LGBTQ, Japanese American, and Indian culture, and have given me time to reflect on my own

culture. I enjoyed Ed Napia’s exercise of examining our own culture, and it was interesting to

see what my classmates brought to represent their culture. It was intriguing hearing his

interpretation of our objects and I agreed that food is often an item that can bring people from

different cultures together. Trent’s presentation on the OT Code of Ethics was an important

introduction to materials that will be present throughout our careers as occupational therapists. I

appreciated his real-life examples that he applied to each part of the code that he shared. Andy

Rivera's presentation on the experiences of the LGBTQ community in the healthcare world

helped me consider when as a practitioner I did or did not need to ask a client more questions

about their gender identity as it pertained to their overall health. It was very helpful to clarify

terms that I had heard of but did not fully understand the meaning of. I particularly enjoyed the

“gender bread man” visual that he presented. Irene Ota’s lecture took me out of my “academic

bubble” I was currently in and reminded me that history, past and present, has an influence on

healthcare and is something I should make more of an effort to be aware of. While a few of her

statements seemed a bit far-reaching, her historical perspective allowed me to consider how

many of the clients I will work with may have preconceived notions about interacting with me as

their middle-class, white, female therapist.

I believe the only way to truly begin to understand a culture is to interact with the people

within that culture. While reading about culture and diversity is helpful, these speakers and

videos give voices to the lived experience of different cultures and tell a more honest
perspective. It is easier to identify how people truly wish to be treated when it is heard from

their perspective, and even within one culture, there are multitudes of different opinions. I have

learned the importance of speaking up as a practitioner to ask how people wish to be considered,

treated, or identified. This level of respect allows a greater trust to be built between the therapist

and the client. It is more likely that a client will share a more in-depth perspective of what they

want and need to do, enabling us to use increasingly occupation-based treatments. I hope to

continue to learn about different cultures through the remainder of this program to expand the

awareness that I can take with me as I begin to work with clients.