Interested in an Internship? Student Experiences From the Special Interest Section Internship

April 2021

Have you thought about taking on an internship with the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)? Recently, each of us participated in an internship within AOTA’s Special Interest Sections (SISs), where we gleaned valuable experiences and skills that have translated into our student and professional careers. AOTA’s SISs connect practitioners to other OT colleagues and students within a specialty of interest through the SIS Quarterly Practice Connections, discussion forums on CommunOT, and professional networking communities (AOTA, n.d.). There are nine SISs: 1) Academic Education, 2) Developmental Disabilities, 3) Mental Health, 4) Rehabilitation & Disability, 5) Work & Industry, 6) Children & Youth, 7) Home & Community Health, 8) Productive Aging, and 9) Sensory Integration & Processing. Each SIS offers 1 or 2 student intern positions per year. These internships are virtual and allow students across the nation to advance their knowledge in a specific area of interest and pursue leadership within AOTA. Interns have written CommunOT posts on prevalent topics, developed valuable resources for practitioners, and co-authored articles in the SIS Quarterly Practice Connections magazine. Throughout each of our experiences interning with our respective SISs, we were able to collaborate with professionals who served as the SIS committee members, learn an incredible amount about each practice area, and work on a multitude of projects that served as resources for SIS members.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities for each intern vary depending on the SIS. We created the following table to highlight specific projects and typical duties of interns from different SISs. While most interns will work within a specific SIS, there is one intern position available for assisting the SIS Council Chairperson and Chairperson-Elect, who oversee all of the SIS Standing Committees.

What’s in it for Me?

When our internships ended, each of us noticed tremendous growth from our experiences. These internships resonated differently for each person; however, we all agreed that this was an opportunity to participate in professional collaboration and networking, enhance leadership skills, and strengthen a commitment to staying actively involved in our national organization. We hope interested students apply to the internship program and experience the same positive outcomes during their time as SIS interns.

Collaboration and Networking

As student interns, there is not only the chance to connect with professionals within the SIS, but also to work with other student interns through the Student Intern Collaborative. The goal of the Collaborative was to build upon interns’ clinical reasoning, advocacy, leadership, and collaboration skills by interacting and educating one another about occupational therapy’s distinct value in each SIS. Students throughout the U.S. worked together on diverse projects including developing “Lunch and Learn” sessions at their respective universities focused on the SIS Intern experience, and writing a call for the next student interns.

Additionally, there is professional collaboration with the designated SIS mentor and committee members across the different sections. Within each intern’s specific SIS, the internship experience facilitates interactions with practitioners with similar interests. Beyond this, interns are able to collaborate with OT practitioners across many different areas of the field, as well as peers and other active members in AOTA. Through both the opportunity to engage in the annual AOTA Conference & Expo, and virtual collaboration throughout the term of the internship, interns have the opportunity to enhance their professional networking by working on projects, attending meetings or events, and participating in the ongoing work of their SIS.

Leadership

The SIS internship enables students to gain first-hand experience in working with successful OT leaders. Working alongside these leaders can help interns better understand both the responsibilities and requirements needed to serve in these roles of influence, as well as the impact that can be made. The different projects and opportunities that are embedded into the internship program contribute to the development of many of the skills that are vital to being an efficacious leader. For example, many of us experienced improvements in verbal communication skills as a result of collaboration with SIS members across the country, as well as time management skills resulting from having to balance student, intern, and personal roles. The opportunity to be mentored and work on these professional skills allows interns to build a strong foundation to not only effectively transition from being a student to a practitioner, but also to a leader in the field of OT.

Involvement in AOTA

The SIS internship offers many opportunities for students, including involvement with AOTA and the opportunity to be a change agent in the field of OT. Collaborating with other SIS contributors, building confidence in leadership roles, and developing a greater understanding of the operations of our national organization can serve as motivators to support AOTA and move our profession forward. Demonstrating a commitment to our national Association begins as students, and participating in the SIS Student Internship is an incredible way to positively impact our peers, clients, and the profession as a whole.

Interested in Applying?

Interested students can apply for an SIS internship position by May 10^th, 2021, with the 1-year term beginning in July. Candidates must be currently enrolled in a master’s, doctorate, or assistant program with at least 1 year left in their educational program and must maintain AOTA membership. Applicants should have a strong interest in becoming leaders in the field of occupational therapy!

Get additional details, and submit your application by May 10.

Reference
American Occupational Therapy Association, (n.d.). Special interest sections. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/Practice/Manage/SIS.aspx

Contributors
Sara Lessem, University of Pittsburgh, Rehabilitation and Disability SIS Intern; Molly Nadeau, Kean University, Productive Aging SIS Intern; Kayla Swaringen, Virginia Commonwealth University, SIS Chair Intern; Leighann Warholak, University of Pittsburgh, Work and Industry SIS Intern; Taylor Wellman, University of Pittsburgh, Mental Health SIS Intern.

Sara Lessem is a third year OTD student at the University of Pittsburgh. Sara is passionate about using hippotherapy in OT practice and plans to continue intertwining rehabilitation with horses.

Molly Nadeau is a second year OTD student at Kean University in New Jersey. While she hopes to work with older adults in the future, she is open to her OT career taking different paths. If she’s not in class or studying, she’s either on the beach or in a coffee shop reading a book.

Kayla Swaringen is a third year OTD student at Virginia Commonwealth University. Kayla is interested in working in pediatrics, particularly in the school-based setting, as well as with adults in acute care. She is dedicated to staying involved in professional organizations at the state and national level and eager to continue pursuing research related to sensory processing.

Leighann Warholak is a third year student at the University of Pittsburgh. Leighann is passionate about cancer care, musculoskeletal disorders, and biomechanics. After she graduates, Leighann hopes to work either in oncology or become a certified hand therapist. Eventually, she would love to become an educator.

Taylor Wellman is a third year OTD student at the University of Pittsburgh. Taylor is passionate about pediatrics and mental health and hopes to practice in a fusion of those practice areas. She aspires to become an educator one day.