Hello Ann: I've been thinking about what you say regarding people not knowing about OT.
I like what you said about me not knowing about geodesists or archivist, etc. In fact, while I have some idea, I really don't know what it is that these profession do. Of course, I don't really have a need to know about these professions, so it's not really important that I do know about them. However, lets say that I am in need of a geodesists but because I haven't heard of them I don't seek out their expertise. But lets say that there is a more well know profession that does something similar to a geodesists and instead, I do seek out their services. Now, this other service does a great job at what they do and they sell me on their services and as far as I know they have done a great job. And because I don't know about geodesists' unique and specialized field, I don't really know that I have missed anything. So, I go back and tell all my friends and workers about what this other profession has done and later some of my friends go see this other profession. And, they have similar experiences so they tell their friends, etc. Expand the above scenario by a thousand-fold and it's possible to get a feel for the impact on the geodesists' profession. Now, you can replace geodesists with OT and 'the other profession' with PT and you may get some idea of why I think it's important that the lay community understand our unique contribution. To carry this even farther. Because we are a profession that depends on customers (i.e. patients) coming to see us, it is imperative that customers know who and what we are. Likewise, and perhaps even more important, it is necessary that those people recommending our services (i.e. Doctors) and those paying for our services (i.e. insurance) know and understand our profession. Otherwise, they are NOT very likely to send customers our way. And, without customers we will not survive as a profession. I hope that I've articulated why I think that people not knowing about OT is a 'wrongnesss' that may have dire consequences for our profession. Now, here's an interesting question that I hope others will tackle: What is/are the reason(s) why OT is not well known? Thanks, Ron ~~~~~~ On Tuesday, April 9, 2002, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Dac> In a message dated 4/9/2002 8:09:08 AM Eastern Standard Time, Dac> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Dac> Ron writes: >> I don't think it will come as a big surprise to most that there's something >> "wrong" with the profession of OT. To me the biggest symptom of this >> "wrongness" is the fact that we've been in existence for almost 100 years >> and people still don't know who we are. Dac> Ron, Do you know what people who are Geodesists do? How about Industrial Dac> Hygienists, system analysts, conservators, archivists, etc. etc. I don't Dac> agree that people not knowing what we do is necessarily indicative of some Dac> huge "wrong" within our profession. Nor do I think that the fact that we Dac> work in very different settings, drawing on different aspects of our Dac> theoretical training means that we are not being true to OT. Nurses work in Dac> all different types of medical and residential settings, in schools, doctor's Dac> offices, insurance companies, psychiatrist's offices, information systems Dac> departments, the list goes on and on. How they function in each of those Dac> settings, and what particular theories they draw on differ significantly in Dac> those very different settings. Nobody questions that each one is still a Dac> nurse. Dac> This ongoing complaint seems to be more of internal making than an external Dac> problem. The doctors who refer to our outpatient program know what we as Dac> OT's do; the rest of the interdisciplinary team in which I work respect our Dac> contribution to the patient's recovery. When I worked in school systems and Dac> Head Start programs, the teachers valued the contribution we made to the Dac> children's development. Does every doctor, teacher, insurance reviewer, Dac> potential OT client know or value what we do? No. Does every OT practise OT Dac> the way I would like to see it practised, or in a manner consistent with the Dac> roots of OT? No. Does that mean that the majority of us are not practising Dac> "true" OT? NO. I respect the school system OT, the OT who is also a CHT, Dac> the OT working in the various medical models, the private practise OT, the Dac> psych OT, the ones reaching out for emerging practise areas in Dac> non-traditional settings. Each one is taking a different approach based on a Dac> variety of treatment approaches and theories, most of which are quite valid. Dac> The former governor of NY, Mario Cuomo, is often quoted by a local public Dac> radio personality as saying "any jackass can knock down a barn"(I think Cuomo Dac> is actually quoting someone else - maybe Truman). I think it is more Dac> productive to discuss ways in which we can promote the diversity within our Dac> profession, rather than having an ongoing lament about something "wrong" with Dac> the profession. How do we let people know what's RIGHT with our profession, Dac> rather than complain amongst ourselves about what's wrong with us. I'm proud Dac> to be an OT, and that is the message I carry to those with whom I interact. Dac> Ann *********��*********** Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist ** List messages are archived at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] *********��***********
