Good Question David! Sorry for the long response, but you hit my passion. Any you asked a lot of questions. :-)
As an African American, I have made it my passion to educate my community about the world of OT. Believe it or not, and it sounds corny, but discovering OT saved my life and redirected me. Since 1994, I have participated in various school based outreach programs discussing the allied health field in Philadelphia. I'm currently on the Philadelphia School district's health advisory committee at 2 high schools that promote special health field education programs and they have courses that prepare them for an entry level jobs such as CNA, techs etc. But I believe it can't hurt to expose them to the information of allied health professions as their next level of attainment. I found, like most things in the AA community, it's a lack of exposure to this array of professions. I can remember talking with a few young guys s/p gunshot wounds asking me how I got my job. They knew that what they were doing was not the way to be achieve "success" and they wanted a stable, hazard free, respectable occupation. AS a male who was born and raised in West Philly, I truly believe 90% of the kids who get into trouble want to discover a way to a stable environment, but don't know how and/or surrounded by others who don't know how either, even in the urban public school systems. That's one reason I stopped doing outreach to colleges students and went to the high schools. I have a million experiences that confirm this for myself, regardless of what other say or may think. Mainly because I was one of them, and I was just lucky to steer away in the nick of time. One outreach program that I did for about 10 years was probably the most fulfilling. Out of the possibly 300 high students that I introduced to OT, 3 became OTR, and 5 became PTs. This highly structured program at Temple University Hospital, level I trauma ctr, exposed them to all the other fields in the allied health professions outside of the traditional RN/MD roles. From my understanding, most of the students entered into the program to expose themselves to theses traditional roles, but discovered that they can be in other medical professions that may a satisfying pit stop along the way to becoming a physician. Actually, I was introduced to the allied health fields by a HS outreach program. I knew I didn't want to be a physician or nurse, but I didn't know what else was out there. The approach has to be grass roots but directed by the national organization. Every OT should make it a point to be involved with career days in their local schools. APTA, AOTA should place directives to the state associations, who in turn, should aggressively reach out to high schools, especially urban area school districts and annually funnel them a contact person and offer career day opportunities to their schools. If we make it a point to identify the career counselors and create one on one dialogue, regardless of how brief the encounter, we are helping him/her do their job easier by having a person to contact that exposes his kids to another profession than the ones he can think of and have contacts. Arley Johnson MS, OTR/L Site Manager, Rehabilitation Services, Pennsylvania Hospital Good Shepherd Penn Partners O: 215.829.5018 P: 215.422.0174 C: 215.776.4305 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of LEHMAN, DAVID Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 10:16 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [OTlist] Why??? 1. The topic of what an OT does and what an OT gets paid for has gotten old and I don't see the health care system we have changing the way it is, unfortunately. But, I love the discussion and hope one day OTs can do what they are supposed to do instead of what the health care system makes them do.... 2. The topic has to be one I am passionate about to reply, and there are so many listserves to talk about things, it gets mind boggling. So, have to choose wisely due to time. 3. Get creative, Ron, and start something up that will stir the pot. Actually, I have a topic of discussion for ya. I will post at end and you can start a new thread with the question. 3. Resources......there IS a lot out there.....so, if ya need it, you can find it. OK...my question: Why is it that there is still a large lack of representation of African Americans in the Allied health professions relative to the representation in the general population? It does not seem to be as great an issue with other ethnicities such as Asian or Phillipino. It may be an issue with hispanic. I am trying to put together a forum on this topic in the PT world and I wrote an email to the department heads of many HBCUs as well as the President of APTA and the minority affairs department. I got ONE response, from a caucasian faculty member at a HBCU. Even with a minority affairs department in the professional organizations (i.e. APTA) and all types of initiatives to help minorities be in Allied Health, the problem exists but you don't see discussion about it anymore. Is it taboo? What are the reasons why, for example, school, socioeconomic, cultural, etc??? How do we overcome this. Scholarships will not take care of the problem alone and that is all I see the APTA minority affairs department doing. David A. Lehman, PhD, PT Associate Professor Tennessee State University Department of Physical Therapy 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. Nashville, TN 37209 615-963-5946 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit my website: http://www.tnstate.edu/interior.asp?mid=2410&ptid=1 This email and any files transmitted with it may contain confidential information and is intended solely for use by the individual to whom it is addressed. If you receive this correspondence in error, please notify the sender and delete the email from your system. Do not disclose its contents with others. ________________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joan Riches [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 12:22 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [OTlist] Why??? Ron I was interested in Heather's reply from the digest that 3-5 passionate people keep a list going. I guess in terms of OT Now that's one passionate person and a few faithful reactors. I have the same difficulty with the Allen Cognitive Network Bulletin Board. Most of the posts are from me. Your number 4 comes close but I think it is more than that. Too much email period. Every time I sit down to do some work on the computer I spend so much time responding/reacting that I sometimes never get going on what I intended to do. I'm president of the Allen Cognitive Network this year. Some of the people I depend upon simply don't read their email or all of it for days at a time. It's the only way they can get anything else done. When I first got connected to the Internet it was not like this. I was on an OT listserve from Dalhousie and we became a real community. I think lots of people read but depend on others for the content. Incidentally - Advance Registration is now open for the Allen Cognitive Symposium in November in Boston www.Allen-cognitive-network.org Blessings, Joan -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ron Carson Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 7:39 AM To: OTlist Subject: [OTlist] Why??? Why does the list "die"? Is it because: 1. You don't think about it? 2. Not enough time to write? 3. Not enough interest to write? 4. Too many other resources? 5. Not any benefit to writing? Thanks, Ron -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The information contained in this e-mail message is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the recipient(s) named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this document in error and that any review, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message. -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
