Student making the most of University experience in Scotland
A student’s volunteer role with the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) has helped her adapt to new surroundings while benefitting her future career.
Blessing Christian moved from Nigeria to Scotland to start her MSc Occupational Therapy (pre-registration) degree in January last year.
“It was a difficult decision to move because I had just got married and had to convince my partner who was working in Dubai at the time. It was quite difficult because Occupational Therapy isn’t really recognised in Nigeria, so I knew I had to come to the UK or USA to gain experience.
“I previously studied Food Science and Technology in Nigeria. I realised it wasn’t really a career for me because I wanted something extra that would help people achieve their dreams and live an independent life despite the different barriers they may have had in their past.”
Keen to make the most of her time in Scotland, Blessing wanted to gain further experience in addition to her Masters qualification.
“I would definitely say I’m ambitious,” explained Blessing. “I like to keep myself busy when classes aren’t on and I wanted to fill in the gap last summer.
“I saw a Tweet about a volunteering opportunity with RCOT, and I always like their posts and share them. Their team obviously noticed this and contacted me around whether I would like to do a story about why I chose Occupational Therapy. I just thought ‘why not?!’ because I always like to volunteer and give myself a platform for my voice to be heard.”
RCOT are the governing body for occupational therapists across the UK and consistently give members opportunities to learn and develop their skills as professionals.
Blessing said: “I’ve basically been involved in promotional work with them. I got to take part in a video shoot down in London four months ago which involved me talking about how anyone can become an occupational therapist. It was a great way for me to reflect on my journey so far and also ties into RCOT’s aim of highlighting occupational therapy as a profession.
“Videos like this help inform people about what occupational therapy actually is. Some people think it’s the same as physiotherapy, but we work in a special role that deals with both physical and mental health.”
She added: “I’m also directly involved with the Scottish Western Region branch of RCOT. I help manage their Twitter page, which has been beneficial because it allows me to be in contact with other occupational therapists. I’m learning to socialise and also to give feedback around my own experience.
“It’s a big thing for me because the language barrier can be an issue. The more I socialise means I start to learn more about the Scottish language and culture, which ultimately helps me integrate further into the field of occupational therapy.”
“My volunteering experience has helped me realise that no-one will know what you are doing if you don’t make your voice heard.”
Through a combination of her degree and experience with RCOT, Blessing admits that she now feels ready to take the next stage in her career.
“I now feel like I’m more confident to speak with patients and their families. Everything I’ve been doing, both with RCOT and through placement, has helped give me experience that will allow me to become a better occupational therapist.
“I still have one placement left, but I do feel the experience I’ve gained will ensure my patients are well looked after and can achieve independence despite the challenges they face.”
Blessing added: “I plan to gain experience here in the UK and then possibly return home to Nigeria to help raise awareness around the importance of occupational therapy.”
You can watch Blessing’s video with RCOT here
Find out more about the MSc Occupational Therapy course here
By Ross Clark
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter