Insights of an OT Geriatric Fellow: A Year of Transformation

By Jenna McGowan, MS, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Making the decision to complete an OT Geriatric Fellowship was scary at first, but quickly became the best career decision I have made so far. Pursuing a geriatric fellowship consists of a full year of mentored practice, didactic education, formal learning courses, case presentations, and research. The amount of growth that I have gone through both professionally and personally is truly amazing. I have gained so much more confidence in my clinical skills and decision making since just one year ago. In fact, this may have been the fastest year of my life, and what an experience it has been…

The fellowship gave me the opportunity to connect and learn from many different colleagues– each with years of experience and specialty knowledge. I am truly thankful for all of the mentorship that I have gained, and I plan to be able to give back in the future.

I was also given the time throughout the year to complete numerous different modules and research topics to expand my knowledge and overall thought process in geriatric care. I feel like I have a whole new understanding of the patients I treat and that I can offer them more targeted and evidence-based treatment. Another benefit of completing the fellowship was gaining more leadership experience. I was able to participate in various leadership modules and learn from some of the greatest leaders at FOX. I also feel more confident with public speaking and giving presentations because of the experience I had with presenting a Capstone presentation alongside the physical therapy residents.

I have gained so much insight and exposure throughout this year in both occupational therapy practice and FOX’s culture and values. Looking forward, I plan to carry over my newly learned skills and give back to aspiring OT’s who want to make a difference in geriatrics by providing mentorship in the future.

A Global Pandemic – Now What?!

Working through a pandemic is no easy feat for anyone. But how was I supposed to keep pushing through a fellowship program during a pandemic? I had no idea what was going to happen, but I knew that a lot was about to change. So what did we do? Pivot. In hindsight, this may have been one of the most valuable learning experiences in the fellowship, which was how to be flexible and completely change my course in an instant. I didn’t know what the rest of the fellowship was going to look like for me, but with the help and guidance from leadership at FOX I was able to finish all of my requirements on time.

During this time I learned to lean on my colleagues and coworkers for guidance into the unknown. I ended up going back to contributing to a full-time caseload and taking over a position in a FOX Optimal Living building as the Rehab Director. The fellowship course had changed, but I was given the opportunity to take a break from fellowship course work and jump in with more clinical experience. Also, I was able to be a more effective leader and colleague to my coworkers because of the skills I learned in the fellowship up until this point. Being able to jump in and help more patients living through the difficulties imposed by COVID was a truly valuable and rewarding experience.

Insight for Future Fellows

Be flexible! You never know what might happen over the course of a year. A fellowship experience can be different for everyone. The more you put into it the more you get out of it. One thing that was stressed to me from the very beginning was that this program is made entirely to support my growth and can be adapted as needed. To be a successful fellow, you have to constantly reflect on what you need and take every opportunity to learn.

This year also taught me how important it is to have a good support system. I was nervous being the only OT fellow at FOX because I felt more pressure to be self-disciplined and to figure things out on my own. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how collaborative the curriculum was with working with the two physical therapy residents and my two clinical mentors. I never felt alone in the process. I have all of my coworkers around me to thank for the growth that I went through this year.

Jumping into a yearlong fellowship was a great decision for me! I still can’t believe that it has come to an end. I have learned so much about myself and how impactful I can be as an occupational therapist. I truly feel more of a drive now when I am working with my clients because I understand them better now than I did a year ago. I get to see my patients through a whole new lens.

I am excited about the future, especially to be able to share my knowledge by mentoring others. I am so thankful to FOX Rehabilitation and AOTA for giving me the opportunity to complete a geriatric fellowship. I would highly recommend this experience and would love for you to join me in the journey to providing more clinically excellent care to the geriatric population!