A Look Inside The New FOX OT Fellowship

Find the average of five people you spend the most time with. So I think just doing a little self assessment. Seeing who you surround yourself with: Do they push you? Do they motivate you? Do they want you to be better? Do they drive you? You just have to reflect and see who’s around you and are they a positive influence?

This is FOXcast OT, a podcast for clinicians made by clinicians. It’s brought to you by FOX Rehabilitation. Find out more at foxrehab.org

Jimmy McKay PT, DPT: All right welcome to FOXcast OT. I’m your host Jimmy McKay. On the program: Carlie Siravo, another OT with us here from Monmouth County New Jersey. Carlie, welcome to the program.

Carlie Siravo, MS, OTR/L: Thank you. How are you?

Jimmy: I’m doing alright. We wanted to talk with you about something you’re doing above and beyond being at OT and that’s with the fellowship program we have within FOX Rehabilitation.

Carlie: Yeah. So exciting. And I just start off by thanking FOX for this opportunity. Because were actually the first private practice that is having this fellowship. So that’s really exciting.

Jimmy: It is exciting. So first off what is a fellowship?

Carlie: This fellowship is specifically about becoming a geriatric specialist in the field of occupational therapy. Just like at FOX we believe in clinically excellent care. Through the fellowship i’ll gain better knowledge and become a geriatric specialist. So I’ll be able to better dose my patients understand what’s going on clinically and also be able to better advocate for them. Learn about health care and policy and what’s going on and what the future holds for geriatric care.

Jimmy: Why take something like this on? Right. You went to school for a long time. You’re also we should throw in your LSVT certified so you’ve taken some continuing education courses. Why jump into something as large and long as a fellowship?

Carlie: I mean the opportunity presented itself and I’ve been looking for something to do to better myself. I’m a person that’s never really satisfied that kind of wants to just strive to be better, to learn more. And when you’re dealing with humans daily basis I mean that’s a lot on your plate. You want to be the best you could be for them. By taking on this fellowship I’m going to definitely excel in my career and I can provide them with the best care. Sure you want to better yourself. But I think that I did it more for my patients than myself. I know I going to learn so much and be able to help them much more.

Jimmy: Sounds like a great reason to want to do it. It’s not even about you. You spoke really all about bettering yourself for the end goal which is helping the older adults you work with.

Carlie: Yeah absolutely.

Jimmy: So lay it out for me what is a fellowship actually look like how long, what’s involved, what’s expected?

Carlie: So we started this september 2018 and we’re going to go until about next September 2019. So it’s a year long program. Also getting my BCG so we at FOX have eight clinicians that are BCG certified out of the 34 in the country. Just want to give a shout out to FOX OT’s. So I will actually have that completed by the end of our year fellowship. We do a lot of didactic learning lectures at home office team up with Jefferson University and I have three mentors that are from FOX. They come out and shadow me we do one on one of observations . We kind of problem solved through my treatment ideas we use evidence and the things that I’m learning in the fellowship to apply to my practice. We’re also doing a capstone project. We are teaming up with the physical therapy residents to create a research project. You guys just have to wait and see what the capstone project is about. We will be presenting that next year.

Jimmy: Well what sort of things you to do on a weekly basis? What sort of things do you do like maybe on a monthly basis? What touch points do you have and who do you have them with? Who do you get to interact with and learn from on a regular basis?

Carlie: Jen Ruoff is the head of the fellowship. She’s the best. I talk to her regularly. She’s the one that set this whole fellowship up. On a daily basis. I am in contact with either Jen or my other two mentors who are Jamie Stark and Denise Crowley. And they both treat in New Jersey as well in Ocean County. I see one of them face to face one time a week for about seven hours and then we have a phone conference. I also do a lot of medbridge trainings. They’re set up monthly so I just kind of try to complete them throughout the month. And I do one criterion for my BCG once a month. Jen and I have a monthly meeting once a month and then mix in there we have the didactic learning where I come to home office and we learn a little bit for between two to four to five hours at a time.

Jimmy: Well so sounds involved but it also doesn’t sound like you’re just kind of being thrown to the wolves. Sounds like there’s a lot of different touch points that you’re you’re receiving information you’re receiving contact and mentorship from people all throughout this process.

Carlie: Absolutely it’s extremely structured so I never feel lost and the mentors have been so great and so helpful and almost three months and I haven’t felt lost yet. I don’t feel overwhelmed because if you keep up on it you should be able to do it. I think and this goes on it would be a great opportunity for other OT’s to get involved into this fellowship program because it is definitely doable if you’re motivated you’re dedicated to your profession.

Jimmy: We touched on this a little bit but what drives somebody to want to excel in their career beyond going through school and beyond Con Ed courses?

Carlie: I think if you have a true passion and dedication to your profession like I said you would do anything to better yourself. I think everyone starts with motivation. So what’s your why factor what’s your motivation? What drives you to carry out that task. And I think you carry out that with some dedication. So maybe I’m not always motivated to sit down and do a medbridge course but I’m definitely dedicated to this profession and this fellowship program so I know I gotta get it done and I want to better my skills. As a person that always strives for more and wants to keep working harder. I think that you need that trait. I love the quote by Jim Rohn, he says you’re the average of five people you spend the most time with. So I think just doing a little self-assessment being who you surround yourself with. Do they push you? Do they movitave you? Do they want you to be better? Do they drive you? You have to reflect and see who’s around you. Are they a positive influence? That’s what I had when I first got to FOX. The PT that I worked with off the bat was Beth Brown. She’s a great person and she wants to always be better. Always Strive to clinically excellent care was evidence. And I just learned that from the beginning and my mentor was Leslie Vodofsky and she was incredible. She was so helpful and she’s been a clinician that has so much experience and she kind of always question my treatment ideas and it made me want to learn and do more.

Jimmy: I love that perspective is who are you surrounding yourself with and what are those people doing or are they pushing to make themselves better? If so it’s going to force you to make yourself better. What would be a question or two that someone should ask if they were thinking about doing something as big as a fellowship?

Carlie: Why? Why do I want to do this? Like am I doing this selfishly so I can just have a title at the end of it or is it because I truly want this? Will I give everything I have towards this? It’s going to take a lot of time is going to be hard. But if you want you’ll be dedicated to it you’ll do anything. So the end result of bettering your patients. I definitely think that’s something you should ask yourself why? Why am I doing this? When we go to treat somebody why are you treating them why are you doing that certain protocol?

Jimmy: The almighty why. Any predictions for this coming year, since you’re three months into it for the remaining nine months and the fellowship?

Carlie: I’m definitely excited to go to the AOTA conference in New Orleans with Jen, Denise and Jamie. I think that will be awesome. Great to learn about other fellowship programs out there. I think there’s only one other program that’s a fellowship in geriatrics. Talk to them see how it’s going with them. It’s an ideas maybe how to better our program. Definitely excited for that inApril.

Jimmy: Carlie every episode that we record we end it with a FOXtale. So my question to you is Why did you decide to work with older adults?

Carlie: I’ve always loved older adults from going into grad school I said that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not changing it. Sure I love my pediatric placements but the wisdom and knowledge and I always say like I’m not just giving to them they’re giving back to me. I learn something new every day from them from their stories. You getting married in January. I always ask And can you give me a little tips about marriage and it’s just it’s just great. I love working the geriatrics.

Jimmy: All right so what tips have you heard since you’re on your way to get married. What have you learned?

Carlie: Oh boy. Never go to bed mad. Not every day is going to be your best day but if you’re with the one you love it don’t work out.

Jimmy: Carlie Siravo appreciate your time talking fellowship’s with us here on the show. We’d love to check in as you do your wrap up and at the end of this year fellowship with your capstone project. We’d love to hear more about that on this program.

Carlie: Definitely would love to talk again Jimmy. Thank you.

Thanks for listening to FOXcast OT a clinically excellent podcast. It’s brought to you by Fox Rehabilitation. Fox clinician’s work hard love their work and get the respect they deserve. Sound good? Then you’ll love the autonomy to work in your own style and the support you get to achieve excellence plus freedom and flexibility to have a personal life whether it’s your first day or you’ve been around for a while. Your contribution is acknowledged and rewarded. That’s what makes FOX a success happy well-trained clinicians make great health care. Are you a fit for Fox? Find out now at FOXRehab.org.