Board Certification Interest - Gerontology

       After looking through the list of board and specialty certifications on the AOTA website, the certification that immediately stood out to me and took my interest was a board certification in gerontology (BCG). During my last semester at Mississippi State, I had the rewarding opportunity to intern at a nursing and rehabilitation home in Starkville. During my four months there, my love for occupational therapy in the geriatric inpatient setting began to grow. I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with each resident there and formed meaningful relationships with many of them that I still think of to this day. Elderly populations are so full of wisdom, wit, and sometimes all they need is just someone to listen and share stories with. Hobbies are especially important to the elderly population since the majority of them are retired and simply living easy-going lives, and I think that that brings a whole new level of meaning to occupational therapy for them. Not only does an occupational therapist help them with self-care activities such as bathing or transferring from a bed to a wheelchair, but he or she can also help them get back to their hobbies of knitting, playing piano, painting, constructing puzzles, etc. I grew such a passion for geriatric occupational therapy through this internship simply because I believe that working with elderly clients to achieve their maximal independence is one of the most rewarding settings of this field. For the most part, they are all so appreciate of the therapy provided for them but also want to grow friendships with you through the process. You go to their room to get them each day, and you have the opportunity to have a lasting impact on the remainder of their lives. For this reason, I think eventually achieving a board certification in gerontology would be beneficial in my career as an occupational therapist.