June 15, 2023
For Helen Bich-Ha Phan, it was the human connection with others that highlighted her placement at London Health Sciences Centre.
Helen, a second-year student in the Occupational Therapy Master’s program at Western University, joined LHSC for eight weeks in Adult Outpatient Mental Health.
Prior to enrolling in the Occupational Therapy program, Helen had worked in business for several years after completing her undergraduate degree. It was during that time that she recognized a longing for more purposeful work.
“I realized how much I missed talking to people and seeing how I could help people on a daily basis,” she remembers. “You’re just so far removed from what’s happening in the world. I decided to make the jump back into health care when I realized that it suited my personality more.”
It was also her time in business that opened her eyes to the possibilities in Occupational Therapy. While working for a telemedicine company, she had the opportunity to work with several occupational therapists who were setting up their own private practice.
"Talking to them and seeing what they did was really cool because it showed the broadness in Occupational Therapy,” Helen says. “I decided to just take a leap into the program.”
During her placement at LHSC, Helen quickly realized that mental health was a particular stream of Occupational Therapy that resonated with her.
“I really do love talking to people. I’m interested in people’s stories and trying to understand where they are coming from and where they’re going,” she said. “I think mental health was the perfect place for me, which is what I realized during my placement.”
After learning important lessons in theory and best practice in school, it was the chance to hear the first-hand experiences of clients that Helen acknowledged as the greatest benefit of her on-site learning.
“People are really trying their best,” she said. “We read so many case studies in school, but when you actually talk to someone with a condition you’ve only read about, you realize how difficult it is for them. I think the human aspect of things is something you can’t fully comprehend while in school.”
Helen’s learning at LHSC was supported by her preceptor, Hannah Goettl, who recognized Helen’s self-awareness and maturity, and her ability to make a personal connection with clients.
“Helen was very easy to get along with. She’d had some work experience before her placement, and it made a big difference in her understanding of people and her understanding of herself,” Hannah said.
Drawing on her experience mentoring many students during their time at LHSC, Hannah echoed the importance of on-site learning in the development of human skills for Occupational Therapy students.
“You see compassion and empathy develop a lot during placements, and students learn how to better understand somebody, what’s bringing them here, and how difficult it is for them to show up to get help,” she explained. “Often times, our patients are at their most vulnerable point in life, and that’s critical for our students to grasp.”
Hannah’s appreciation for teaching comes from a passion for her work and the opportunity to continuing learning herself. Her own placements were foundational to her learning, and she sees preceptorship as an opportunity to give back to the next generation of students.
“Students have a lot of good ideas and ask good questions. They force you to think about why you’re doing what you’re doing – it forces you to be mindful of your clinical reasoning,” she explained. “At the end of the day, I enjoy what I do and being able to share that with other people.”
Helen’s time at LHSC allowed her to see the impact that is possible in her new career. Having lived in London her whole life, she is hopeful that she will be able to make an impact on her local community through her work.
“I think Occupational Therapy has a large role to play in how we can help the community-at-large, as well as in individual lives,” she said. “For me, it’s about being able to help one person on their journey. I think that if one person is able to live a life they’re happy with, that extends into other lives.”