Occupational Therapy Student to Clinician: Making the Transition

It is surprising that there is no “go-to” resource for the occupational therapy or occupational therapy assistant student to have when they embark on their professional journey.

Marilyn Rosee and Lisa Davis, both occupational therapists, came together in 1985 with an idea. Working together as per diem therapists for a group of nursing homes, they found there were many requests for their services, but only so many hours in the day. Combining their entrepreneurial spirit and skills as occupational therapists, they decided to start their own agency, hiring therapists to work directly for them and placing them in the positions they could not accept themselves. They thought their chances for success were slim, but they decided to try anyway. They named their business Therapeutic Resources.

Before embarking on the new venture, Lisa, a graduate of New York University’s graduate program in occupational therapy, was serving as Director of Occupational Therapy at Daughters of Jacob Geriatric Center in New York. Marilyn, a graduate of Columbia University’s graduate program in occupational therapy, was a Senior Therapist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. While attending New York University, pursuing a Master of Public Administration in Health Administration, Marilyn was inspired to pursue a nontraditional career path in occupational therapy. Searching for a viable business concept where her talents as an occupational therapist could be utilized, she jumped at the opportunity to work with Lisa to develop their idea to create a rehabilitation staffing agency.

After joining together, Lisa and Marilyn continued their full-time consulting positions while spending evenings and weekends interviewing therapists, planning marketing campaigns, and performing bookkeeping tasks. Gradually, their business grew and they were able to afford to rent an office and hire an office manager to help with administrative responsibilities. As each year passed, their staff grew along with their business. Now, almost three decades later, they look at each other across their “partners” desk, enjoy their panoramic view of New York City, and marvel at what they have accomplished as they work together with their office staff to continue their mission. In addition to the hundreds of facilities and municipalities they serve and the respect they enjoy from the therapy community, they are especially proud of their continuing education division, which provides cutting-edge programs for occupational and physical therapists, speech and language pathologists and special educators.

Through it all, Marilyn and Lisa have proudly maintained their identities as “working” occupational therapists through their varied professional positions, including managing a multi-facility rehab department, directing rehabilitation and occupational therapy departments, as well as performing hands-on provision of therapy with pediatric populations. Additionally, they have taught in occupational therapy programs, serving as Adjunct Professors at New York University, Long Island University, Touro College, New York Institute of Technology, and LaGuardia Community College. They have lectured extensively over the years on topics relating to private practice, long-term care management, and most recently, to the skills needed to make a successful transition from student to clinician. They have served as Board Members at the New York State Occupational Therapy District of the New York State Occupational Therapy Association, as well as serving as Co-Chairs of the Geriatric Special Interest Group and the Continuing Education Committee. All of their experiences contributed to the development of this book.

After all these years, Marilyn and Lisa look back with pride at what they have accomplished together and the friendship they have forged.