Has it really been a month?

I got to celebrate my one-month anniversary in Salem with some awesome news: A NEW ROOM! The VA provides housing for their interns spending an extended time working at the hospital; so, I've been living in a converted hospital room since I got here. However, it was a very tiny, very hot, very OLD hospital room. My new room is much more spacious, (I can finally finish unpacking), has four beautiful windows, and, blessing of blessings, wifi that works! I have been very grateful for the free housing here, but a more comfortable room is a huge blessing and a very lovely one-month anniversary present from the hospital :)

This past week we've spent observing different, related therapies to gain a better understanding of their purpose, and how music therapy can enhance the therapeutic goals of other disciplines. We've gotten a chance to observe kinesiotherapy, (which is basically using exercise therapeutically), and recreation therapy for patients on the inpatient psychiatric facility. The Salem VAMC is unique from some other VAs in that they provide inpatient treatment programs for substance abuse and PTSD. Later on in my internship I will get the chance to observe and hopefully participate in a four-week substance abuse rehab program, as well as work with PT, OT, and possibly speech pathology. I am really excited about the opportunities we have to work with different therapies; interacting with different professionals just gives us more information to draw from when we design our own therapeutic interventions.

It's hard to believe I've been here a month already. I feel like I've already done and learned so much more than I expected, and it only progresses from here. In the next few months I have projects to do, case studies to write, and will start working more independently as I progress. I am so excited about the possibilities  here.