This month we have an occupational therapy guest blog post with an international twist. Army OT Guy Erik Johnson has allowed us to re-publish an article from his website called ‘Why did I become an army OT?’

“I initially enlisted in the (US) Army in 1996. As a young Private, while stationed in Germany, I was involved in a car accident where I sustained second and third degree burns to over 20% of my body, most of which were on my arms and hands.  I decided to become an Occupational Therapist because of the influence from the OT that treated my burns.

From 2000 to 2005, I earned my Masters of Science in OT from the University of Central Arkansas. I spent my first year as an officer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for all my level II field work where I got the opportunity to work with Soldiers that suffered devastating injuries from explosions to gunshot wounds.

Finally licensed in early 2006, I spent my first two years as an OT at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Augusta, GA where I worked in psych, ergonomics, inpatient rehab, and eventually specializing in Upper Extremity Orthopedics.  While there, I was credentialed to be a Neuro-musculoskeletal Upper Extremity Evaluator.

After my tour in Georgia, I served as a healthcare recruiter in Las Vegas where I was the subject matter expert on all things OT, PT, PA, and Dietitian for the 15 western United States.  I used that time to Guest Lecture at OT schools across the US on Army OT, Mental Health as well as Occupation Based upper extremity orthopedics.

I deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 where my primary mission was to screen and treat for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) for the 173rd Brigade Combat Team.

Today, you can find me at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.  I serve as the Officer in Charge of the Amputee program and am humbled every day by the men and women who have sacrificed so much for us.  Word on the street is that In 2013 I will be moving to San Antonio where I will take over as Chief of the Burn Center where it all initially began.  It’s a dream job for me and I can’t wait to begin the next phase.”

Images: Courtesy of Erik Johnson