Maximizing What is Possible

Burn specialist and occupational therapist Katherine Siwy, PP-MS ‘08, has supported thousands of adults and children through long and often harrowing recoveries. Surviving house fires, chemical accidents, electrocution, and other serious occurrences, many of her clients have had their lives upended and forever altered by burn injuries.

Siwy sees herself as a vehicle to help her clients return to optimal functioning in their work and home lives. She takes her vocation seriously. It is a privilege and a joy, she says, to help her clients progress in their recovery.

In 2008, after working in the burn unit of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital for several years, Siwy enrolled in Tufts Certificate in Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation to better understand the complex mechanics of the hand and upper extremities. “I was always taken with the hand,” she says. “I wanted to gain a better understanding of how to support clients living with these types of critical injuries.”

Siwy’s time at Tufts was unexpectedly formative. Encouraged by Tufts faculty and the instructive and dynamic nature of her courses, she decided to continue her studies and pursue a master’s degree in occupational therapy.

“Whenever I’m talking about my time at Tufts, I always stress how well the program caters to working professionals,” she says. “The faculty were so knowledgeable, and recognized me as a member of the OT community with years of experience. I was really diving into the material and having deep discussions about client care and healthcare broadly. The structure and timing of the classes were also well tailored to the needs of working OTs.”

Siwy especially enjoyed her courses taught by Distinguished Senior Lecturer Janet Brooks who specializes in treating physical disabilities. “Janet really saw something in me and helped guide me in my career. Over the years, she has remained a great resource, colleague, and friend,” says Siwy.

Encouraged by Brooks and other Tufts faculty members, Siwy applied for and was granted a scholarship to study abroad for a year. She attended Oxford University where she was able to apply an international lens to her occupational therapy practice and gain experience working within a different type of healthcare system.

“Coming to Tufts as a post-professional student, I was well poised to embrace everything the university has to offer,” reflects Siwy. “From studying abroad to the close relationships I formed with the faculty and other students, it was this wonderful catalyst to opportunities I didn’t know existed.”

Since graduating from Tufts, Siwy has gone on to become a certified hand therapist, publish in several medical journals, author two book chapters, lead grant-funded projects in collaboration with the Department of Defense, serve on international boards, speak at conferences, and mentor other OTs. Siwy has also returned to Tufts as a guest lecturer in the Hand and Upper Extremities Certificate courses, and currently works as a hand therapist at Massachusetts General Hospital. “I feel like I’m maximizing what I can do in the profession,” she says.

Although Siwy has delved into research and teaching, her favorite part of being an OT remains working one-on-one with clients and seeing them return to performing the activities that are most meaningful to them. “Whether you’re treating a burn or a hand injury, you may be seeing people over the course of several years,” she says. “I’ve built wonderful relationships with my clients. It’s so rewarding to see someone get back to dressing themselves independently, returning to work, or holding their baby.”

“I’m an ambitious person,” she added. “That’s another piece of me. I like challenging myself and trying new things. OT is all about coming up with creative solutions and thinking outside the box, and Tufts is a great place to learn to do that.”