General Question

sevenfourteen's avatar

Where should I do my fieldwork level 2?

Asked by sevenfourteen (2422points) December 4th, 2011

I’m an occupational therapy student and I have been trying to figure out where I should go this summer for my physical disabilities fieldwork. I was thinking North Carolina or Florida. I want a change of pace (I’m from Maine) and also I’d love to pick up some Spanish language since it’s so common now. Any suggestions for hospitals/areas welcome!! Thanks!

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8 Answers

Moegitto's avatar

I’d suggest Florida. Lots of disabled vets of all age groups, about a minimum of 3 different latin languages (Cuban, Spanish, Pueto Rican). North Carolina has a high random violence rate, while Florida has certain spots you can avoid.

sevenfourteen's avatar

Thanks for the input – my only question is, how hot is it gonna be down there in July? I’m from the land of 70 average summer.

Moegitto's avatar

Florida is pretty much a total beach, it’s not arid so the temperatures normally stay around the 90’s. It’s never really too hot, but you have to take into account humidity because of the water. But then again, it’s not unbearable.

wundayatta's avatar

If you go to the South, and it doesn’t matter whether it is Florida or NC, you are going to have to get used to summers with 100 degree days. It will be hotter and more humid than you can possibly imagine if you have never experienced it. You will be utterly miserable when outside.

This is not a problem, probably, since both your workplace and the place you live will be air conditioned. The advantage of Florida is that you might live close to the shore, and if that is the case, you can go hang out in the ocean when it is really hot. In NC, I’m not sure what people do, having not really ever been anywhere except Cape Hatteras. If you can get an assignment there, you’ll be on the beach.

There’s always California, too. Then you can have the beach without such high temps and without so much humidity.

sevenfourteen's avatar

California is too far to be by myself. Not that I don’t think I could handle it but I’m in a wedding in the middle of the summer and 3 weeks later is my birthday – 2 occasions where I’d be at least driving/flying up to Mass so I can’t be too far away.

Moegitto's avatar

I can tell you from being born and raised in Washington DC, joining the military, getting stationed in Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky and deploying to Iraq twice, the humidity in the south is nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be. You’ll need to worry more about base value temperature before humidity. The only areas where it gets unbearable are high vegetation areas. I can tell you from visiting my aunt every 2 months in Florida that it’s nowhere near as “NORMAL” hot as North Carolina. Ft. Bragg is in North Carolina, that’s where we did out airborne training at, it actually gets cool there, and in the winter North Carolina gets torn up by snow. Florida has minimal snow and it’s always on average about 93 degrees.

wundayatta's avatar

@Moegitto Having been born in Washington DC, you probably won’t know that that is the “South” to people from Massachusetts. The weather there is already hideous compared to what we experience in New England.

I live in Philly now, and when we get thirty or more days of 90+ weather (which is happening more and more often these days), we are in shock. In Florida, if your average temperature is 93, that sounds positively unlivable. Especially since it is almost always a humid 93. You may be used to it because you grew up in it, but for a Northerner is it intolerable. Zero degrees F is far more tolerable than 91 degrees and 95% humidity.

sevenfourteen's avatar

@wundayatta that’s what I’m afraid of. I mean it’s only for 3 months so I’ve gotta weigh my options but I just want to know everything that I should be expecting before I go.

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