Emily Abercrombie, OT ‘19: Embracing Opportunities to Grow as a Practitioner

Emily Abercrombie, OT ‘19 knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career that would fill her with a sense of purpose and meaning. After earning an undergraduate degree in exercise science from Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania, Abercrombie thought carefully about what she wanted to do next. She spent multiple hours observing physician assistants, physical therapists and occupational therapists, and found she was drawn to the work of the OTs. It was clear that they loved what they did. Abercrombie was also intrigued by the idea that OTs work with diverse populations in a variety of settings in order to bring joy and independence into people’s lives.

The Syracuse native enrolled in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program at Le Moyne as a member of its third class. What she appreciated most about the program was the opportunity to volunteer and make connections throughout the community. Those experiences allowed her to apply what she was learning in the classroom to the wider world. What’s more, Abercrombie’s time on the Heights taught her how important it is for her to find opportunities to enrich her life and grow as a practitioner. That philosophy has remained engrained in her, and led her to her most recent professional adventure.

Abercrombie is currently participating in a Pediatric OT Fellowship at NYU Langone Health. The yearlong program is designed to train occupational therapists in expert specialty care for pediatric patients in acute inpatient and outpatient settings. As a fellow, Abercrombie works with a multidisciplinary team of therapists and physicians to provide holistic, patient- and family-centered care. She is gaining experience in treating patients with a wide range of pediatric conditions and diagnoses, including neurologic/neuromuscular, orthopedic, congenital and genetic. By the time she completes the fellowship, she will have worked in the entire continuum of care, from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, to acute care, in-patient and out-patient care settings.

Moving forward, Abercrombie is particularly interested in studying sensory processing, the process by which the human brain computes the information we obtain from the world around us and the world within us and uses that to help us take action. She finds it fascinating because there is so much more to learn and understand about how precisely human beings compute sensory information in order to provide evidence-based practice. She hopes one day to use what she has learned to make measurable improvements in young people’s day-to-day lives.

“I would love to make an impact on improving the lives of children,” she says.