Fanny Piazza
F. Piazza - Training to become a neuro-rehabilitation therapist
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Fanny Piazza, who obtained a Bachelor's degree in Ergotherapy in 2015, talks about her studies at SUPSI and her decision to specialize in the care of patients with neurological diagnoses.
What is your current occupation?
I work as an occupational therapist at the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC). I'm currently at the physiotherapy and occupational therapy clinic of the Italian Hospital in Viganello as a substitute, treating patients in the field of hand rehabilitation and neurology. From May 2025 I will return to the Ospdale Civico where I have always worked after obtaining my Bachelor's degree in 2015, managing in-patients in the acute phase, mainly with neurological diagnoses.
Why did you choose to study at university? And why, in particular, the Bachelor in Occupational Therapy at SUPSI?
I chose to follow a university course, attending the SUPSI Bachelor in Occupational Therapy, because I wanted to train in Ticino with the possibility of working in a social and health context that would open the doors to different areas of intervention. The very practical orientation of the training also allowed me to quickly enter the world of work, an aspect that was particularly important to me.
What elements of the training stood out the most for you? And which aspects were most useful for your profession?
The education at SUPSI is very stimulating and allows all students to experiment a lot. I remember, for example, with great pleasure the activities carried out in carpentry and the practical atelier of painting on silk, which allowed me to rediscover a more creative side that I thought I didn't have. A very important element of the training is certainly represented by the alternation between theoretical study and practice carried out during the various internships included in the Bachelor's degree.
Personally, the most significant internship was the one at the Hildebrand Clinic, Brissago Rehabilitation Center, which confirmed my choice to work in the neurological field once I finished my studies.
What advice would you give to those who want to follow in your footsteps / your profession?
I would recommend this profession to those interested in Ergotherapy because it offers many job opportunities in different fields of intervention. Working with patients is the core of our profession and it is very enriching and stimulating, both professionally and personally.
As with other professions in the social and health care sector, it is important for occupational therapists to keep up to date and there are numerous opportunities for continuing education, both in Switzerland and abroad, that allow them to explore topics of specific interest in greater depth. In my case, I decided to specialize in neurology and in particular in the rehabilitation of stroke patients.