MM Career

Occupational Therapy 

What is occupational therapy?

      

        Occupational therapy (OT) is the use of assessment and treatment to develop, recover, or maintain the daily living and work skills of people with a physical, mental, or cognitive disorder. Occupational therapists also focus much of their work on identifying and eliminating environmental barriers to independence and participation in daily activities.Occupational therapy interventions focus on adapting the environment, modifying the task, teaching the skill, and educating the client/family in order to increase participation in and performance of daily activities, particularly those that are meaningful to the client. 

What do occupational therapists do?

   

          Occupational therapists help people with disabilities, injuries and illnesses improve or recover their ability to perform everyday activities. They may develop interventions that help a disabled child participate in school and social situations, help the elderly lead more active and independent lives and make recommendations on how a person's home can be improved to better suit their health needs. An occupational therapist can find employment in hospitals, nursing care facilities, home health care services and the private offices of other health care professionals. Therapists may spend many hours standing and might need to lift or move patients. Some of them travel to provide their services at multiple sites.

How do you become and occupational therapists?

Step 1: Earn a Bachelors  Degree 

First complete a 4-year degree program from an accredited university. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, a variety of majors can prepare aspiring occupational therapists for graduate-level study. Kinesiology, psychology, anthropology, biology and sociology are examples of a few common programs.

• Have a competitive GPA in prerequisite courses. Many schools offering a master's degree in occupational therapy require that students meet specific GPA requirements before being admitted to the program. While this can vary for each program, schools commonly require a GPA of about 3.0 in prerequisite courses. This includes courses in chemistry, anatomy and physiology, statistics and psychology. A student with a strong GPA may have an advantage when applying to graduate programs.
• Obtain volunteer experience. Previous experience working with individuals who have mental, developmental or physical disabilities is required for admission to many graduate programs. Some schools prefer applicants who have about 40 hours of experience in more than one occupational therapy setting. Students can contact local facilities that hire occupational therapists to inquire about volunteering.

Step 2: Earn a Masters Degree 

Master's degree programs in occupational therapy typically take two years to complete. During this time, students learn about functional anatomy, medical and social conditions, assistive technology, patient care concepts and research methods.


Step 3: Get Certified 

Maintain certification. Completion of the NBCOT certification exam is mandatory in order to obtain state licensure; however, the certification itself is technically voluntary.


Where can they work?

      They can work in many different practice settings including hospitals, day care facilities, nursing homes,schools, universities, community centres and workplaces.

How much salary do they earn?

          The median annual wage for occupational therapists was $75,400 in May 2012. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $50,500, and the top 10 percent earned more than $107,070.

The best schools for occupational therapists majors?

1. University of Southern California 
2. Boston University
3. Washington University in St. Louis 
4. University of Illinois- Chicago
5. University of Kansas Medical Center