OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

By Piper Virva

WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?

“Occupational therapy is a client-centered health profession

concerned with promoting health and well being through

occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable

people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational

therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and

communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations

they want to, need to, or are expected to do, or by modifying the

occupation or the environment to better support their occupational

engagement” (WFOT 2012).

10 STEPS TO BECOMING AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST1. Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree (BS or BA) in one of the following disciplines: Biology,

Psychology, Anatomy, Sociology, or Anthropology (making sure that the necessary prerequisites are taken/met) – 4 years

2. Complete a job shadow (recommended but not required)

3. Complete a volunteer internship – Level I Fieldwork (most graduate schools require this)

4. Take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) to get into a Graduate School Occupational Therapy Program

5. Obtain a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy (MOT) at an accredited school – 2/3 years

6. Complete Supervised Level II Fieldwork (24 week internship)

7. OPTIONAL: Obtain a Doctoral Degree in Occupational Therapy (DOT)

8. Take the National Board of Certification for Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) to receive a license

9. Look for a job (traveling or permanent OT)

10.Take a number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to renew and maintain license (throughout OT career)

WHAT DO OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS DO?•Observe patients doing tasks, ask questions, & review medical history

•Evaluate patients’ condition

•Develop a treatment plan for patients

•Demonstrate exercises

•Evaluate patients’ home and/or workplace

•Recommend special equipment

•Assess patients’ progress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaXsL25rUw0

WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY SKILLS/QUALITIES?•Communication skills

•Interpersonal skills

•Judgment & decision making skills

•Complex problem solving

•Writing skills

•Critical thinking skills

•Coordination

•Flexibility

•Patience

•Compassion

HOW IS THE PAY?

•Median annual wage: $76,940

•The top 10% earned more than $109,380

•The lowest 10% earned less than $51,310

WHAT DOES THE JOB OUTLOOK LOOK LIKE?•Ranked #9 in Best Health Care Jobs and #13 in The 100 Best Jobs

•Number of jobs as of 2012: 113,200

•Projected number of jobs for 2022: 146,100

•From 2012 – 2022, a 29% increase in the job market is expected (much faster than average)

•Large demand for OT in schools to assist children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

•Increasing need for OT because baby-boom generation is getting olderoOT help senior citizens maintain their independence oOT play a big role in treatment of conditions like arthritis and stroke

WHAT HAS CHANGED? WHAT IS CHANGING NOW?•The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was signed on March 23, 2010

•Goal was to expand health insurance coverage so that patients can receive better treatment at a lower cost (including Medicaid expansion)

•American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) advocates and hosts a number of events

WHERE ARE THE JOBS?

•Hospitals

•Schools

•Nursing homes

•Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy offices

•Home health care services

WHAT DO I LIKE ABOUT THIS JOB?• It is in the healthcare field

•It will challenge me to be more creative and will keep me on my toes

•Get to work with individuals with special needs

•Can work with children

•Able to help others develop and grow both physically and emotionally

•Make an major impact on people’s lives by expanding their range of daily activities and their ability to do those activities

•Can work in a hospital setting if I wish to do so

THANK YOU

A special thanks to Mark Torres, the Occupational

Therapist whom I interviewed. Mr. Torres has his

Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Rush

University and currently works at the Bucktown and

Lincoln Park North Athletico Locations.

SOURCES

•"29-1122.00 - Occupational Therapists." O-NET OnLine. O-NET, 2014. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

•“Definition of Occupational Therapy.” World Federation of Occupational Therapists. WFOT

2011, 2012. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.

•“Occupational Therapists.” Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Department of Labor, 08 Jan.

2014. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.

•“Occupational Therapists.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Ed. Christine Hurney, Lori M.

Ryan, Nancy Reinhardt, and Laurence Shatkin. Vol. 2014-2015. St. Paul, MN: JIST, 2015.

419-22. Print.

•Nau, Brent. "How To Become An Occupational Therapist." Advanced Medical. Advanced

Medical Personnel Services, 15 May 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.

•“Patients & Clients.” The American Occupational Therapy Association. American

Occupational Association, Inc., 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.

•Torres, Mark, MOT. “Informational Interview on Occupational Therapy.” Personal interview. 07

Apr. 2015.