what do i need to do to become a therapist
Are y'all on the lookout for a noble profession? Are you passionate about science, want to aid people become healthier versions of themselves, and improve their life? Do y'all thrive while working with people and desire a task with steady pay and immense growth potential? Does a therapist's occupation interest you?
If you answered yep to all these questions, then you should consider becoming an occupational therapist! Continue reading – this article provides y'all with all the information you need to begin your journey.
We volition cover answers to the following questions in detail:
- What is occupational therapy?
- What is an occupational therapist?
- How to go an occupational therapist?
- Do you have what it takes to starting time a career in occupational therapy?
- Which university provides exceptional occupational therapy courses?
What is Occupational Therapy?
- Use for a degree in occupational therapy at NEIT!
Occupational therapy can be defined as a type of rehabilitation that assists people struggling with health issues to get back to their meaningful daily activities and lives.
Contrary to quick-fix procedures similar pharmaceuticals and surgical interventions that don't always work, occupational therapies focus on long-term wellness and well-being. It takes a holistic approach to assist patients overcome their clinical condition and change their lifestyle so they tin can become dorsum to their injury-gratis life.
"Occupational therapy is the only profession that helps people beyond the lifespan to practise the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic apply of daily activities (occupations)."
-American Occupational Therapy Association
What Does the Occupational Therapist do?
Occupational therapists tin can be considered equally centrolineal wellness professionals. They work together with physicians, nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists, respiratory therapists, and many other health practitioners to provide holistic intendance for their patients.
The chore of an occupational therapist differs from other rehabilitation professionals. They use evidence-based treatments to improve both the mental and physical health of the patient. Upon employment, occupational therapists use a true mind-body approach to help patients become back on their feet.
In that location are many reasons to go an occupational therapist. Occupational therapists enjoy employment security, fulfillment, plenty of employment opportunities, and flexibility.
According to the employment information provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, themedian occupational therapist salary is approximately $84,950 annually, which is well above the national median almanac income.
The U.s. Bureau of Labor Statistics also says that the job opportunities for occupational therapists are expected to get upwards by sixteen% by 2029 compared to 2018. Even the average salary of OTs who take just graduated and don't have much work experience (5 or fewer years of work experience) is a decent $64,000.
5 Bones Steps to Becoming an Occupational Therapist
Step i: Earn A Available'south Degree
Before applying to occupational therapy schools, it is vital to attain the required educational activity by earning your high school degree and completing an undergrad class with the required prerequisite coursework.
- biological science
- anatomy and physiology
- mental and concrete wellness theory and practice;
- pediatrics and geriatrics.
Endeavor picking a major related to occupational therapy while yous are in schoolhouse, this will aid you in the long run when you lot're trying to find employment.
Depending on the blazon of program and schools you want to get into, the requirements would differ, but try to find work in at least a few dissimilar settings.
Try searching for employment and exploring dissimilar types of patient populations by working at a pediatric OT clinic, school-based OT clinic, skilled nursing facility (SNF), hospitals, and an inpatient rehab facility.
Step 2: Take the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) Examination
After y'all've finished your bachelor's degree program, you lot can enter the occupational therapy banana field past passing the COTA exam. This examination is computer-based and comprises of 200 MCQs.
Past immigration this test, you will earn an official NBCOT certificate and wallet card approximately four-6 weeks later y'all've taken the exam.
Step 3: Advance Your Teaching
You will demand to earn your primary's degree to become an occupational therapist. If you accept earned a bachelor's caste in a related field, like biology or physiology before continuing education to a main's degree, then you lot can straight use for a master's degree at many schools.
Otherwise, you can still pursue occupational therapy by applying for a combined available's/master's program. In these combined degree programs, you will need to have undergraduate and graduate-level courses in occupational therapy. Upon completion, you lot graduate with both a bachelor'southward and a master's degree.
Schools offering chief'south degrees and doctorate programs that provide both theory and exercise to ensure graduates attain comprehensive knowledge of occupational therapy. Fieldwork is required and must be completed under the supervision of an occupational therapist to earn your main's degree.
Continuing education is always one of the better options for occupational therapists since it opens up various avenues for advancement in your career.
Step 4: Laissez passer the NBCOT
The adjacent pace on your journey once yous have earned your occupational therapy caste would be to write the NBCOT. Information technology is the national board exam for occupational therapy.
Step 5: Obtain Licensure
Once you've go an occupational therapist, you lot are required to use for licensure in the states yous plan to practice in. Almost all states need occupational therapists to accept educational courses throughout their practice to go along their licensure active.
Although licensure requirements differ with each country, they generally require an NBCOT score, bookish transcripts, and a background bank check.
Licensing fees also vary and an boilerplate price of around $50 to $240 although at that place may be boosted fees for fingerprinting and temporary licenses processes.
Do you have what it takes to pursue a career in occupational therapy?
Now that nosotros take answered the question of how to go an occupational therapist, permit's notice out if you take what it takes to get one. Earlier you decide to get an occupational therapist, information technology is of import to know the nuances of opting for a career in occupational therapy. Before you make up your mind, ask yourself
- Do I have a potent desire to assistance people and provide care?
- Am I looking for a flexible career with good growth?
- Exercise I run across myself advancing in the medical field?
- Am I prepare for a physically demanding job?
- Am I ready for long hours of work?
- Will I be able to make the sacrifices I need to make to become the education I require?
What are the desirable qualities of an occupational therapist?
The demands of a therapist's work may seem difficult sometimes, simply individuals with the right temperament and the ability to handle various bug that are thrown in their direction tin can make this job await less tiresome. The following are the qualities that aspiring occupational therapists need to piece of work on:
- Splendid advice skills: Occupational therapists need to constantly communicate with patients, doctors, other specialists, and caregivers. They are required to listen to their patients' input since information technology will exist helpful while creating handling plans. The mentality of each patient is different and occupational therapists are required to be communicators, because they may have to explain circuitous therapeutic ideas to their patients in a way they can understand.
- Creativity and persistence: Therapists need to realize that the road to recovery will vary from one patient to some other. Sometimes it may take a long time to notice the most helpful treatment.
Learning on the job and coming upwards with activities on the spot related to a patient'south personality, physical settings, and the equipment available are of import skills occupational therapists require.
- A lot of patience: Patients with unlike physical limitations may end up as your patients. Occupational therapist's work requires them to be pleasant and empathetic with patients who are testy and earn their trust.
Your positive attitude and outlook will help your new and old patients stay motivated and work toward their goals daily. Remember, there is no one-fits-all solution and you lot will have to spend fourth dimension with your patients to find activities/programs that volition help them.
- Above-average organizational skills: Occupational therapists will accept to work with many people and nobody wants to become an occupational therapist for the paperwork, just it'southward unavoidable.
You lot'll demand to complete the documentation related to each patient, and y'all may be required to keep track of things similar insurance and referrals. As you gain feel and complete the learning bend, the time you spend on paperwork and its related tasks will decrease significantly.
What skills do occupational therapists need?
Apart from the desirable qualities mentioned above, occupational therapists crave a item skill set to get ahead in this field. Many of these skills are acquired during the didactics program at school but some are only perfected with a lot of experience at hospitals.
The schooling for occupational therapist and to earn an occupational therapist degree involve a lot of science.
A large part of passing your master'south caste program and condign an OT requires you to exist able to stay interested in science.
OTs need to follow a loftier level of safety standards. Ane of the biggest issues that fieldwork coordinators working with students face up is students' lack of safe awareness. Much of an OT's job surrounds keeping patients and family members safe at their homes.
OTs need to make sure family members learn how to safely assistance with bathing and toileting and demonstrate rubber use of medical equipment. Students need to learn new and old prophylactic procedures and exist able to teach the patients family members how to put them into practise at their homes.
Aspiring OTs take a lot to look forward to, careers in OT may be hard to kick start only in one case you lot have the instruction certification (Master's/Doctorate) and job feel required, finding well-paying employment will not exist a difficulty. Pursuing your education at a reputed, top-level college will requite your certification more value, and careers in OT volition be easy to come past.
At that place are a plethora of schools that offering courses in OT, finding the right occupational therapist school for y'all is a crucial part of your journeying since the caste certification yous earn plays an important part in your employment.
You tin can attain your associate likewise as your master's degree from New England Tech. It is a higher that provides the almost comprehensive Occupational Therapy Assistant associate program accredited by the (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Clan (AOTA).
To learn more about the OT courses offered by NEIT and for more than information, drib your queries in the given link and nosotros will respond via electronic mail.
Other FAQs
How many years of higher does it take to be an OT?
The therapist occupation needs students to earn their master's degree before they can brainstorm practicing. Master's/Doctorate degree programs for occupational therapists vary in length depending on schools, but most take about 2 to three years to complete.
What to study to become an occupational therapist?
Depending on the university, the prerequisite courses will exist unlike. In general, students need to have a graduate from a principal's programme in OT before they are considered as OTs.
What is the best major for occupational therapy?
Each university has its own fix of prerequisite courses you demand to consummate to qualify for their program. Majors starting with psychology or science are the best ones to selection for aspiring OTs. That existence said, at that place are many options, and people should pursue whatsoever undergrad major interests them in school. Find more information about the prerequisite courses by visiting the website of your target schools or by sending them an email.
Is it hard to become an occupational therapist?
OT is one of the more difficult careers to kick showtime, the high level of education certification (Primary's/Doctorate) required to earn a decent living makes this field slightly more difficult to find employment. Nevertheless, post-employment the potential for chore satisfaction is near space. The electric current need for individuals with the right education certification in this field is high and qualified individuals can earn a decent living post-employment.
Source: https://www.neit.edu/blog/how-to-become-an-occupational-therapist
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