Occupational TherapyEmily Freeman

Occupational therapy practitioners ask, "What matters to you?" not, "What's the matter with you?"

Occupational therapists help people participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations).

Common occupational therapy interventions include: helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations helping people recovering from injury to regain skills providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes

Occupational therapy services may include comprehensive evaluations of the client’s home and other environments (e.g., workplace, school), recommendations for adaptive equipment and training in its use, and guidance and education for family members and caregivers. Occupational therapy practitioners have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment to fit the person, and the person is an integral part of the therapy team.

Introduction: What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy began as a profession when the National Society for the Promotion of Occupational Therapy was founded in 1917

The object was “to study and advance curative occupations for invalids and convalescents; to gather news of progress in occupational therapy and to use such knowledge to the common good; to encourage original research, to promote cooperation among occupational therapy societies, and with other agencies of rehabilitation.”

In 1921, the name was changed to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), which is its name still today.

In 1923, accreditation of educational programs became a stated function of the AOTA, and basic educational standards were developed.

A brief history of Occupational Therapy

The employment growth potential for Obstetrics/Gynecology from 2014 and 2024 is 27%, adding 30,400 more professionals to the 114,600 existing jobs in this field.

The median hourly wage for Occupational Therapists is $37.89 per hour, which is equivalent to $78,810 per year.

Wages from the 10th percentile to the 90th percentile range from an annual wage of $52,670 to $112,950. This wide range of salary can be attributed to differences in specialties and geographic locations.

The annual mean wage of Occupational Therapists in South Carolina, where I plan to work, is $78,090.

Growth Potential and Salary Range

Education Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree The field is starting to consider the possibility of additionally

requiring a Doctorate Training

Necessary supervised fieldwork, which takes a minimum of 24 weeks to complete

Licensing and/or Registration After graduating from a university accredited by the

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, you will need to take and pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam.

Criteria for being an Occupational Therapist

General classes needed for passing the GRE: Math classes: ability to do arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data

analysis; ability to use quantitative reasoning Analytical classes: ability to read a paragraph on a general issue and

address that topic with support and examples; ability to read and critique an argument

Verbal classes: ability to understand sentence completions, analogies, antonyms, and reading comprehension questions; ability to form conclusions and recognize and determine relationships between sentences and words

In-depth classes that directly affect the job: Anatomy/physiology – principal organ systems and their structures,

functions of cells and organs within biological systems Health science internship – deals specifically with clinical experience in this

specialty area

Relevant Academics

Good communication skills – listening and explaining procedures and situations People skills – working with people of all ages who have disabilities, injuries, or

mental problems Creative/Problem solvers – adjusting treatment plans, stepping outside a

normal routine Physical strength – assisting clients in moving from one area to another Enjoy helping others – helping with all kinds of skills from balancing a check

book to regaining motion in fingers so someone can button their shirt Organizational skills – making thoughtful and well-planned treatments for each

client Patience – understanding and giving time to patients who can be pessimistic,

frustrated, moody, and even suicidal Compassionate and empathetic – being warm, understanding, and caring for

the well-being of others Writing skills – keeping detailed files about everything you do and how you do it

Skills/qualities required

The Medical University of South Carolina requires: A bachelor’s degree by the time of matriculation At least 30 hours of volunteer or work experience with an

Occupational Therapist A strong academic background with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 at

minimum A strong GRE score in the 50th percentile or higher Good life experience activities including volunteerism, leadership

experience, research activity, scholarship history, and significant academic or community volunteer awards

20 hours of academic prerequisites including Human Anatomy and Physiology, Statistics, Lifespan Human Development, Abnormal Psychology, and Sociology.

Program of Interest

Level I at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for inpatient rehabilitation Conditions:

Burns Congenital and acquired hand conditions Craniofacial disorders Developmental delays Learning disabilities Neuromuscular conditions Pervasive developmental disability

Treatments: Daily living activities Driver rehabilitation Fine-motor skills rehabilitation Oral-motor skills rehabilitation Neuromusculoskeletal Perceptual processing Sensory processing

Any applications for fieldwork must be completed through the graduate program

Fieldwork Program of Interest

Level II at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado Focuses on maximizing independence in daily life using customized

treatment plans Employs more than 45 occupational therapists Specialty fields:

Hand function Vision Transportation Technology

Treatments help patients: Achieve functional independence Return to daily life routines Enjoy a high quality of life

Craig Hospital has established contracts with certain schools. You must check with your school to see if they are an accepted institution.

Fieldwork Program of Interest

Investigative: 24 Searching for facts, figuring out problems

Artistic: 18 Creativity in their work, work that can be done without following a

set of rules Social: 25

Teaching Giving advice Helping and being of service to people

Careers that fit my interests and preparation level in Job Zone Five (extensive job preparation) include many physician specialties

Current GPA: 3.89

Why am I a good candidate?

I love helping other people, and being an Occupational Therapist gives you the opportunity to help people with many different kinds of injuries and disabilities.

I love problem-solving and creativity, so the broad range of injuries that Occupational Therapists treat provides a good opportunity to stick to a baseline plan but customize it for each individual person and their needs.

I love working with kids, teenagers, and the elderly alike. Occupational Therapy allows you to better the quality of life for all ages.

Doctors want to fix people, but sometimes people can’t be “fixed”. They just need to come at life from a different angle. I want to be their biggest fan and loudest cheerleader and to let them know that they’re perfect just the way they are!

Why I want to be an Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapy practitioners ask, "What matters to you?" not, "What's the matter with you?“ The first is the more important question to me.

The growth potential for Occupational Therapy from 2014 to 2024 is 27%. Because people will always be born with abnormalities or suffer from debilitating injuries, this profession will always be in demand.

Education and training for this job is intense, but it will be rewarding if you are willing to put in the work.

Being an Occupational Therapist requires many skills, in both an interpersonal and a creative context, but if you wake up every morning and love your job, the hard parts will be worth it.

I believe I have the qualities that it takes to be a good Occupational Therapist, as I love to solve problems and help people.

Conclusion

https://www.aota.org/about-occupational-therapy.aspx https://

www.aota.org/education-careers/accreditation/overview/history.aspx

http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/occupational-therapist http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291122.htm https://

www.petersons.com/graduate-schools/gre-test-description.aspx http://www.otcareerpath.com/successful-occupational-therapist http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/chp/ot/prerequisites.htm http://

www.choa.org/Childrens-Hospital-Services/Rehabilitation/For-Professionals/Rehabilitation-Internships

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