My career goal is obtain my doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy. I would like to work with geriatric population because they are more vulnerable to disabilities from chronic illness that results in them being put into nursing facilities. I want to specialize my education on physical disabilities. I have experience working with the geriatrics patients who are physically disabled and I hope to help them keep their independence. My goal is to help geriatric patients gain valuable skills in order to keep their independence and have the ability to live at home. As an occupational therapist, I will help patients do things they want to do through therapeutic methods of everyday living. I would teach them news ways of doing daily actives after suffering from a disability. For example, a patient who had a stroke, I would reteach this individual how to hold items, how to button shirts, and so on. I would prefer to work at patients’ home or in a clinic setting; however, I am open to working wherever my skills would needed. Since I want to work in patients’ home, my main goal is to evaluate and change their home, so it is easier for them to stay independent. I have an interest in working with patients who have developmental delays; however, I need to observe an OT specialized in that field to know for certain if that is something I would like to specialize in.
The minimum educational requirement for an occupational therapist is a master’s degree. However, I plan to achieve my
The licensure requirement I looked up for where I live in CT. For an Occupational therapy license, one must have received a bachelor’s degree and a graduate program that has been accredited by the AOTA. They also could have completed an
Occupational Therapy is a vital segment of the health care field. Individuals in this profession make a difference in the lives of others by helping their patients function effectively despite their disability, illness, or injury. They help by teaching patients many activities of daily living tasks which can include, grooming, toileting, dressing, eating, mobility, and much more! Along with the daily living tasks, Occupational Therapy helps individuals to be productive and successful in ways they want to be, like going school, taking care of others, managing their homes, preparing meals. Most importantly, they help their patients adapt to their environments and increase their independent function by helping them perform tasks with as little help from others as possible. Without Occupational Therapy, some patients with temporary disabilities could have a permanent disability. If individuals receive the Occupational treatments, they can prevent the loss of function.
To become an Occupational Therapist a person must attend a University and obtain a Bachelor’s degree of Science and then proceed to obtain a Masters degree. Most Universities require between nineteen and Twenty-one credits of prerequisite coursework, Biology with a lab, Human Physiology with
Education Needed: Do you need a University Degree or College Diploma? What diploma or degree(s) do you need? • Occupational therapists must be licensed and they requiring a master's degree in Occupational therapy, • Occupational therapist must have 6 months of supervised fieldwork • Occupational therapist must have a bachelor’s degree such as in biology, psychology, sociology or liberal arts, so they can be admitted into an occupational therapy program. • You would need a Master’s or Doctors Degree. the doctors degree only makes it so you have more options
An occupational therapy degree can be obtained through a master’s or doctorate degree. Courses for this degree may include anatomy and physiology, psychology, biology, kinesiology, and anthropology. Clinical rotations will also be required for each program. The individual must graduate from an accredited program, pass the national board examination to become certified, and take a licensure exam for whatever state they plan to work in. Occupational therapy, like physical therapy, has specialization in pediatrics, physical rehabilitation, gerontology, and mental health.
Around the 1990s, getting a Master’s degree was now a requirement. In more recent times, in 2012 the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education had credited about 300 occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant programs in the United States (History of Occupational Therapy, n.d.). Some courses needed to become an Occupational Therapist are biological, physical, and behavioral science. Also needed are the theory and skills of Occupational Therapy. In addition to those courses, a 6 month period of fieldwork supervision is also required.
Children with many different disabilities need the intervention of an occupational therapist; therefore, occupational therapists work in the school systems. Elderly people often begin to lose their physical ability to do certain tasks, so there are occupational therapists working in nursing homes or providing in home care. Many athletes suffer sports injuries that cause them to lose their ability to do daily activities, and occupational therapists are available to them in rehabilitation centers and hospitals. These are just a few of the many scenarios where occupational therapists are available; they can also work in orthopedic centers, colleges, mental health settings, and drug and alcohol settings (Hoffman & Harris, 2000, p. 405). Due to the fact that occupational therapists can often specialize to a certain type of patient, it may be helpful to hold a job in college where one could learn how to work with that group of people. For instance, if a prospective occupational therapy student wants to work in a preschool for students with special needs after they graduate then it may be beneficial to hold a job as an assistant preschool teacher. Similarly, if the goal of an occupational therapy student is to provide their service to elderly people then training and working as a CNA would provide both useful experience and medial
It is that excellent mentor or coach that leaves a mark in your life after going through a catastrophic situation. What if it is not simply done in the field and your needs are met simultaneously? I believe there is more to assisting patients then providing pills in an attempt to maintain health in our country. I want to make a positive impact on people's lives, contribute to society by enabling people of all ages and ability to engage in their regular activities of life. I want to help people and empower others to help themselves. For these reasons, I am passionate about pursuing a career in the field of Occupational Therapy at Adventist University Health Sciences.
The scope of practice and responsibilities of an occupational therapist include many aspects of helping someone recover from a variety of health issues. As an occupational therapist you treat injured, ill, and disabled patients through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. The activities help patients recover and improve to be able to function for daily living. Therapists show patients how to use adaptive equipment such as leg braces, wheelchairs, and eating aids (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2015). As an occupational therapist there are a variety of fields you can be certified in. This can include pediatrics, geriatrics, acute care, home health, and rehabilitation. The qualities one must have in order to be a successful occupational therapist include but are not limited to having communication skills, compassion, flexibility, interpersonal skills, patience, and writing skills
A job in any type of therapeutic healthcare can be a rewarding and satisfying job. However, I believe that occupational therapy is a special and extremely rewarding field. A field in which I am over the moon passionate about and completely infatuated with. It is the thought of helping people who have been through horrible tragedies to turn everything around and live a happy healthy life that drives me the most. I feel very strongly as though this profession is where I am meant to work in and make a difference in patient’s lives. The more I research topics and studies of occupational therapy the more infatuated with the field I become because it is much more than just a job. To me, this career is a lifestyle
Without occupational therapists, millions of people would struggle to live their everyday lives. Occupational therapists give specialized assistance to people with physical, developmental, social or emotional problems. This assistance is used to live productive and independent or semi independent lives. Occupational therapists can be used, and is effective for people of all ages. Many people have not heard of occupational therapy and are not aware of the positive impact it has on members of our society. With this paper I want to spread the knowledge that I have on occupational therapy. Many people that could benefit from occupational therapy do not even know that it exists. This career is difficult for everyone involved, but the impact it has
My long-range career goal is to become an occupational therapist specializing in pediatric care. In order to achieve this goal, I will first attend a four-year college or university to receive my bachelor’s degree. Next, I will enter an accredited occupational therapy program to earn a master’s degree or both a master’s and doctorate degree. While acquiring my master’s, I will complete the required 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork. The final step is to pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and become state licensed.
S4). When treating an individual, it is important for the occupational therapist to look at the person as a whole and incorporate all meaningful aspects of their life into their treatment plans, or goals. In my opinion, the best response was “focusing on the person more than the ailment”, because I believe that a holistic approach is one of the most important aspects of being an occupational therapist. However, the study of human behavior, restoring limb function, helping people with physical or mental disabilities, and a lot of work also plays into the therapeutic process of treating
In order to become an Occupational Therapists Assistant, one must earn an Associate’s Degree, obtain a certification and/or license for OTA, and have 1-2 years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. As I complete my major, I will also be gaining work experience during my Externship. Through this experience, I will have the opportunity to participate actively in my field of work interest alongside my mentors who are OTs and OTAS and gain the hands-on training I will need in order to begin my career as an OTA.
deal more than I need to learn before I can achieve my dream of building a business in the Asia