Dale Said:

How long does it take to become an occupational therapist?

We Answered:

Depends on the school. Two people in my family are OT's. One of them earned a Bachelor's degree in OT and then got a Master's in a related area; the other majored in something else in undergrad and went to grad school for a Master's in OT.

Robin Said:

Occupational Therapy vs. Buisness major....help!?

We Answered:

Well, let me start out by saying I am an OT, so I will be partial! I recommend OT. The job demand is only increasing and it is very easy to get a job with whatever salary you request. I am currently making $50/hr doing home health. Working in the nursing homes, I make between $40 - $45 an hour, depending upon the facility. I currently see 15 patients a week - I schedule them when I want - so the flexibility is great. With the baby boomers aging, the demand will only increase. It is very common for employers to advertise "New Grads Welcome." Most people in my graduating class (1999) had jobs before they finished school. I not only had a job offer, but $4000 offerred to help pay for school if I worked at that hospital for a year. OT offers a wide range of jobs - you can work in the school system or in a private practice with kids, you can do inpatient, outpatient, home health, nursing homes, and even mental institutions. I will say that it can be an emotionally taxing job if you stick in one area too long. I have worked in the nursing home environment for 7 years (after intending to work with pediatrics) and I am now doing home health because I needed a bit of an emotional break from the nursing home - it can be depressing at times. I still go in occassionally and I admit, I do miss it some. Anyway - as someone said you should not choose a career based on salary. Maybe look up some OTs in different settings in your area and ask to shadow them to get more of an idea of what they do - maybe that will make your decision a little easier.

Good Luck!

Eva Said:

Should i major in International Business...or Occupational Therapy?

We Answered:

Hi there!

I'm just going to let you know right off the bat that this is a bias answer--I am in an OT grad program at the moment. I am in LOVE with it. OT school is a lot of work, but so rewarding. I would recommend doing some volunteering/observation in the field if you haven't already. As far as OT goes, you must be someone who is patient, passionate about working with people, creative, and persistent. There are endless possibilities with OT, you can work in a school, hospital, outpatient center, clinic, skilled nursing facility, community setting, or several other settings. You can always jump around, if you decide you want to work with adults after working with kids...you can do that!

Also, as far as outlook goes, OT is one of the top fields to get into. Awesome job security, and the field itself is growing and becoming more widely recognized.

If you have any more specific questions about OT school, I would love to answer them..you can send me an email! Good luck with your decision!

smolin4@uic.edu

Courtney Said:

Choosing a major:psychology,occupational therapy,occupational therapy assistant,physician assistant,teaching?

We Answered:

You can go into most fields with a degree in psychology. If you end up not liking psychology/therapy too much, then you can always get a Master's in something different. More and more jobs are requiring at least a Master's degree for competitive salaries. Don't sell yourself short by becoming an Occupational Therapist Assistant.

Tracy Said:

What are the requirements to enter a master's program in occupational therapy?

We Answered:

You sound like your grades are good. How selective they are depends on the school.
Your major shouldn't matter if you've taken all the prerequisites & done well in them.
No you don't need a lot of experience with patients but it would probably help.
There are 2 branches of OT: Psychiatry & Physical Rehab.
In psych you do a lot with Activities of Daily Living (ADL); assessments, evaluations; work readiness. etc.

Rehab includes specialization with the hands & compensatory exercises or devices to have person adapt to their new impairments.

Try to get volunteer work where you can be supervised by
a Registered OT.

You also may prefer working with children, adults, elderly.
Think of who you might be interested in working with. If there is a large hospital near you...see if they have an OT dept. either under psychiatry or in physical rehab.
Any experience will help. You will have experience with patients as part of your education.

The best to you

Alberto Said:

Good majors/colleges for working with children with special needs?!?

We Answered:

There are many professionals who work with students with special needs. Typically early childhood teachers employed by school districts are special education teachers with an endorsement for early childhood. In addition to OT there is physical therapy (PT) and speech and language pathology (SLP). These are usually called "related services" for students in special education. If you have 60 hours of college coursework (it doesn't officially matter what that's in), you can work as a paraprofessional. Most special education classrooms have a teacher's assistant, and many students (particularly with autism) need one-on-one aides. If you're undecided as to what you want to do, you may want to actually work in a school for a while before you commit to a major.