Medical professionals who specialize in the care and treatment of people with physical and mental disabilities are known as Occupational therapist. These professionals generally help people who suffer from cognitive and motor disorders, social and psychological coping issues and related neurological problems, lead a better life. Occupational therapists are mostly employed by mental institutes, rehabilitation centers, schools for children with special needs and public and private hospitals and nursing homes. To practice, an Occupational therapist needs to pass a national certification test to be considered registered.
The responsibilities of OTs (Occupational Therpatists) and OT assistants mostly revolves around helping patients live a better life. Occupational therapists are trained to provide one on one assistance to each patient and are also required to teach basic skills like reasoning, dressing and the like. Occupational therapists are involved with almost all aspects of the lives of their patients.
Occupational therapy, as a career choice, is suitable for you if you can empathize and are truly willing to help people with severe disabilities. Salaries of healthcare professionals are generally above average and the same holds for occupational therapist salary. Their salaries fall in the range of 50,000 to 80,000 USD annually. Salaries are commensurate with skill and experience. OTs with 5 to 7 years of experience are paid higher and are also required to handle administrative responsibilities.
To be an occupational therapist, one must have a master’s degree. Along with the degree, certification or registration is also mandatory. The NBCOT or National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy is the certification body that conducts the certification tests and registers the practitioners. As this is a highly competitive field, good grades help, a 3.3 GPA is recommended. An aspiring occupational therapist must also be well versed in the following subjects: anatomy, physiology, psychology, health care and nutrition. Also, six months of clinical fieldwork experience is required for graduation.
If you are looking for specialized programs, you will find that there are a number of dedicated occupational therapy schools that have such programs on offer. Most occupational therapy schools also offer associate degree programs as well. To be an occupational therapy assistant, one must have an associate degree. It is a 2 years program.
OT assistants are also required to pass the certification test to be considered eligible for employment.For a career in occupational therapy, you can choose between OT and OT assistant. Compared to an OT assistant, being an OT requires advanced studies but the jobs also pays significantly better. There are many occupational therapy schools to choose from, just make sure they have the necessary accreditations.
