Occupational Therapy

Transcription

1 Health Prfessins: Occupatinal Therapy Overview f Prfessin Pre-Requisites Applicatin Prcess Timeline Admissin Exam- GRE Additinal Requirements Overview f OT Schl Imprtant Websites Overview f Prfessin: (surce: 1. Overview: Occupatinal therapists help patients imprve their ability t perfrm tasks in living and wrking envirnments. They wrk with individuals wh suffer frm a mentally, physically, develpmentally, r emtinally disabling cnditin. Occupatinal therapists use treatments t develp, recver, r maintain the daily living and wrk skills f their patients. The therapist helps clients nt nly t imprve their basic mtr functins and reasning abilities, but als t cmpensate fr permanent lss f functin. The gal is t help clients have independent, prductive, and satisfying lives. Occupatinal therapists help clients t perfrm all types f activities, frm using a cmputer t caring fr daily needs such as dressing, cking, and eating. Physical exercises may be used t increase strength and dexterity, while ther activities may be chsen t imprve visual acuity r the ability t discern patterns. Occupatinal therapists may wrk exclusively with individuals in a particular age grup r with a particular disability. 2. Wrking Cnditins: Occupatinal therapists wrking fr ne emplyer full-time usually wrk a 40-hur week. Arund 31% f ccupatinal therapists wrked part-time. It is nt uncmmn fr ccupatinal therapists t wrk fr mre than ne emplyer at multiple facilities, which may invlve significant travel time. Thse in schls may participate in meetings and ther activities during and after the schl day. 3. Earnings: Median annual wages were $66,780 in May The middle 50% earned between $55,090-$81,290.

2 4. Jb Outlk: The lwest 10% earned less than $42,820, and the highest 10% earned mre than $98,310. Emplyment is expected t increase by 26% between The increasing elderly ppulatin will drive grwth in the demand fr ccupatinal therapy services. The demand fr ccupatinal therapists shuld cntinue t rise as a result f the increasing number f individuals with disabilities r limited functin wh require therapy services. Hspitals will cntinue t emply a large number f ccupatinal therapists t prvide therapy services t acutely ill inpatients. Hspitals als will need ccupatinal therapists t staff their utpatient rehabilitatin prgrams. Emplyment grwth in schls will result frm the expansin f the schl-age ppulatin and the federally funded extensin f services fr disabled students. Therapists will be needed t help children with disabilities prepare t enter special educatin prgrams. 5. Emplyment: The largest number f ccupatinal therapist jbs was in ambulatry healthcare services, which emplyed abut 29% f ccupatinal therapists. Other majr emplyers were hspitals, ffices f ther health practitiners (including ffices f ccupatinal therapists), public and private educatinal services, and nursing care facilities. Pre-requisites: Sme were emplyed by hme healthcare services, utpatient care centers, ffices f physicians, individual and family services, cmmunity care facilities fr the elderly, and gvernment agencies. A small number were self-emplyed in private practice. These practitiners treated clients referred by ther health prfessinals. They als prvided cntract r cnsulting services t nursing care facilities, schls, adult day care prgrams, and hme healthcare agencies. The table n the next page shws the curses that are mst cmmnly cmpleted by UC Santa Cruz Students t fulfill Occupatinal Therapist prgram pre-requisites. The Career Center recmmends that students cmplete the curses sequenced listed in this table. NOTE: Pre-requisites can differ slightly frm schl t schl. It is imprtant t lk at the cursewrk required fr each schl yu wish t apply t.

3 Curse Subject # Quarters UCSC curse sequences mst students use t fulfill requirements Human Anatmy Nearly all schls require 1 quarter f human anatmy, with labratry Human Physilgy Nearly all schls require 1 quarter f human physilgy, with labratry Physics Sme schls require 1 quarter f physics Bil 135/L Bil 130/L Phys 6A/L Or Phys 5A/L Statistics Nearly all schls require 1 quarter f statistics English Cmpsitin Nearly all schls require 2-3 quarters f English Cmpsitin AMS 5, AMS 7/L, Psych 2, etc. Curses that satisfy the Cre Curse and Cmpsitin requirement at UCSC will fulfill tw quarters f the schls English cursewrk requirements. An additinal curse in Literature will usually satisfy the remaining quarter*. * Save yur curse syllabi in case any schls express cncern that yu did nt cmplete their English requirement. Scial Science Sme schls require intrductry curses in scilgy and cultural anthrplgy Psychlgy Nearly all schls require 1 quarter f each f the Psych 1, Psych 10 & Psych

4 fllwing curses: - intrductry psychlgy 170 -develpmental/ lifespan psychlgy -abnrmal psychlgy 3D Art Sme schls require 1 quarter f three-dimensinal art (e.g., ceramics) Medical Terminlgy Sme schls require 1 quarter f medical terminlgy curse. Art 40 Nt ffered at UCSC Applicatin Prcess Timeline: 1. OTCAS: Occupatinal Therapist Centralized Applicatin Service allws yu t apply t participating ccupatinal therapy prgrams with ne nline applicatin. Nt all prgrams subscribe t OTCAS. T apply t these prgrams, applicants must apply directly t each prgram. 2. Prir t applying Cnsider these factrs when deciding upn where t apply: Lcatin Cst Size Licensure exam passage rates Faculty interests and reputatin Jb placement histry f prgram graduates Talk with recent ccupatinal therapist graduates, as well as ask ccupatinal therapist emplyers abut varius prgrams strengths and weaknesses. Research each prgram yu wish t apply t befre submitting yur applicatin. Admissin requirements Pre-requisite cursewrk Deadlines Amunt and preferences fr letters f recmmendatins Register and take GRE, if necessary Write yur persnal statement Develp a resume f activities and accmplishments

5 Request yur transcripts Arrange letters f evaluatin In additin t Califrnia schls, cnsider applying t sme public r private schls utside f Califrnia that accept many (20+) nn-resident r nn-cntract state applicants. 3. The applicatin cycle fr OT master prgrams varies significantly fr each schl. Check each schls websites r cntact their admissins department t learn mre abut their applicatin timeline. Admissin Exam: 1. Overview f Graduate Recrd Exam (GRE): Sme ccupatinal therapy master prgrams require applicants t submit GRE exam scres. T see if the schls yu re applying t require the GRE, check their websites in the admissin requirements sectin, r cntact their admissins department, t learn if they require the GRE. Apprximately a 4 hur standardized multiple-chice cmputerized-based exam. Scres are usually available days after cmpletin f the exam. N GRE scres lder than five years will be accepted. Sectins Verbal Reasning - Measures yur ability t analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize infrmatin btained frm it, analyze relatinships amng cmpnent parts f sentences and recgnize relatinships amng wrds and cncepts. Quantitative Reasning - Measures prblem-slving ability, fcusing n basic cncepts f arithmetic, algebra, gemetry and data analysis. Analytical Writing - Measures critical thinking and analytical writing skills, specifically yur ability t articulate and supprt cmplex ideas clearly and effectively. Scre: The Verbal and Quantitative reasning sectins are ut f 800 pints, fr a maximum scre f The Analytical writing sectin is ut f 6.0 The maximum scre is a 1600 with a 6.0 AWA. 2. When shuld students take the GRE?: Yu shuld take the GRE well in advance f applying t OT schl but definitely at least ne year prir t yur intended start date. Students shuld take the GRE when they can d their best. If they can be preparing fr the GRE and be taking curses, and d well in bth, then they shuld d that. If the student will cmprmise their grades and/r scre by ding bth at the same time, the student shuld prepare fr the GRE during the summer r after they have graduated.

6 3. Dates fr exam: Offered daily Additinal Requirements: 1. Mst schls require applicants t have a minimum f hurs f bserving ccupatinal therapists. Cntact lcal facilities that emply ccupatinal therapists and/r ccupatinal therapy assistants (e.g., hspitals, nursing hmes, rehabilitatin centers, r schl systems). Yu can find these phne numbers in the Yellw Pages under Occupatinal Therapy r Rehabilitatin. These requests are made quite frequently and yu will find mst facilities accmmdating. Be prepared t discuss yur reasn fr the request and yur availability. 2. Mst schls require applicants t submit a letter f recmmendatin frm an ccupatinal therapist wh supervised yu in a paid r vlunteer wrker in an active clinical setting. Overview f Occupatinal Therapy Schl: 1. Overview: A master's degree r higher is the typical minimum requirement fr entry int the field. In additin, ccupatinal therapists must attend an academic prgram accredited by the Accreditatin Cuncil fr Occupatinal Therapy Educatin (ACOTE) in rder t sit fr the natinal certifying exam. In 2009, 150 master's degree prgrams r cmbined bachelr's and master's degree prgrams were accredited, and 7 in Califrnia. Master degree prgrams typically lasts 2-3 academic years. 2. Licensure and Certificatin: All States regulate the practice f ccupatinal therapy. T btain a license, applicants must graduate frm an accredited educatinal prgram and pass a natinal certificatin examinatin. Thse wh pass the exam are awarded the title Occupatinal Therapist Registered (OTR). Specific eligibility requirements fr licensure vary by State; cntact yur State s licensing bard fr details. Sme States have additinal requirements fr therapists wh wrk in schls r early interventin prgrams. These requirements may include educatin-related classes, an educatin practice certificate, r early interventin certificatin. Certificatin is vluntary. The Natinal Bard fr Certifying Occupatinal Therapy certifies ccupatinal therapists thrugh a natinal certifying exam. Thse wh pass the test are awarded the title Occupatinal Therapist Registered (OTR). In sme States, the natinal certifying exam meets requirements fr regulatin while ther States have their wn licensing exam.

7 3. Specialty: They als can advance by specializing in a clinical area and gaining expertise in treating a certain type f patient r ailment. They may specialize in gerntlgy, mental health, pediatrics, and physical rehabilitatin. Imprtant Websites: Occupatinal Outlk Handbk Explre Health Careers Directry f Master-level OT schls- Educatin & Careers Find a Schl Directry f Dctral-level OT schls- Educatin & Careers Find a Schl Apply t OT schls-prtal.tcas.rg American Occupatinal Therapy Assciatin- Occupatinal Therapy Assistant