The professional healthcare field of occupational therapy helps people of all ages reach health-based independence through enhanced daily activity execution to live productive lifestyles. By assisting with daily activities for patients of every age group and ill or injured patients, occupational therapists deliver essential care for maintaining both well-being and functional independence.
Learn about Occupational Therapy
Every individual should develop complete awareness about occupational therapy prior to seeking this career path. Occupational therapy requires assisting patients through the process of learning and maintaining essential everyday activities which include dressing and eating and working plus social activities. Professionals in OT employ various techniques through exercises along with adaptation devices and methods to help patients improve their physical and emotional and mental health condition regardless of disabilities or illnesses or injuries.
Gain the Necessary Educational Qualifications
The process of becoming an occupational therapist demands the completion of a master’s level degree in occupational therapy (MOT). The master’s degree serves as an introductory step towards earning a bachelor’s degree, although an unrelated major can be chosen at the college level. If you go through occupational therapist job listings on many online platforms, you will see that they are required to have educational backgrounds that consist of kinesiology, biology, psychology, and health sciences, but other majors also qualify.
- The first requirement for an OT career begins with completing a bachelor’s degree program that teaches science fundamentals and anatomy and psychology as essential components. Certain educational institutions supply preparatory OT programs intended to make their students excel in future OT programs.
- Next, follow Step 2 by Obtaining Your Graduate Degree from an Accredited Occupational Therapy Program right after earning your bachelor’s degree. The comprehensive combination of academic learning and hands-on clinical courses goes on for two to three years to complete these educational programs.
Program accreditation plays a vital role because it guarantees that the educational standards of the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) are delivered to students who need ACOTE licensure.
Gain Clinical Experience
During your training, you will have supervised fieldwork, which is an integral component of training. Fieldwork is typically hands-on, in which you apply what you learned in the field. Your experiences may range from working with different patient populations in hospitals, schools, rehab centers, or private offices.
Get Licensure and Certification
Successful completion of an occupational therapy degree leads to certification which is mandatory for operating as an occupational therapist. To practice states require that candidates pass the NBCOT National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy examination. The qualification process for exam passing results in the acquisition of an occupational therapist license with OTR designation. The board of occupational therapy from your state will grant you their license after you pass the NBCOT exams.
Job Opportunities
Occupational therapy offers various professional environments for work in hospitals with outpatient services, schools, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. OTs can deliver care to patients ranging from children and elderly adults or specialize in hand therapy, mental health treatment, or neurorehabilitation and related fields. Every day, visit online job listings together with OT professional sites that feature available positions.
To be an occupational therapist, one has to be committed to practice in addition to acquiring practice experience. Both the right undergraduate degree and acceptance into a good school, along with the NBCOT certification exam and passing it, are requirements to become an occupational therapist. OT practice has a congenial work setting as practitioners have high job demands across various settings to facilitate patient independence and quality of life.
