Hey there,
I actually volunteered a long time in PT before grativating towards OT. I was confused about which career to choose for a few months, and I went for OT. I'm happy to say that I will be starting my masters this year 😀
How did I pick one over the other?
While I admre both professions greatly and I think they both are wonderful, I had to do some serious evaluation of the professions and my personal motivation and goals.
I agree with OTlove88 that PT is a lot more physical. You want to get the patient up and moving, or rehabilitated physically. I volunteered at Shriners so even if it was "just physical" the patients there have been going for years, some from birth, and so you develop wonderful relationships and it's just beautiful to see their progress and their happiness when they are able, for example, to finally ride a bike like their friends.
You see the same thing as an OT, but doing different work. OT is not only physical, it's also emotional, social, and creative (my favorite part). There is so much room in OT to bring in your personality and your creativity into therapy. You see physical improvement, but you also consider the patients' whole well-being, motivation, goals (so, like, not only to gain certain movement but to function say, at work and adjust with their particular abilities, to feel integrated in their society, to find meaning and gain confidence, even...). What made me fall in love with OT is that you do a lot more than physical rehabilitation/therapy. I felt like my love for anatomy/physiology, my interest in psychology, and my pleasure in the arts all combine in this profession. That's how I picked.
After I volunteering for about a year in PT. When I switched over to OT out of curiosity, to find out the difference myself, it took my about 6 months to finally say that I prefer OT.
I love both professions! I think I would enjoy and appreciate both maybe even equally, but my heart is in OT and I feel that's where God wants me to thrive.
Hope that helps!