Coursework & Fieldwork Ask a recent OT graduate

[jewel11786]

Hi Everyone! I recently graduated from OT school in August 2014. If you have any specific questions about getting through OT school, fieldwork, applying to OT school, taking the NBCOT, getting licensed, etc. feel free to ask since I've been through it all. Good luck!

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[HopefulOT17]

Congratulations on your graduation! Where did you go and how did you balance all of the work? I'm a slight procrastinator and I know that will get me in trouble quickly in graduate school.

 

[CO OT Guy]

Do you have any advice on grad school interviews? I have one coming up in January, it's a group interview. Thanks!

 

[jewel11786]

Do you have any advice on grad school interviews? I have one coming up in January, it's a group interview. Thanks!

Yes I do! My interview for OT school was a group interview, actually. Some common questions to be prepared for may be: Why do you want to be an OT? What made you choose this profession? What sets you apart from other students? What qualities will make you a successful OT/student? Why did you choose this school/program? (I received all of these questions during my interview).

I prepared by making a list of my own traits and abilities and possible answers I would give to these common questions and then practiced interviewing with a friend. Depending on your personality, group interviews are generally less intimidating because there are other candidates in the room to take the attention away from you during parts of the interview. But it can also be a disadvantage if you let other candidates answers and demeanor get the best of you. There's also the down side that you don't have a whole lot of time to explain your answers and the interview will generally be less personable so it's important to make sure your answers are pretty much straightforward and to the point. So go in there confident in yourself and your abilities. You can also gauge your answers to the questions being asked by saying something different than the other candidates thus giving you an opportunity to stand out, which you don't necessarily get to do if you were doing a 1 on 1 interview.

Honestly, the most important thing for you to do will be to practice practice practice and do your research on the program. Read over the school and the program's website. Familiarize yourself with the curriculum and classes. Be sure to read up on what OT is and be prepared to explain it and how it differs from PT. (OT is a unique profession and sometimes it's hard to get a grasp on all of what OTs do, which you probably won't fully understand until you're part way through a program, but do your best to familiarize yourself with it as best you can). Go over some of the questions I mentioned earlier and write down what makes YOU stand out. Also, be sure to your social cues are on par, give eye contact to your interviewer(s), smile, and be enthusiastic because OT is a very people-oriented profession and there is a lot of advocacy needed for OT. Also, come into the interview with some questions of your own. This will make you seem interested in this particular program. Before the interview, relax, do some breathing and try not to stress out too much. Find a way to help you relax. When you get there shake hands, introduce yourself etc. etc. After the interview, be sure to shake hands and thank your interviewer(s). Also, don't forget to send a thank you email within 24 hours of your interview.

 

[jewel11786]

Congratulations on your graduation! Where did you go and how did you balance all of the work? I'm a slight procrastinator and I know that will get me in trouble quickly in graduate school.

I went to Misericordia. They have a hybrid program so I had to balance my work and school life more on my own (I only had classes every other weekend). So I had to create and stick to a schedule that worked for me. I'm definitely a procrastinator too if I allow myself to be which is why Google Calendar on my phone and ipad and an agenda book were my life savers.
You will get a lot of homework in OT school and I made it a point to chip away at things a little bit every day. I always did my readings first and then worked on papers or other written work afterward (and I always started written assignments early). It made life so much easier and less overwhelming when I knew my papers were done and I had time to go back to them and edit, if necessary, before they were due.

My work/life balance was really really bad to be honest, I didn't make time for friends or even exercise during my time in school and I think it added to the anxiety and depression I experienced during that time, so if I could do it all over again I would definitely make time for that stuff, even if I'm just for a 20 minute jog.

Also, one thing that helped me stay on task was creating a space for studying/working whether you have a desk or a dedicated chair I kept all my stuff there so I always had a place to go to do the work. I also kept a backpack nearby in case I needed to take my work elsewhere (like Starbucks or the library), because sometimes you need a change of scenery to get through it all. I also kept a separate binder for each class with all of my materials in sections, to stay organized because I'm naturally cluttered and it will make your life so much easier if you have your notes and handouts organized so you can go back to them later, especially when you're studying for tests or finals.

Good luck and I hope some of my tips are helpful to you!

 

[FloridaOT23]

Thanks for starting this thread! I am curious how the job search process is going for you? Do you already have a job? What does the market look like? Whenever I try to look up OT jobs on websites like indeed and simplyhired, it doesn't appear that there are as many jobs as I would have thought considering OT is always ranked as a fast growing career. Many of the OTs I have shadowed work multiple part time jobs. How normal/necessary is that? Perhaps it is just a regional thing (I am in South Florida.) Any information you have on this topic would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!

 

[jewel11786]

Thanks for starting this thread! I am curious how the job search process is going for you? Do you already have a job? What does the market look like? Whenever I try to look up OT jobs on websites like indeed and simplyhired, it doesn't appear that there are as many jobs as I would have thought considering OT is always ranked as a fast growing career. Many of the OTs I have shadowed work multiple part time jobs. How normal/necessary is that? Perhaps it is just a regional thing (I am in South Florida.) Any information you have on this topic would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!

Where I'm from in Central NJ there are a lot of job opportunities, especially in home health and SNF. I think the job market is region specific because one of my former classmates in central PA is having difficulty finding full time work. I think it also depends on whether you want to work with adults or children and which setting you choose (i.e. schools, SNF, hospitals, outpatient, psychiatric, etc.). Right now, from what I've seen, I think the older adult population will have the most job opportunities in the near future especially in home health and acute rehab/SNF, simply because of the baby boomer generation. I know that there are a TON of travel opportunities and short-term assignments available which may appeal to some people. The downside of travel is that it isn't permanent or guaranteed but if you're just starting out it's a good opportunity to get experience in different settings and you'll make good money at each assignment. Plus you get to travel pretty much wherever you want. I also see a lot of per diem opportunities (which is where you may see a lot of OTs working multiple jobs) but most places want you to have some experience first before you do per diem and the pay rate is usually higher for those OTs because the companies don't have to pay benefits. The one nice thing about per diem is, say if you work Mon-Fri in a school, you could always work weekends at an acute rehab for extra $$, because most acute rehabs have therapy over the weekend.

I'm starting full-time in an acute rehab setting in a few weeks. I had 3 interviews and 2 job offers and lots of recruiters calling me for travel opportunities. If you post your resume to monster or career builder I guarantee you'll have recruiters calling you!

 

[prodigiousflame]

I'm actually interested in taking a travel assignment when I graduate because I'll have mad loans to pay off. My only concern is is it realistic to do well doing travel ot as an entry level graduate? I know home health is good to get into once you get a bit of experience but I was wondering if travel ot is the same since I'm assuming there isn't a lot of mentorship for those assignments??

 

[jewel11786]

I'm actually interested in taking a travel assignment when I graduate because I'll have mad loans to pay off. My only concern is is it realistic to do well doing travel ot as an entry level graduate? I know home health is good to get into once you get a bit of experience but I was wondering if travel ot is the same since I'm assuming there isn't a lot of mentorship for those assignments??

Some of the places that have called me do offer mentorship (not face-to-face), but I agree, I wouldn't necessarily go into travel right away because I think you need at least a year or two of experience. I also heard many companies don't like to take on new graduates, unless they're desperate. Since graduating it has been my goal to go somewhere that offers mentorship and to work at least a few years to get that much needed experience. New graduates should also go somewhere there are other experienced OTs (even if they aren't official mentors) in case they have any questions or concerns (like you said new OTs probably shouldn't do home health right away). This was a critical piece of advice I was given by my CIs. Some good places to look into are nursing homes, outpatient, hospitals, and acute rehab because most of these place hire multiple OTs.

 

[jackimac888]

Hello to my fellow OT students,

I was wondering if anyone has any information about doing fieldwork abroad. I am currently in my 2nd year at USC.

I just finished my first level II in Adult Rehab. Next summer, I will be doing my fieldwork in peds or mental health. I would love to go abroad, maybe to the U.K. or Australia since it has to be in an English speaking setting. Does anyone have any info or know anyone who has done this? I have emailed a few sites so far but none of them take students. Many thanks!!

 

[Bokonomy]

Hello to my fellow OT students,

I was wondering if anyone has any information about doing fieldwork abroad. I am currently in my 2nd year at USC.

I just finished my first level II in Adult Rehab. Next summer, I will be doing my fieldwork in peds or mental health. I would love to go abroad, maybe to the U.K. or Australia since it has to be in an English speaking setting. Does anyone have any info or know anyone who has done this? I have emailed a few sites so far but none of them take students. Many thanks!!

You might also be able to do a level II at an international School (for children of expats), but I'm not familiar with the process. Someone on the OT subreddit contracts abroad, so you might want to ask there.

 

[873043]

Hi! First of all congrats on graduating!!

Would you say any textbooks in particular helped you with either the NBCOT, school, or even your practice? I've contemplated purchasing older editions of Pedretti's for physical dysfunction, Case-Smith's OT for kids and adolescents, and a mental health book, but I'm not sure if they'll be useful or if they'll be too out of date.

Also do you have any general tips for FW2? My FE for FW1 told me that I was having difficulties with my confidence (which I wholeheartedly agree with) and would like to improve as I continue with school and get closer to more FW.

Thanks so much!!