Program-Specific Info / Q's Current Students Thoughts on SJSU

[HopefullyOTRachel]

I recently got into SJSU, and was wondering what current students thought about the program?

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[MrTL]

What would you like to know? I'm in my last semester there.

 

[OThopefully183]

I was wondering if you could talk about your fieldwork. How vast are the options? Is it just locally in Nor Cal or can you go to other states or So Cal? I heard SJSU has limited options.

 

[MrTL]

I was wondering if you could talk about your fieldwork. How vast are the options? Is it just locally in Nor Cal or can you go to other states or So Cal? I heard SJSU has limited options.

During the program for FWI, most people live in San Jose or somewhere around the SF Bay Area (SF, Oakland, Santa Cruz, etc), so the placements are going to be around this area. Makes sense since this will be during the academic coursework.

For FWII, after all academic courses are done, they have a bunch of contracts all over California, both Norcal and Socal. Of course, they'll have more contracts around the SF Bay Area. With my graduating 2020 class, I don't think they're having any trouble finding Socal placements and we have a lot of people going back to Socal (LA, SD, inland, etc). For out-of-state, contracts are limited and you might have to find your own placements and get them approved by the fieldwork coordinator. This also makes sense since most of the student population for this program tend to be from California (I can only think of maybe two people in my class who came from out-of-state and one of them is staying).

My personal experience, I have both my FWII locations set after doing some rigorous interviews in San Francisco. SF was my location of choice and they were able to get me the interviews rather seamlessly. It really depends on the company/location as our FW coordinators are constantly reaching out. This might not have been the case with the previous graduates but is true as of now.

Hope that helps!

 

[OThopefully183]

During the program for FWI, most people live in San Jose or somewhere around the SF Bay Area (SF, Oakland, Santa Cruz, etc), so the placements are going to be around this area. Makes sense since this will be during the academic coursework.

For FWII, after all academic courses are done, they have a bunch of contracts all over California, both Norcal and Socal. Of course, they'll have more contracts around the SF Bay Area. With my graduating 2020 class, I don't think they're having any trouble finding Socal placements and we have a lot of people going back to Socal (LA, SD, inland, etc). For out-of-state, contracts are limited and you might have to find your own placements and get them approved by the fieldwork coordinator. This also makes sense since most of the student population for this program tend to be from California (I can only think of maybe two people in my class who came from out-of-state and one of them is staying).

My personal experience, I have both my FWII locations set after doing some rigorous interviews in San Francisco. SF was my location of choice and they were able to get me the interviews rather seamlessly. It really depends on the company/location as our FW coordinators are constantly reaching out. This might not have been the case with the previous graduates but is true as of now.

Hope that helps!

Thank you MrTL! I really appreciate all your input and guidance. I really hope I can get in as I heard back from Dr. Smith regarding to some missing items and I have already provided them to her. She is currently reviewing my app.

Does SJSU help students find the field they want to pursue? I know OT is such a vast field, so does SJSU offer any course or career guidance? Do you mind sharing what field in OT you would like to pursue after graduation?

 

[HopefullyOTRachel]

How did you like the courses overall? Is there anything about the program that you are not happy with?

 

[MrTL]

Thank you MrTL! I really appreciate all your input and guidance. I really hope I can get in as I heard back from Dr. Smith regarding to some missing items and I have already provided them to her. She is currently reviewing my app.

Does SJSU help students find the field they want to pursue? I know OT is such a vast field, so does SJSU offer any course or career guidance? Do you mind sharing what field in OT you would like to pursue after graduation?

I think what's nice about being a generalist is that you can pretty much almost start anywhere and move laterally to other settings/populations if you ever feel like the fit is not fitting anymore. There are no specific courses that provide career guidance since you will be learning the basics (and then some) for all populations. As for career guidance, you must be proactive in asking your professors for advice and getting to know them. A few of them I talk to regularly about my experiences in FWI and clinics we lead. Then I ask them how it aligns with where they've practiced.

I personally want to work in an acute setting once I graduate. Luckily, my FWII are in acute psych and acute care! I fell in love with acute care as it was my first volunteering experience at a big hospital in LA. I'm not a fan of kids myself, so I can't really see myself going into any type of peds setting. I definitely like working with adults and older adults, so I'm also open to working with them in many other ways besides rehab. I also enjoy working in the community and homeless populations. So, that's something I may do down the line after building a solid foundation in a hospital.

That's all speculation, though!

 

[MrTL]

How did you like the courses overall? Is there anything about the program that you are not happy with?

Personally, I think a lot of the classes could be online. Some lectures I go to and the professors are just reading off the slides and giving their own perspective here or there. But, I've heard some people prefer that because that's how they best learn. I love learning by doing, so I get especially excited when we have "competencies" and have to actually demonstrate that we understand the material through interventions. Also, I'm a terrible test taker. Maybe it's because I'm daydreaming during lectures haha. I like going at my own pace and studying on my own time, so having to go to a class at a specific time and place doesn't suit my learning styles that I've figured out were best for me. For example, when taking prereqs, I took as many courses as I could online to boost my GPA. I would typically get assignments done ahead of time because the content was usually available ahead of time. I usually got through the lessons in the evening. I flourished! I didn't know that I learned better this way until I was 30!

Also, courses are arranged by population age. So you have children course, young adult course, mddle adult, older adult, etc. It's difficult to line them up a semester before you have a FWI in one or several of those domains and they will cover rehab, diseases, symptoms, psychosocial, etc in each one. Not sure if there's a better organization of it, but something to think about. Also, there are two semesters on professional development. I feel like it could be one semester and that we'd spend more time on learning how to do SOAP notes, evaluating, treatment planning, and just doing those more often. It's nice to gain knowledge by being in lectures but I just learn better by making mistakes. And if there is a time to make mistakes, I'd rather do them in school than in real life!

So, to each their own. I'd guess SJSU is pretty standard in their teaching among other schools. I understand we'll learn the basics now and that I'll learn more and faster when FWII comes around, which I prefer.

I think that covers it for me. I'm sure others may think the complete opposite!

 

[mich2345]

If you were deciding between schools when acceptances came out, what made you pick SJSU (aside from tuition)? Alternatively, if you had to convince someone to pick SJSU, what would your reasoning be?

Also, do you feel like SJSU has prepared you well?

How’s the learning environment (ie: supportive/cliquey/competitive)?

Thank you so much!

 

[MrTL]

If you were deciding between schools when acceptances came out, what made you pick SJSU (aside from tuition)? Alternatively, if you had to convince someone to pick SJSU, what would your reasoning be?

Also, do you feel like SJSU has prepared you well?

How’s the learning environment (ie: supportive/cliquey/competitive)?

Thank you so much!

I didn't get into any other schools except SJSU! But if I did get into other schools... I'd have a tough choice based on my personal preferences. If I got into Columbia, I might have gone there because I only got to live in New York for a little over a year and I wanted to experience more of life there along with going to a prestigious school. But, SJSU has a lot of FAOTA faculty (people in the OT profession that have contributed a lot to OT) and co-authors/editors of the creme de la creme of physical disabilities textbooks--Pedretti's Occupational Therapy!

But, man oh man, being the lowest tuition in the nation is EXTREMELY appealing. Less than $30k out the door for tuition and international experience and FWII is really hard to beat. Apartment costs around the area can range anywhere from $750-1500 (or more) per person if you get a 2 bdrm and a roommate. When I was living in Harlem, I was lucky to have a studio for $1650/month. That and the $80k tuition of Columbia... I'm not sure it would be worth the debt with the same employment outcomes anyway. I had other personal circumstances that brought me to SJ as well. My entire family is from SF, so it was nice to be close to them after being away for a few years.

I think the curriculum has me prepared for FWII, which is basically real life experience anyway. I'm a little bit older so I feel confident in my abilities that I've obtained over the years, through work and school. For the people in their early to mid 20's, I feel like they are prepared to handle the real world of OT as well.

Learning environment depends on your cohort. But, as far as I've seen, everyone is very supportive of each other. Sure, you'll have your band of main friends, but everyone is pretty civil with each other. If not, talk to the people you are working with. Communication between fellow students is the responsibility of those students involved. We're adults and I think we handle any disputes maturely (though there has never been anything major that I've heard or seen). If anything, all I've seen is that everyone wants everyone to do well. There is no competitiveness at all. As long as you're focused on absorbing as much information as possible, grades don't really matter (just don't get below a 3.0, which I've also never heard of from any of my cohort or the one above or below).

Sorry for any grammatical errors. I'm just procrastinating from assignments right now and this is fun for me. But I'm trying to write quickly and go back and forth haha ;P

 

[OTbay]

@MRT,
Did you do the international experience? If so how was it, and if you did the alternative choice how was that as well lol?

Would you say the courses have a lot of tests (written exams) or more projects and essays?

In FW2, you mentioned an interview. Do you interview and it is up to the placement if they want to take you on or not? (basically like a job interview) What did you do for FW1?

Thank you so much!!

 

[MrTL]

@MRT,
Did you do the international experience? If so how was it, and if you did the alternative choice how was that as well lol?

Would you say the courses have a lot of tests (written exams) or more projects and essays?

In FW2, you mentioned an interview. Do you interview and it is up to the placement if they want to take you on or not? (basically like a job interview) What did you do for FW1?

Thank you so much!!

Yup, I went to the Netherlands and studied hand therapy. It was probably one of the best cultural and learning experiences I've ever had. If you google SJSU International Experience and search the page for "OCTH" courses, you'll see what's available. I think there are way more now than when I went to. Different countries, different courses, different experiences!

The alternative is 20 hours of community services... or maybe 30? Or 40? I forget lol. And if you don't do the int'l exp, you also have to take a 1 unit mindfulness class and have a legitimate excuse for not going (finances, for example). I've heard two sides of the coin here: 1 - "I wish I just did the int'l exp so I didn't have one more course on top of the normal course load"; or 2 - "Yeah, I was ok not doing the int'l exp because I want to travel on my own terms and I've traveled enough in my life." It really depends on you! Various reasons people don't go. Having dependents, finances, don't have a passport, etc.

For my FWII, I had to interview for both of my 12 week internships. It was exactly like a job interview and I treated them as such. I prepared well for them. They understand that we're students though and the expectations were set accordingly (if they aren't, you should ask them about it). BUT, not everyone has to interview for their positions. It just happened to be the facilities I was placed at had real interviews. I've heard others have their placements pretty much set without an interview and they'll just go in for an orientation and to meet the bosses/staff. Don't quote me on that though lol just what I've heard. Also, if they didn't choose me for the internship based on my resume/interview, then it's back to the drawing board and I tell the SJSU FW coordinator so he can find me something more suitable.

FWI for me was at a peds clinic. I was basically a volunteer b/c I didn't have the knowledge to help out beyond that capacity at the time. We also lead a clinic in a semester (peds, phys dis, psychosocial, or older adults) which is cool cuz you get to help a client and sometimes lead groups. We also go off-site for Community I & II which is also cool. Every semester has hands-on experience in the real world! I counted all these as FWI on my resume since it's technically work in the field as a student.

 

[OThopefully183]

MrTL

For housing, do you live on-campus or off-campus? I am trying to see what option is the best. I looked at the housing options for on campus and it doesn't look too bad around $1,500 for a two bedroom.

If off-campus, what areas are good in San Jose that is Safe and Affordable and relatively close to school?

Thanks for your input

 

[MrTL]

MrTL

For housing, do you live on-campus or off-campus? I am trying to see what option is the best. I looked at the housing options for on campus and it doesn't look too bad around $1,500 for a two bedroom.

If off-campus, what areas are good in San Jose that is Safe and Affordable and relatively close to school?

Thanks for your input

I live off campus with my wife. It's definitely the nicest apartment complex I've ever lived in an the price reflects that lol.

$1500 for a two bedroom is a great deal for on campus! I didn't even know that existed. I don't know any of my fellow students who live on campus. Just a bunch that live within a mile radius and some way farther. Haven't heard of any of them paying more than $900 per person for what their setups are (2-3 bdrm... so $1800-2700 altogether). Others who want more privacy, I've heard of them being in studios for roughly $12-1500. Then there are a plethora of luxury apartments around for like $2500-3500 for a 1 bdrm. Just depends on what your lifestyle is like and what you can afford.

We get school email alerts monthly, and sometimes more frequently, when there are robberies or potential dangerous situations on or around campus. I think that's pretty typical of most college campuses in major cities though? You will generally be safe during the day time and just make sure to buddy up in the evening. Although, I've never felt unsafe during the evenings around campus either. I wouldn't say one particular area near campus is safer than others. Downtown is like any downtown so there will be homeless people and such. But what's funny is that you may meet these homeless people in our OT clinics and will try to help them out!

Not to sound too optimistic... I've just never been around at the time or place those alerts are sent out. So, it could be just chance and I think that chance is super low.

Sorry if that's not too helpful with the "safe" part of the question. But there are definitely areas close by that are affordable (and not so close by too). I believe there's a SJSU housing facebook group somewhere if you search. I'm not in it but I've heard others have good luck with it!

 

[LucyD]

I didn't get into any other schools except SJSU! But if I did get into other schools... I'd have a tough choice based on my personal preferences. If I got into Columbia, I might have gone there because I only got to live in New York for a little over a year and I wanted to experience more of life there along with going to a prestigious school. But, SJSU has a lot of FAOTA faculty (people in the OT profession that have contributed a lot to OT) and co-authors/editors of the creme de la creme of physical disabilities textbooks--Pedretti's Occupational Therapy!

But, man oh man, being the lowest tuition in the nation is EXTREMELY appealing. Less than $30k out the door for tuition and international experience and FWII is really hard to beat. Apartment costs around the area can range anywhere from $750-1500 (or more) per person if you get a 2 bdrm and a roommate. When I was living in Harlem, I was lucky to have a studio for $1650/month. That and the $80k tuition of Columbia... I'm not sure it would be worth the debt with the same employment outcomes anyway. I had other personal circumstances that brought me to SJ as well. My entire family is from SF, so it was nice to be close to them after being away for a few years.

I think the curriculum has me prepared for FWII, which is basically real life experience anyway. I'm a little bit older so I feel confident in my abilities that I've obtained over the years, through work and school. For the people in their early to mid 20's, I feel like they are prepared to handle the real world of OT as well.

Learning environment depends on your cohort. But, as far as I've seen, everyone is very supportive of each other. Sure, you'll have your band of main friends, but everyone is pretty civil with each other. If not, talk to the people you are working with. Communication between fellow students is the responsibility of those students involved. We're adults and I think we handle any disputes maturely (though there has never been anything major that I've heard or seen). If anything, all I've seen is that everyone wants everyone to do well. There is no competitiveness at all. As long as you're focused on absorbing as much information as possible, grades don't really matter (just don't get below a 3.0, which I've also never heard of from any of my cohort or the one above or below).

Sorry for any grammatical errors. I'm just procrastinating from assignments right now and this is fun for me. But I'm trying to write quickly and go back and forth haha ;P

I'm (REALLY!) struggling to decide between an OTD from Boston U and a masters from SJSU. SJSU has always been my goal, but BU has kinda been my dream. I've received a scholarship from BU that the makes the difference in tuition about 10K for the first two years (out of three). Finances is HUGE for me, especially right now given the world circumstances.

From your point of view (given what you had said about Columbia) would you say this added debt is worth the OTD? Or do you believe that the education and degree at SJSU is enough to be a successful OT ? I would LOVE your (and anyone's) input.

 

[MrTL]

I'm (REALLY!) struggling to decide between an OTD from Boston U and a masters from SJSU. SJSU has always been my goal, but BU has kinda been my dream. I've received a scholarship from BU that the makes the difference in tuition about 10K for the first two years (out of three). Finances is HUGE for me, especially right now given the world circumstances.

From your point of view (given what you had said about Columbia) would you say this added debt is worth the OTD? Or do you believe that the education and degree at SJSU is enough to be a successful OT ? I would LOVE your (and anyone's) input.

One thing that comes to the top of my head is that an OTD would better prepare you to be a researcher (if that's your cup of tea) and become a professor. I know post-professional OTD's can be expensive after one earns a masters, so it could be in your best interest to just get it done all in one go as it can be hard for some to get back into the learning game after being a practitioner for several years and then going for the PP doctorate.

But if you plan on being a practitioner only, which is my plan, then all masters programs should be able to do that. You come into the OT practice as a generalist and then start to specialize based on the settings you work in and the continuing education you pursue thereafter. For example, if I plan to work in a hospital setting doing either acute care/rehab or outpatient, then I'll likely get certs in edema/lymphedema management and physical agent modalities.

I think we forget that we'll be learning a lot more on the job and that OT school is just the base to build upon. I believe that most schools (maybe not all?) would prepare you for this generalist position and that SJSU would definitely do that for anyone coming in with a learning spirit. Whether one becomes a "successful OT" after schooling is done is up to the individual. SJSU will set that solid foundation for practitioners to build upon.

Also a thought, is it in 2025 or 2027 that all schools will be required to be OTD? So there is a slight rush for some to only get their masters and be grandfathered in to be a practitioner and save themselves a year if they don't want that OTD. Hope that helps!

 

[ButterflyOT]

One thing that comes to the top of my head is that an OTD would better prepare you to be a researcher (if that's your cup of tea) and become a professor. I know post-professional OTD's can be expensive after one earns a masters, so it could be in your best interest to just get it done all in one go as it can be hard for some to get back into the learning game after being a practitioner for several years and then going for the PP doctorate.

But if you plan on being a practitioner only, which is my plan, then all masters programs should be able to do that. You come into the OT practice as a generalist and then start to specialize based on the settings you work in and the continuing education you pursue thereafter. For example, if I plan to work in a hospital setting doing either acute care/rehab or outpatient, then I'll likely get certs in edema/lymphedema management and physical agent modalities.

I think we forget that we'll be learning a lot more on the job and that OT school is just the base to build upon. I believe that most schools (maybe not all?) would prepare you for this generalist position and that SJSU would definitely do that for anyone coming in with a learning spirit. Whether one becomes a "successful OT" after schooling is done is up to the individual. SJSU will set that solid foundation for practitioners to build upon.

Also a thought, is it in 2025 or 2027 that all schools will be required to be OTD? So there is a slight rush for some to only get their masters and be grandfathered in to be a practitioner and save themselves a year if they don't want that OTD. Hope that helps!

MrTL is correct that all entry-level OT programs should prepare you to be a generalist and some programs offer courses/electives with specialization content.
Just a couple clarifications:
1. If you think teaching would be in your future, a post-professional OTD would be better than an entry-level OTD because schools have to hire faculty with a degree higher status than the students they're teaching. If you think teaching and research (career in academia) are definitely in your future, get a research doctorate (PhD, ScD, EdD. etc.).
2. Post-professional OTD (ppOTD) costs and types vary widely. If cost is a factor, look at in-state or distance-learning programs. Some require residency so that may factor into your feasibility. Some offer a generalist track and others offer specializations, so know what your goals are for getting the ppOTD. Another option is to consider a transitional OTD program that's mostly online, which can be cost-effective. For example, one can graduate from the new Marymount University postprofessional OTD program for less than $14,500 (total). It is geared towards the OT with a master's degree generalist (no specialization tracks). MS to OTD
Another postprofessional OTD is St. Augustine in FL which does offer specialization tracks but it also costs more ($23k-$27k).
3. Entry-level requirements for an OT is currently dual-level: master's or entry-level OTD. Although ACOTE has said it wants an OTD to be the entry-level degree, the AOTA's Representative Assembly has not approved that. The Representative Assembly considers policies and procedures for the profession.
Good luck!