General Admissions & OTCAS Hi! I'm new. And I came with questions.

[OTledo]

Hi everyone! I just joined this network and I'm really excited about it. I have no pre-OT friends so it's nice knowing I'll finally be able to share stories, concerns, and questions with people who are in similar positions.

I'll start with introducing myself a little...

School: The University of Toledo
Major: B.S. Interdisciplinary Studies, focus in Health Issues. Graduating May 2016.
Overall GPA: 3.91
Pre-requisite GPA: 3.88
GRE: Have not taken it yet! Planning to take it in February or March.
Shadowing/Observation hours: 22 hours in outpatient rehab, 4 hours in inpatient skilled nursing/geriatrics.
(I only just recently started my shadowing a few weeks ago, I plan to have over 100 hours by Spring in various settings)
Experiences: Intern with American Red Cross, 75 volunteer hours as a clinician in a pediatric perceptual/motor skills development clinic, captain of a co-ed volleyball team, volunteer for a German American society, and work experience as a manager, server, and bartender in a local fine dining restaurant.

I know I have a lot to do before I apply. The OTCAS application cycle opens in July so I plan to have everything finished by then. I have a lot of questions though and I would love some feedback!

1. I'm thinking about taking an STNA/CNA course next month and getting a job as a nursing aide. Would this be a good idea from an admissions perspective? I figure it might look great on my application because it's health care experience, and the work entails a lot of ADL assistance.

2. For anyone who has taken the GRE, what do you think is the best way to prepare for it?

3. I've heard rumors about males being at an advantage in the admissions process because the field mostly consists of females. I am a male. I was wondering if there was any truth to this?

4. Also, do you think my experience as a manager/supervisor at a restaurant is relevant enough to talk about in an application? I would think the "leadership" aspect might be impressive, but I'm not sure because it isn't in health care.

If my questions appear in other threads, I apologize for the redundancy. Thanks for reading! Looking forward to hearing what some of you have to say!

-OTledo

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[deleted517237]

1. I think any related experience is good, but cnas do a lot of unpleasant work, like bathing, so be prepared for that.

2. For me, I crammed for a few weeks and took lots of practice tests before taking the GRE. I think it just depends on how you study best, use whatever has worked in the past. You're GPA is good enough where you don't need a super great GRE score to make you competitive.

3. Yes being male is helpful but it won't get you in without a decent application.

4. I think leadership is good, but teamwork, collaboration, and problem solving might be more relevant because of the nature of our work. I'd talk about those aspects of your job if you can.

Good luck!

 

[OTledo]

Thanks! That helps a lot. I also just got offered a Pharmacy Technician job, but I don't want to take it if being a CNA would look better. Do you think they'd be valued the same?

 

[deleted517237]

I think CNA would look better. Have you thought about trying for a rehab tech or OT/PT aide? Either of those would be great experience and (I think) don't require as much training as a CNA would.

 

[ot.3277]

I think CNA would look better. Have you thought about trying for a rehab tech or OT/PT aide? Either of those would be great experience and (I think) don't require as much training as a CNA would.

you could also try home care aid - I was able to work for a company and do 1:1 care for a senior with a neuromuscular disorder at his home. I was able to monitor/assist in his daily directed OT, PT, & SLP home therapy, assist with ADLs/IADLs (hygiene, meal prep, medication management, driving/errand/Dr. appt sheduling, etc), and make simple home modifications/adaptive equipment. I think this was my best experience getting prepared and I think you could really talk it up in an interview, plus the training is much shorter and more 1:1 assistance.
Another position is resident programs assistant/activity aid at a nursing home - you get to facilitate daily fitness programs, 1:1 task-oriented activities, sensory/sequencing/catagorization/ etc activities in a polutation that is prone to isolation/depression. You also get to do program development working within your resources.

Also definitely mention your leadership/management position. Like someone else mention, you should also twist it to make it work for team work/collaboration)

Being a male can help, but it won't get you in. You have a really good GPA so you'll get in somewhere.

 

[OTledo]

I've thought about PT/OT aide jobs, but they're so hard to come by. The OT that I'm shadowing said they're nearly impossible to find nowadays and every rehab aide she knew lost their job in recent years. However, yesterday I did apply for a position as an Activities Assistant at a nursing home and I'll keep looking.
The home health aide job is a really good idea, I'll look into that as well! It sounds like you had a very relevant and meaningful experience with it.

Also, I just thought of another question. Most of the schools that I'm applying to do not require physics. I took physics for a few weeks my sophomore year and then withdrew from the course because I didn't think it was necessary to take it. In retrospect, I kind of regret not finishing it, because one or two of my back-up plan schools require it. Do you think the "W" would look bad on my application, and should I retake it?

 

[ot.3277]

I've thought about PT/OT aide jobs, but they're so hard to come by. The OT that I'm shadowing said they're nearly impossible to find nowadays and every rehab aide she knew lost their job in recent years. However, yesterday I did apply for a position as an Activities Assistant at a nursing home and I'll keep looking.
The home health aide job is a really good idea, I'll look into that as well! It sounds like you had a very relevant and meaningful experience with it.

Also, I just thought of another question. Most of the schools that I'm applying to do not require physics. I took physics for a few weeks my sophomore year and then withdrew from the course because I didn't think it was necessary to take it. In retrospect, I kind of regret not finishing it, because one or two of my back-up plan schools require it. Do you think the "W" would look bad on my application, and should I retake it?

Your gpa is high where I don't think they will look at it too much, but i would try not to get anymore Ws. Then again you have a 3.9 so it won't mean much. I never took physics. I know it would have hurt my gpa and if they are not your top choice programs I wouldn't bother