General Admissions & OTCAS Opportunities for former OT students?

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HopefulOTGirl

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I was kicked out of OT school 3 years ago due to failing the first two five-day fieldwork rotations. Now that some time has passed, I am wanting to go back to school either in a rehab-science field or in a different field such as nursing. I am worried that my failed OT school past will severely limit which programs will accept me, even if I decide to pursue nursing instead of anything in rehab science. I was just wondering if anyone on here has any advice on how I can best present my failed grad school experience in a positive light when explaining it on applications to the programs that I am currently considering. Is it best to just call admissions counselors and explain the situation up front while asking them if I'd stand a chance or to just send in as many applications as possible while hoping for the best? Should I re-take undergrad classes to show them that I can still study, or would that be a total waste of time? Also, if anyone else on here has had a similar experience, I'd love to know what you did with your post-OT school life and how you presented being kicked out of OT school on your applications to other programs if you decided to continue your schooling somewhere else.

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I was kicked out of OT school 3 years ago due to failing the first two five-day fieldwork rotations. Now that some time has passed, I am wanting to go back to school either in a rehab-science field or in a different field such as nursing. I am worried that my failed OT school past will severely limit which programs will accept me, even if I decide to pursue nursing instead of anything in rehab science. I was just wondering if anyone on here has any advice on how I can best present my failed grad school experience in a positive light when explaining it on applications to the programs that I am currently considering. Is it best to just call admissions counselors and explain the situation up front while asking them if I'd stand a chance or to just send in as many applications as possible while hoping for the best? Should I re-take undergrad classes to show them that I can still study, or would that be a total waste of time? Also, if anyone else on here has had a similar experience, I'd love to know what you did with your post-OT school life and how you presented being kicked out of OT school on your applications to other programs if you decided to continue your schooling somewhere else.

Were they the level IA and IB rotations? What was the stated reason for failing them?
 
Sorry OT did not work out! I think if you explain why it was not a good fit for you and how this new profession (nursing, etc.) better suits your skills/personality, it won't hurt your application as much as you suspect. Sometimes failure is an opportunity to reflect and reassess, and framing it in terms of how it's allowed you to grow as a person might even set you apart from most other candidates. Good luck!
 
Well, my perspective is from a student who was dismissed from PT school but am now in OT school. I don't think your situation will prevent you from successfully getting into school in another field - I just think it might take some time to establish yourself as a serious candidate in that field.
What I mean is that once I decided that OT was what I was definitely interested in, I knew I needed a solid background: I got some serious observation hours with a school OT, and volunteered and worked at an inpatient rehab hospital. By the end of those experiences, the positive things they had to say about me, my passion for OT, and how they thought I would do well in OT school I think really outweighed the fact of my failure in PT school. (Make it stacked in your favor so that the new schools you are applying to would be foolish to not to want you in their program.)
Also, in my personal statement I mentioned how OT would be a better fit for my capabilities - hence why I just wasn't cut-out for PT school. I took several classes towards some common OT school pre-reqs so it showed I was making an effort academically, as well as working, towards a new career goal.
As for discussing upfront that I got dismissed from PT school and if that would cause any doubt or red flags, I did the exact same thing (!) when I ran that by the faculty head of an OT program at the end of an information session (probably not my brightest moment in retrospect). She thought that mentioning it first would be the absolute worst way to start an interview and was so adamant about that issue, I thought I blew my chances of getting into that program. But during my formal interview there, I kind of mentioned it in passing (I had talked about it enough in my personal statement I figured) and now I am in my second semester. Go figure.
Good luck with your search for a new career!
 
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