Other OT-Related Information School Reputations and OT Jobs

[alg5443]

Hi everyone!

I just need opinions because the time is coming to really make that final decision on where to attend OT school! Right now I am deciding between two schools, Pittsburgh and Misericordia. Pitt is a 2 year program with a great reputation, while Miseri is a 3 year, part time program that is little known outside of my hometown. My question is, does reputation and name recognition mean anything when applying for OT jobs? With OT becoming more competitive does anyone see benefit in going to a more well known school?
I have talked to Miseri's program and when I asked about where their grads end up, they said their graduates are in the major health settings in my hometown area. This didn't appeal to me as I am really not looking to stay in my hometown area when I graduate. So I am nervous that I won't have as many options outside of my area if I choose to stay at home rather if I went to Pitt.
However, if I attended Miseri, I would be able to live at home and work full time since it is a part time hybrid program. I am much more likely to rack up about 30-4ok more in debt at Pitt, but if that means more opportunity outside of my area and more opportunity to work my way up into research/teaching/managing then I think it would be worth it.
Does anyone have any input or personal experiences to add in? Where would you attend? Any help would be so appreciated, thanks!

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[RedHeadOT]

Although Pitt would cost more (you estimated about 30-40K), you would be able to start as an OT a year sooner and would, therefore, have an extra year of OT salary. I think this is important to keep in mind when you calculate finances.

 

[Kidamnesiac]

I can't answer specifically, but I would think a school's network is the most important aspect of landing a job. The name of the school would only come into play (if that) if you're thinking of traveling out of state to work. JMO.

 

[inchbyinch]

I know someone who graduated from Misericordia's program right when it was started, and then went back there for her masters and doctorate. Most of her career has been in a nearby school system so she did not leave the area. However, it seems like that was by choice. It is her opinion that regardless of where you go, you can find a job just about anywhere because the demand for OTs anywhere is high and still growing. If her opinion is correct perhaps most of the Miseri grads stay in the area by choice, but could go elsewhere if they wanted. So many people have told me that where you get an OT degree isn't as important as some make it out to be. I guess we'll just have to see!

 

[ExceptionalSea]

from what i've researched about the field, it doesn't matter as long as you graduate and pass the NBCOT. as stated above, the demand for OTs is high so there are plenty of jobs. i don't think it's like law school where being in a top 20 school drastically increases your chances of a higher paying or prestigious job. most starting salaries will be the same with OT. i also feel like with OT it is more of what you make of your school career...but i'm no expert so i would do your research.

that being said, i'm from the midwest and i bet you anything a lot of the OTs i volunteered with will have never heard of pittsburgh either. i went to a very prestigious southern university for undergrad and a lot of people don't know about my school either. i'm not saying pittsburgh is a bad program, just trying to give you some perspective as someone who has graduated from a *good name school*.

can it help with your networking? maybe. but i honestly think that name of school only helps if you go to harvard, yale, princeton, MIT, stanford, etc. (not that those are OT programs, but you get the idea).

 

[RedDevilOT]

I 've actually wondered the same thing for a while...so thanks for starting this thread!

I have a similar question to add to the mix. Is a school's ranking (from US news and world report or other sources) a good indication of the quality of the program? I'm wondering if attending a school with a better ranking but higher price tag is really worth it. Thanks!

 

[mgeagle]

I 've actually wondered the same thing for a while...so thanks for starting this thread!

I have a similar question to add to the mix. Is a school's ranking (from US news and world report or other sources) a good indication of the quality of the program? I'm wondering if attending a school with a better ranking but higher price tag is really worth it. Thanks!

After talking to some OTs and PTs about the rankings and doing some research I have found that those rankings are somewhat misleading, you see OT/PT programs have to pay a good chunk of money to be apart of those rankings and some programs find that as a waste of money and would rather put their money elsewhere so some schools that could have tremendous programs aren't even on the ranking chart. I would say your best indications for how good a school is is their board exam pass rate and how well their students can adjust to LII fieldwork. The board exam is inevitable if you want to be an OT so you want to feel good about how your school is preparing you. Any program (and believe me they are out there.....) below 80% in terms of percentage of students who passed the board exam the first time should give you cause to pause. Any program between 80 and 89% should have you feeling good about the program, and any program above 89% should have you feeling really really good. Some schools from what I have heard from other OTs are good at tackling the knowledge and theory behind OT but slack in developing a student's application of the OT trade which does not set up their students well to adapt to LII fieldwork (which is basically you working for free lol) and it can be very frustrating for the people they work with at their respective fieldwork site because the full-time workers have to teach the student things that they should of been taught in school.

 

[BLS614]

Based on what I've heard from other OTs, school reputations may only factor in when looking for a job in more popular areas of the field and in more popular cities. For example, when I shadowed in DC public schools, the majority of the young OTs I met who worked there were from top ranked schools (USC, Boston U, Wash U). That is absolutely not to say you can't get a job in a popular area, like school-based OT, if you don't go to a "top 10" (according to U.S. News), but it may be a little helpful when there are a lot of other prospects vying for the same job. As everyone has mentioned, there are more OT jobs than there are people qualified to take them so you will find an OT job regardless as long as you are certified. If you are worried about job prospects, I would look at potential places of employment and see where many of their therapists went to school. I am really interested in working at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia eventually and when I looked up their current therapists I saw that a ton of them graduated from Thomas Jefferson (where I have put in a deposit). Clearly, the school has a good relationship with the hospital which is a definite plus for me. I think if the school is high up in the rankings (even though I do think the rankings are fairly arbitrary) it's probably unlikely that the program is terrible. However, just because the school is lower ranked or not ranked at all, that certainly doesn't mean the program is bad. Talking to past graduates and searching future places of employment may tell you more about the school and how it is viewed by the community.

 

[Kidamnesiac]

Based on what I've heard from other OTs, school reputations may only factor in when looking for a job in more popular areas of the field and in more popular cities. For example, when I shadowed in DC public schools, the majority of the young OTs I met who worked there were from top ranked schools (USC, Boston U, Wash U). That is absolutely not to say you can't get a job in a popular area, like school-based OT, if you don't go to a "top 10" (according to U.S. News), but it may be a little helpful when there are a lot of other prospects vying for the same job. As everyone has mentioned, there are more OT jobs than there are people qualified to take them so you will find an OT job regardless as long as you are certified. If you are worried about job prospects, I would look at potential places of employment and see where many of their therapists went to school. I am really interested in working at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia eventually and when I looked up their current therapists I saw that a ton of them graduated from Thomas Jefferson (where I have put in a deposit). Clearly, the school has a good relationship with the hospital which is a definite plus for me. I think if the school is high up in the rankings (even though I do think the rankings are fairly arbitrary) it's probably unlikely that the program is terrible. However, just because the school is lower ranked or not ranked at all, that certainly doesn't mean the program is bad. Talking to past graduates and searching future places of employment may tell you more about the school and how it is viewed by the community.

As far as I know, those rankings are based on applications and acceptance rates (at least that's how they do it in undergrad), and I think that most people hopefully know to take such things with a grain of salt.

However, I checked most of the list, and the pass rates are all high 90's for those programs. Some programs are also going to have more well renowned/published scholars, which can help if you want to go back to school or even with some research hospitals.

I still think the greatest benefit is the network of your school. If their graduates are in the area and you want to work in the area, that can be a high benefit to finding a job fast. If their graduates are across the country and you want to travel, that can help. Spending extra money for a school can help if you know that graduates from that program are in prominent positions where you ultimately want to work. I agree that for the most part, OT seems wide open if you're open to working in SNF's or other less desirable settings. But picking a specific school can help you with other goals if you're looking for something more specific.

 

[RedDevilOT]

Thank you all for your insight!! I really appreciate everyone's help!

 

[alg5443]

Thank you so much for all the replies and information! It really gave me a lot to think about. I do like the thought of starting a year early by graduating in 2 years at Pitt. Overall, I feel like the networking and opportunities are much more abundant at Pitt, but I am going to talk to Miseri more in this upcoming week to see what their students/graduates have to say. I have searched around a little bit on LinkedIn, which gave me perspective on where grads from both schools are working. I also still have to visit and really get a feel for both schools. I am definitely going to keep all this advice in my mind when researching and making a decision. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[lcs2074]

Hi everyone!

I just need opinions because the time is coming to really make that final decision on where to attend OT school! Right now I am deciding between two schools, Pittsburgh and Misericordia. Pitt is a 2 year program with a great reputation, while Miseri is a 3 year, part time program that is little known outside of my hometown. My question is, does reputation and name recognition mean anything when applying for OT jobs? With OT becoming more competitive does anyone see benefit in going to a more well known school?
I have talked to Miseri's program and when I asked about where their grads end up, they said their graduates are in the major health settings in my hometown area. This didn't appeal to me as I am really not looking to stay in my hometown area when I graduate. So I am nervous that I won't have as many options outside of my area if I choose to stay at home rather if I went to Pitt.
However, if I attended Miseri, I would be able to live at home and work full time since it is a part time hybrid program. I am much more likely to rack up about 30-4ok more in debt at Pitt, but if that means more opportunity outside of my area and more opportunity to work my way up into research/teaching/managing then I think it would be worth it.
Does anyone have any input or personal experiences to add in? Where would you attend? Any help would be so appreciated, thanks!

This is also something I have been thinking a lot about! I could go to a very prestigious program in the middle of a big city and have the independence and lifestyle I want for the next two years, but be VERY in debt by the time I graduate. Or, I could go to a small, new program and commute from my parents home in the suburbs while continuing to work part-time as a rehab aide/aerobics instructor (which I really enjoy) for a well-reputed medical company that has a LOT of opportunities for OTs in various settings/populations. I would have basically no social life for the next two years but would be way less in debt, probably by about 50% less. Would continuing this connection and saving so much money be worth attending a newer program no one's ever heard of? Both are two years (and accredited) so I'd graduate at the same time. Would love to hear feedback/advice!

All the OTs I've spoken to pretty much have said that the school you attend doesn't matter, to go where its most affordable if you can. It has also been stressed to me by several OTs that for that first job, employers care less about where you went to school than where your fieldworks were and how well you did in them. Still, a well connected school that prepares its students well is more likely to provide successful fieldwork opportunities right? Though I do believe that as a clinical profession, the most important learning comes from on-the-job experience, so as you gain that where you went to school not matter as much (and is why DOT doesn't have much benefit over MOT, since more experience is more attractive to an employer than more schooling). I'm going off on a tangent now, there is just so much to think about...

Alg5443,
One thing to consider with a 3 year hybrid program is that many people chose that route because they are older and more settled, have a family with kids and/or a full-time job already. Individuals who already have those family and job obligations are also more likely to stay put once graduating, so the amount of graduates who stay in town might be more of a reflection of that than the quality of the program/opportunities for graduates elsewhere. Also, the actual field does not seem to be getting that much more competitive/saturated, its getting into OT school that is. The fact that not everyone gets into OT school easily is what keeps OT in high demand job-wise, and luckily it doesn't seem as though that is going to change anytime soon (there is actually higher than average job growth projected in the coming decades.) If this is so, then school won't make much difference since many places have a shortage of OTs. At least, that is what I keep being told and am hoping is true!

 

[alg5443]

@lcs2074 In your situation, I think I would definitely choose to stay home. Mostly because of your connection with the medical company. If that is somewhere you would like to be an OT at and you would like stay in your area, I think you couldn't go wrong if you stayed home. Less debt and a great future opportunity in the works!
My situation is much different in this aspect, I absolutely do not want to stay in my area. I really dislike where I currently live, which is why it makes me nervous to even stay in the area for OT schooling. I really don't want to have less opportunities to work out of my area if I choose to attend my hometown school. I talked to an old coach of mine (not in the OT field) who I really trust with advice and the first thing he said was that Pitt would allow me more job opportunity outside our hometown. This has been stuck in my head ever since. Also, the Level 1 fieldwork my hometown school offers doesn't really interest me. I've worked with OT's this past summer who have nightmare experiences working where most of the Level 1's are. In that sense, I don't think I'd get a good, positive feel for OT and I might not learn as much as I'd hope to. It seems I'm slowly answering my own question as there are way more negatives about staying home than going away. The only negative I can find about Pitt is the 20-30k cost difference; however, I may be happier by just paying that since Pitt seems to be the best fit for me. I would also have that extra OT salary by graduating in 2 years instead of 3, and might be able to pay some of the different down during that time. I'm just nervous that I don't fully understand the enormity of taking on 20-30k more in debt. So, I'm still going to visit and have a look around to get a feel for both programs!
Btw, awesome point you brought up about how the hybrid program attracts more settled adults in my area. I never really thought of it this way but it is probably why most people choose to stay in the area. That definitely makes sense!

 

[lcs2074]

@lcs2074 In your situation, I think I would definitely choose to stay home. Mostly because of your connection with the medical company. If that is somewhere you would like to be an OT at and you would like stay in your area, I think you couldn't go wrong if you stayed home. Less debt and a great future opportunity in the works!
My situation is much different in this aspect, I absolutely do not want to stay in my area. I really dislike where I currently live, which is why it makes me nervous to even stay in the area for OT schooling. I really don't want to have less opportunities to work out of my area if I choose to attend my hometown school. I talked to an old coach of mine (not in the OT field) who I really trust with advice and the first thing he said was that Pitt would allow me more job opportunity outside our hometown. This has been stuck in my head ever since. Also, the Level 1 fieldwork my hometown school offers doesn't really interest me. I've worked with OT's this past summer who have nightmare experiences working where most of the Level 1's are. In that sense, I don't think I'd get a good, positive feel for OT and I might not learn as much as I'd hope to. It seems I'm slowly answering my own question as there are way more negatives about staying home than going away. The only negative I can find about Pitt is the 20-30k cost difference; however, I may be happier by just paying that since Pitt seems to be the best fit for me. I would also have that extra OT salary by graduating in 2 years instead of 3, and might be able to pay some of the different down during that time. I'm just nervous that I don't fully understand the enormity of taking on 20-30k more in debt. So, I'm still going to visit and have a look around to get a feel for both programs!
Btw, awesome point you brought up about how the hybrid program attracts more settled adults in my area. I never really thought of it this way but it is probably why most people choose to stay in the area. That definitely makes sense!

Thank you for your thoughtful response alg5443. I probably should have mentioned, part of why I'm nervous is because I most likely will want to move away from this area when I graduate. If I were to fall in love and enter into a serious relationship here my mind could change, but barring that I'll likely leave after graduating. I lived on the other side of the country for a couple years and really miss the city and my friends there. The only reason I moved back to my hometown was so I could afford to focus on finishing my prerequisites and getting into OT school. Unfortunately the only OT grad program in my former beloved city starts in January and so accepts applicants/makes decisions in early fall, and its just not worth turning down a definite acceptance here for a maybe there. I made the decision to become an OT whatever it takes, but this past year has been a lot of hard work and next to no social outlet, and it does make me a little sad that now it'll be that way for the next two years. If I were at least in the city instead of the suburbs, like at the other more expensive school, I could at least have a bit of a social life here and there. I wonder if having related work experience as a rehab aide and silver sneakers instructor would be helpful at all in a first job hunt elsewhere after graduating, or if it would be seen as irrelevant since its not OT itself?

Its a tough decision, good luck to you! Visiting sounds like a good idea, my feeling for what schools would be a good fit for me and which ones wouldn't COMPLETELY changed when I visited them. If you decide to go for the more expensive option, look into the public service loan forgiveness, it made me feel a little better about going into debt haha.

 

[lcs2074]

Go to the small town program and commute and save your cash. No one will care where you graduated from. You won't make more due to your diploma being from one school or another, and hiring isn't an issue right now for OTs.

osu789, if I did not make it clear enough, I am not interested in having any further contact or discussion with you. I've found this forum to be a wonderful, informative, supportive and positive resource, and I would like that to continue. It is pretty clear we do not see eye-to-eye and that is not going to change. I will not comment on any more of your posts, and would appreciate if you would respectfully refrain from commenting on mine.

 

[lcs2074]

I did not comment on anything you wrote. If you don't want to interact with me, don't. You're acting very childishly and you're entitled to act that way, just keep your tantrums to yourself. I responded to the person's initial question. If you have a problem, do not post.

I will add, I am entitled to post as I wish. If you don't wish to talk to me, just ignore it.

Since it was directly after my post about also being torn between a small town and city school, I thought thats what you were responding to. I apologize for what was a simple mistake, if I had realized I would have ignored it. You are entitled to your opinions and beliefs and I to mine, though as I said, I hope we can refrain from any more direct contact with each other in the future.

 

[BLS614]

Thank you for your thoughtful response alg5443. I probably should have mentioned, part of why I'm nervous is because I most likely will want to move away from this area when I graduate. If I were to fall in love and enter into a serious relationship here my mind could change, but barring that I'll likely leave after graduating. I lived on the other side of the country for a couple years and really miss the city and my friends there. The only reason I moved back to my hometown was so I could afford to focus on finishing my prerequisites and getting into OT school. Unfortunately the only OT grad program in my former beloved city starts in January and so accepts applicants/makes decisions in early fall, and its just not worth turning down a definite acceptance here for a maybe there. I made the decision to become an OT whatever it takes, but this past year has been a lot of hard work and next to no social outlet, and it does make me a little sad that now it'll be that way for the next two years. If I were at least in the city instead of the suburbs, like at the other more expensive school, I could at least have a bit of a social life here and there. I wonder if having related work experience as a rehab aide and silver sneakers instructor would be helpful at all in a first job hunt elsewhere after graduating, or if it would be seen as irrelevant since its not OT itself?

Its a tough decision, good luck to you! Visiting sounds like a good idea, my feeling for what schools would be a good fit for me and which ones wouldn't COMPLETELY changed when I visited them. If you decide to go for the more expensive option, look into the public service loan forgiveness, it made me feel a little better about going into debt haha.

lcs2074: I totally understand where you are coming from! I am deciding between an in-state school in a small city and an out-of-state, private school in a big city. While I wouldn't be able to live with my parents at the in-state school, the tuition is less than half the private school and the cost of living is lower. However, I love big cities and can definitely see myself living there (Philadelphia) over my in-state option. If I knew I would only be in my in-state area for 2.5 years I think I would take it over living in Philly because I could always move to a big city after I graduated. My SO throws a wrench into that plan though as he is applying to law schools, and unlike OT, there are very few law jobs right now, and if he were to find one, it would almost definitely be in the city we would be going to school in. For that reason, we would probably be stuck wherever we go to school for at least 5-6 years. I don't think I could stay at my in-state option that long. In your case though, I absolutely think you would still be able to move and find a job in a more desirable area. If you do choose the more expensive option, know that you won't be alone in racking up a ton of debt. A good friend of mine is an OT and went to USC (not living at home) entirely on student loans. She now lives in DC (VERY expensive city) and gets by. I'm sure she would love to have less of her paycheck disappear each month in student loans, but I think overall she is still happy with her decision. I wish you the best of luck as you decide!

 

[inchbyinch]

I have been thinking about the debt a lot, since my only current option will put me $100,000 in debt (private doctorate program…I am still waiting to hear back from much cheaper in state public schools.) OT's starting salary is 40 to 50 a year (worst case scenario right?) I figure I'll just plan to put half of my salary towards the debt and live modestly until it's payed off. I have heard of loan forgiveness opportunities and might pursue this if I am eligible at the end. Commit 2 years to working on an indian reservation and get $40,000 forgiven. I am sure there are other options out there besides the Indian Health Services.
https://www.ihs.gov/loanrepayment/

If you really aren't happy living where you currently are and think Pitt would be a more fruitful experience I don't think the extra money should hold you back.

 

[lcs2074]

lcs2074: I totally understand where you are coming from! I am deciding between an in-state school in a small city and an out-of-state, private school in a big city. While I wouldn't be able to live with my parents at the in-state school, the tuition is less than half the private school and the cost of living is lower. However, I love big cities and can definitely see myself living there (Philadelphia) over my in-state option. If I knew I would only be in my in-state area for 2.5 years I think I would take it over living in Philly because I could always move to a big city after I graduated. My SO throws a wrench into that plan though as he is applying to law schools, and unlike OT, there are very few law jobs right now, and if he were to find one, it would almost definitely be in the city we would be going to school in. For that reason, we would probably be stuck wherever we go to school for at least 5-6 years. I don't think I could stay at my in-state option that long. In your case though, I absolutely think you would still be able to move and find a job in a more desirable area. If you do choose the more expensive option, know that you won't be alone in racking up a ton of debt. A good friend of mine is an OT and went to USC (not living at home) entirely on student loans. She now lives in DC (VERY expensive city) and gets by. I'm sure she would love to have less of her paycheck disappear each month in student loans, but I think overall she is still happy with her decision. I wish you the best of luck as you decide!

Thanks so much Bls614! I'm definitely leaning towards the cheaper option at this point, assuming they become accredited (which will hopefully happen in the next few weeks.) Philly is definitely a wonderful city, I wish you the best of luck in your decision as well!

 

[OTiMom]

My daughter will be an incoming freshman at Misericordia. She will be attending the BS/MSOT program. She was accepted to 5 BS/MS programs, so she had lots of options. MU was not even on our radar when we started researching BS/MSOT programs but she fell in love with the school on our first visit. First thing we checked was the NBCOT in which MU had a 100% this year, with a 3 year average of 97%. They also have a pediatric specialization option in their program which my DD is very interested in. I am also in a related field, I do know that passing the licensing exam is first and foremost; can't practice without it . I wanted her to consider the other bigger university with a better name recognition, but she declined it, strangely enough, their NBCOT scores were lower than that of MU although a higher ranking school according to USNews.

 

[RedHeadOT]

My daughter will be an incoming freshman at Misericordia. She will be attending the BS/MSOT program. She was accepted to 5 BS/MS programs, so she had lots of options. MU was not even on our radar when we started researching BS/MSOT programs but she fell in love with the school on our first visit. First thing we checked was the NBCOT in which MU had a 100% this year, with a 3 year average of 97%. They also have a pediatric specialization option in their program which my DD is very interested in. I am also in a related field, I do know that passing the licensing exam is first and foremost; can't practice without it . I wanted her to consider the other bigger university with a better name recognition, but she declined it, strangely enough, their NBCOT scores were lower than that of MU although a higher ranking school according to USNews.

OTiMom, the US News and World Report rankings are assigned based on peer assessment scores, so a schools reputation in specific areas, according to others schools, determines their location within the ranking order.

As the US News and World Reports Methodology page explains:

"All the health rankings are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline. All schools surveyed in a discipline were sent the same number of surveys.

Respondents rated the academic quality of programs on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding). They were instructed to select "don't know" if they did not have enough knowledge to rate a program. Only fully accredited programs in good standing during the survey period are ranked. Those schools with the highest average scores appear in the rankings.

-Read more here: http://www.usnews.com/education/bes...3/10/methodology-best-health-schools-rankings

This might help explain the difference in ranking between MU and other schools.

 

[alg5443]

Thank you for all of the insight! I agree that passing the NBCOT is the most important aspect of future employment. However, I do think the school's name and networking does play a small role, at least maybe for more competitive areas in OT. Overall, to figure everything out, it was really helpful for me to talk to programs to see where their fieldwork sites were and where recent grads ended up. Misericordia is a wonderful school and the faculty is so helpful and friendly, I'd highly recommend their part-time program to anyone, especially if you're making a career change and still want to work full-time while going to school. I recently got into TJU with a scholarship and have decided to attend. Thankfully, the scholarship brought the cost down to a comparable price with Miseri and their program is only 2 years instead of 3. I'm a happy camper. Thanks again for all the help!