What's your backup plan if you don't get into OT?

[CurlyHairedGirl]

If you don't get into OT school, what do you plan doing as a backup? I'm not sure I would want to hang out in my current job another year while waiting for another admissions cycle. My commute sucks and what I'm doing now is a dead end. I have no desire to look for another job within my current career field (computers) even though it is theoretically high paying and high growth.

I could try going into school in another area, and secretly reapply to OT schools. Since mental health and working with children are some of my interests, I could go to school in psychology and either do counseling or school psychology. Or go for a nursing degree as a second bachelor's degree. But preparing for backup plans would take energy away from preparing for OT... PT school is a possibility, but I got the impression that it was even harder to get into.

I've also wondered if I should apply for an OTA program that is starting up at a community college that is only 5 miles away.

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[jewel11786]

How long have you been thinking about going into OT school? If you haven't done much research into this field and the application process I encourage you to do it now. Also, look into the job prospects of both OT and OTA, if you already have a bachelor's you're better off going into an entry-level masters in OT rather than OTA, as you'll be better educated in the field, make more money, and spend the same amount of time in school. Before you leave your job I suggest you volunteer in some OT settings if you haven't done so already and maybe you can even get a job at as aide in a hospital or rehab center that work alongside OTs. You may also look into development school that serve children with disabilities and potentially work as a classroom aide alongside OTs there as well. You have so many different options to get your foot into the door in this field, get some experience, and see if this is really what you want to do.

 

[CurlyHairedGirl]

Well, I've been considering going into OT school for the past 13 years, which I suspect is a lot longer than most people on this message board. I have done extensive research into the field and the application process. For the past two years, I've given up the time that would have been spent in continuing development in my current profession in order to take the prerequisites for an OT program.

Right now I'm working in the Information Technology field making about twice what I expect to be making as a new OT grad, so I'm not likely to switch into being a classroom aide which would be maybe 1/5th what I'm making now. I've had a lot of difficulty getting time off from work to do observations of OTs, so that I am worried I won't get in enough hours before I need to apply this fall.

I have the sort of job where I worked 55 hours last week, got very little sleep, then came down with the flu. So while I'm home sick, attempting to sleep to get better, my boss calls me up so I can work from home for 6 hours. I now have no voice.

Because I started college 20 years ago, I am at a disadvantage compared to the students of today who have benefited from grade inflation. I majored in Science/Engineering in a school rated in the top 20 in the nation. I made D's in assembly language programming because I was competing against kids who had memorized how to program in binary when they were in elementary school. They had parents who had bought them the first PCs on the market for $5,000 when they were in elementary school. I bought my first PC my junior year of college with my summer job savings. Entry level x486 running Windows 3.1 for $1600.

My school was so tough that my roommate failed Organic Chemistry even though she later went on to a Ph.D in Chemistry and is now a professor.

Basically, because my undergraduate GPA is a 2.67, I may not even get considered at some schools because I'm competing against new grads who took fluff courses in the humanities in order to boost their GPA.

I'm taking the GRE this weekend. Based on the two practice tests I took, I should get a very high score on the Verbal and Quantitative sections, but probably not as high on the Analytical Writing. Provided I'm not delirious with the flu still. Hope that will make admissions a little easier at the schools that take the GRE.

 

[babycheeks]

I wouldn't have a back up plan go for the goal worry about it as it comes! Sounds like extra anxiety just wait to see how OT goes and if it fails than figure things out but you have a SUPER HUGE list of schools to try and get into be positive don't you think you can get into at least ONE out the list. I don't think it's if you will get into one reality is it should be for all of us if we will make it through with the grades we need and maintain the 3.0 GPA to even get the degree and sit for the NBCOT sometimes people discover it's harder than they thought. I'm in the program and know a person who has already considered leaving after a taste of all the work involved one of her APA papers went thru murder in red ink and this is someone who was honors and a degree in psychology in undergrad she thought the paper was pretty good in undergrad it would of been not anymore that will wake you up pretty fast. She doesn't feel she can maintain the 3.0 GPA and grades to get through it's nothing easy she is now considering a backup plan special education, professors grade a notch up and won't hold your hand.

Your main concern should be to work on your Writing the fact that you find this section hard in the GRE is a red flag to work on it and work on it fast if your going into a OT program you will do a LOT of APA papers and usual you have a final paper to do which has to be in APA with maybe 45 pages or more of your own research in most cases they are not going to explain APA to you gotta know it.

 

[CurlyHairedGirl]

I think I'm going to look for schools that do not have as much of an emphasis on writing papers. So Bay Path is out. Some schools emphasize team projects, others emphasize hands on work. And also buy one of the software packages that will check grammar and formatting and such. Even if it is $100.

 

[beestrng]

I was considering this a earlier on. If I did not get in this cycle, I would probably retake some courses, volunteer and observe more OTs in more settings.

Also possibly expand into more schools. St. Augustine has 3 admission dates in a year soo...

I would stick to your job though. I know I will try to do as much as I can to make some money so I dont have to rely on loans and the old man.

 

[CurlyHairedGirl]

There isn't really any way I can retake classes to raise my GPA. The classes I did poorly in were mostly upper-level engineering classes that aren't at all useful as an OT. I've forgotten all of the pre-requisite material I would need to know to retake them.

I could take more OT related coursework and see if I can slowly raise the total. My 2.67 undergrad has been raised up to a 3.0 cumulative based on my master's degree and the prereqs I've taken recently.

 

[babycheeks]

All the schools mostly do a research paper or APA paper or thesis at the end. But yea some are more hands on but you will still have papers regardless anywhere and in APA even hands on has papers. I doubt you can avoid it much. Might want to avoid research programs. Yeah count Bay Path College out def has a lot of papers as well as a final research thesis it's research based!

 

[affa]

I have seen this type of question asked a couple of times with no response that seemed like it came from an expert. I am not an expert either, but can tell you from experience applying last cycle, I got the impression GPA seemed to matter a lot, regardless of the course of study. It is a serious flaw in the system, and hopefully will change as the profession becomes more and more research based and technical.

My non-expert advice is to make phone calls to a couple schools you are interested in and ask them. I have spoken to a few schools as I was applying and found -with the exception of Pacific U and Suny Downstate - everyone to be extraordinarily kind, helpful and responsive.

 

[CurlyHairedGirl]

I was planning on sending out a series of emails to the colleges I'm interested in - describe my gpa issues, pre-reqs I've got, plus my really good GRE scores (mid 160's on both, havent gotten analytical writing score back yet) and ask 1) do I have a chance of getting in 2) when can I come visit - many of the information sessions aren't well publicized and they have them at times when people with jobs who live hours way can't come.

I was visiting Texas a year ago for a class reunion, and wanted to go visit TWU Dallas. When I called I was surprised to find that they wouldn't let me come by and visit. They said they were remodeling their lab or something and I'd be seeing the old equipment. I just wanted to talk to some people in the department about what the classes were like. I didn't consider that terribly welcoming.

Are telephone calls that much better? I haven't always gotten quick (or any) responses to emails. I guess working in IT makes me think email is the easiest way to get ahold of people, but OT isn't a desk job so email won't come as naturally to people who are OTs.

 

[gymnastau]

I would definitely send out some emails. Honestly you are right in some ways about feeling out the friendliness. I found some schools were really friendly, others not so much. Sometimes it depended on who you contacted. Calls can be hard b/c they may not be at their desk and voice mail isn't the best for asking questions. I mean I would use whatever form of communication works best for you and I have no doubt you'll get the results you need. I'm like you... I'm all about the email!

 

[failureisnotfatal]

My back up plan if I don't get into OT school is to get a Master of Public Health