Other OT-Related Information Anyone been a PT Aide before? Connecting it to OT...

[WanderlustOT]

Hi,


I currently work as a PT aide (bc no OT aide jobs available) and am having a hard time connecting it to OT. I've gained a better appreciation for physical therapy, but by being surrounded by it daily I often forget to connect it to OT especially since I see a lot of overlap. None of the patients have required OT as part of their rehab, yet they're able to go back to doing the things that add meaning to their life once they're finished with PT.

Has anyone here been a PT aide and can offer any feedback about their experience (both during the job AND come application/interview cycle time)? Maybe questions to think about while on the job to relate it to OT? Differences you've noticed from your experience?

I've already volunteered at OT places in the past but I no longer have the availability to continue volunteering bc of this job.


Thank you for any feedback!

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[beestrng]

Hi,


I currently work as a PT aide (bc no OT aide jobs available) and am having a hard time connecting it to OT. I've gained a better appreciation for physical therapy, but by being surrounded by it daily I often forget to connect it to OT especially since I see a lot of overlap. None of the patients have required OT as part of their rehab, yet they're able to go back to doing the things that add meaning to their life once they're finished with PT.

Has anyone here been a PT aide and can offer any feedback about their experience (both during the job AND come application/interview cycle time)? Maybe questions to think about while on the job to relate it to OT? Differences you've noticed from your experience?

I've already volunteered at OT places in the past but I no longer have the availability to continue volunteering bc of this job.


Thank you for any feedback!

Hi

There is no connection because PT and OT are different professions. If you are only working as a PT aide you will only see what PTs do etc.

Volunteering vs paid positions will provide different experiences.

You have do understand what they do.

What setting are you in and is it a major health system or private practice type of thing?

 

[PNW_OT]

Hi,


I currently work as a PT aide (bc no OT aide jobs available) and am having a hard time connecting it to OT. I've gained a better appreciation for physical therapy, but by being surrounded by it daily I often forget to connect it to OT especially since I see a lot of overlap. None of the patients have required OT as part of their rehab, yet they're able to go back to doing the things that add meaning to their life once they're finished with PT.

Has anyone here been a PT aide and can offer any feedback about their experience (both during the job AND come application/interview cycle time)? Maybe questions to think about while on the job to relate it to OT? Differences you've noticed from your experience?

I've already volunteered at OT places in the past but I no longer have the availability to continue volunteering bc of this job.


Thank you for any feedback!

Hi! I worked as a PT aide for 2 years while working on applying to OT school. I think being a PT aide helped reinforce my decision to be an OT but there was a lot of really valuable overlap. I related my work experience to helping me gain an interdisciplinary perspective and valuing other professions I may be working alongside (very important to a lot of schools). I also talked about how being a PT aide gave me valuable direct patient care experience and helped me become more confident in caring for patients.

While interviewing I never had anyone ask me why I was a PT aide instead of an OT aide. It was really just a highlight in my personal statement. I also had 2 PTs write letters of recommendation on top of 2 OTs.

 

[Pupperz4lyfe]

Hi! I worked as a PT aide for 2 years while working on applying to OT school. I think being a PT aide helped reinforce my decision to be an OT but there was a lot of really valuable overlap. I related my work experience to helping me gain an interdisciplinary perspective and valuing other professions I may be working alongside (very important to a lot of schools). I also talked about how being a PT aide gave me valuable direct patient care experience and helped me become more confident in caring for patients.

While interviewing I never had anyone ask me why I was a PT aide instead of an OT aide. It was really just a highlight in my personal statement. I also had 2 PTs write letters of recommendation on top of 2 OTs.

I agree! I actually volunteered at a PT/OT clinic and the PTs were more helpful with me than OTs. I believe a lot of the patient care and relationships you build as an aide will help you with your future OT patients. You’ll learn how to interact with the various personalities that comes with the human race lol. Since OT is such a broad spectrum I believe it can overlap in more ways than one. Obviously hand therapy is very similar to PT. Like emphasizing at home exercises is key to therapy.

I learned from the PTs about utilizing subjective and objective points of view to your practice. I remember my PT telling me if the patient said this part hurts, you really have to think about the whole picture, and think about the various reasons as to why that part hurts. Is it your posture, was it an injury, was it because this other part of the body hurt and they’re connected, etc. Which can also be applied to OT! A lot of the same key methods can be used. For instance with pediatrics there’s an emphasis on play and fun while treating your kiddos. There’s a reason why PTs/OTs collaborate a lot ! (At least from what I’ve seen, I know pediatrics collaborate a lot! )

 

[gOT2beOT]

Try tying the two professions together based on how they work together. Do some research on interdisciplinary teams and how each discipline works together towards the patient care goals. PTs focus on the large muscle groups whereas OTs work on small and fine motor skills....tie that together. Im sure you've seen how important it is to gain strength in your larger muscles in order to properly use the smaller. For example, if you do not have the strength in your arms and wrists, using your fingers is very difficult - hense why many people require services from both PT and OT. You can also refer to home care, and how OTs work with PTs in home care. PTs may assess the patients mobility when going home from the hospital and makes sure that the patient is leaving via w/c or strethcer, but the OT is at home assessing if they can properly move about their homes and function safely upon return. Do your research!! Try tying your experience in PT to OT in that sense. Hope this helps!