Difficulty Choosing a School

[skchb]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hey All,

I've been accepted to several programs for OT so far and am having a lot of trouble deciding which program to accept the offer to.

The schools I've narrowed down to are Washington U @ St. Louis, Tufts University, and Towson University. Has anyone else been accepted to these schools? Does anyone currently attend them? Any words of advice or suggestions for me?

Thanks!

 

[eagle88]

how do you plan on financially supporting yourself? I am in the same boat and the school I want to go to costs more than the other program.

 

[skchb]

Well, unfortunately all of those schools have ended up costing nearly the same (within 10,000) of one another for the entire 2-3 years. Therefore, the total cost of the programs isn't really a huge factor for me because there isn't enough of a difference between them for it to really be a huge factor. However, I've been considering the cost of living in the different areas, and I'm planning on applying for scholarships and assistantships to hopefully have some cash coming in. What programs are you choosing between?

 

[DiggaDigga]

I was deciding between tufts and some other schools and decided against tufts. Here are some of my reasons, hopefully it will help you decide.

1. Tufts gross anatomy does not include a cadaver lab or any dissections.
2. Tufts does not allow you to complete a 3rd fieldwork II
3. Because of the same site model, one of my fieldwork IIs would have to be in the Tufts area (since all of my field Is would have been done while taking other classes and necessarily be close to Tufts). I do not know if I want to set myself up to work in the Tufts area and the program would only allow me to get 1 experience somewhere else. Also, you don't really get a choice in where to do your fieldwork Is (standard for all schools), which would really limit the choice I would get for fieldwork IIs (most schools you have some choice and decision on where to do fieldwork IIs)
4. It is not a lockstep program (I like the idea of taking all the same classes with everyone else)

 

[eagle88]

I'm choosing between St. Catherine University and Nova Southeastern University. I am torn in which to choose.

Quick question, St. Kates is a master of arts in ot and Nova is master in science. what is the difference? I mean they both have to meet NBCOT requirements. Just wondering what the difference on emphasis is.

Well, unfortunately all of those schools have ended up costing nearly the same (within 10,000) of one another for the entire 2-3 years. Therefore, the total cost of the programs isn't really a huge factor for me because there isn't enough of a difference between them for it to really be a huge factor. However, I've been considering the cost of living in the different areas, and I'm planning on applying for scholarships and assistantships to hopefully have some cash coming in. What programs are you choosing between?

 

[lizzo76]

I'm choosing between St. Catherine University and Nova Southeastern University. I am torn in which to choose.

Quick question, St. Kates is a master of arts in ot and Nova is master in science. what is the difference? I mean they both have to meet NBCOT requirements. Just wondering what the difference on emphasis is.

Interesting. Does one seem to have more of a science orientation? That being said, perhaps it is nothing. My "elite" liberal arts undergrad ONLY awards the AB degree (same as BA) and it doesn't matter if your major is math, physics, chemistry, or whatever, even though the math and science programs are hardcore with grads going to top PhD programs. It doesn't really indicate that the program is any less rigorous or scientifically-oriented (although everyone does have to meet distribution requirements for a "classical education.")

Likewise awhile ago I was looking into what at any other school would be an MA program, and the school I was interested in ONLY offered the topic as an M.Ed. (which I didn't want.) Sometimes it has to do with what a specific school considers to be the requirements of a given degree (let's say, MS degree) and the particular program either not meeting those requirements within THAT school, or the department having not petitioned to make the program an MS program. I know, for example, the director of said M.Ed. program was in the midst of getting university approval to make the program MA. They just had to tweak the curriculum slightly. When I was doing my other masters degree, I sat as a rep for the curriculum committee in my program, and they were in the midst of making their "ad hoc" PhD program into a full-fledged PhD program. The details of approval for these things is pretty interesting.

Personally for OT, which is a sometimes misunderstood profession, I would prefer an MS to MA... seems to make it appear more "legitimate" as a health profession.

 

[2bOT]

I recall reading somewhere, sometime, that the curriculum of schools which award an "MSOT" involve more research components compared to just the "MOT" or MA in OT. I don't have anything to back me up, but perhaps comparing the curriculums between the programs will allow you to realize the differences between them.