DPT v. OTD? How could you even contemplate between them.
Started by PREMEDWOAHS
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I agree, there are numerous differences...but there are many similarities too. And that doesn't mean that a person can't have things that they like about both fields, or even things that they don't like about both fields.
I'm like you (I'm assuming) where it was very easy for me to decide between the fields. But that doesn't mean that a decision is easy for everyone. In fact, my decision was between PT and MD, and there are certainly HUGE differences between these two professions! To each his own 🙂
I'm like you (I'm assuming) where it was very easy for me to decide between the fields. But that doesn't mean that a decision is easy for everyone. In fact, my decision was between PT and MD, and there are certainly HUGE differences between these two professions! To each his own 🙂
I agree and you say it well - I never had an issue deciding between one or the other.
My idea of this post was not to attack a person who is caught between the OTD v DPT decision - rather, I would like to expose the similarities & differences between the professions, to help clear up some peoples minds. There are two separate forums: OTD and DPT, but no where to figure out which one is best for you by outlining their characteristics/similarities/differences, my desire is to do so.
So please don't feel like I am attacking anyone or flaunting the fact that I DID NOT have to make this choice.
Okay post on!
My idea of this post was not to attack a person who is caught between the OTD v DPT decision - rather, I would like to expose the similarities & differences between the professions, to help clear up some peoples minds. There are two separate forums: OTD and DPT, but no where to figure out which one is best for you by outlining their characteristics/similarities/differences, my desire is to do so.
So please don't feel like I am attacking anyone or flaunting the fact that I DID NOT have to make this choice.
Okay post on!
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Thanks for posting this... I am one who went from PT to OT and recently back to PT. It was a difficult decision for me because I needed to decide did I want to be helping people become mobile again, or to help them with specific tasks in their lives. OT also requires much less science courses and has more of a psychology emphasis which I initially liked. They are two different careers but have a lot of overlap. I hope more people post about this topic, because I'm sure I am not the only one who has considered both professions.
Hi
I totally agree, but its just a problem when you have to explain it to some one who doesnt know what either profession does. I work as an aid in a PT& OT clinic and I always have to explain the difference. I even had to explain what OT was to a doctor when I went to get my immunization papers filled up for school. So if you have to explain what OT or PT is to doctors I dont think we should blame the general public. thanks for posting this.
I totally agree, but its just a problem when you have to explain it to some one who doesnt know what either profession does. I work as an aid in a PT& OT clinic and I always have to explain the difference. I even had to explain what OT was to a doctor when I went to get my immunization papers filled up for school. So if you have to explain what OT or PT is to doctors I dont think we should blame the general public. thanks for posting this.
There are plenty of differences, but I don't think that makes it unreasonable to be contemplating between the two. Some people know exactly what they want to do in their career. They have a very specific path, goal, and field. That's great if you are one of those people; my husband is one of those people, and I am sure there are plenty of PTs that are those people. They "just know" exactly what they were meant to do with their lives, and they're happy doing just that.
I fall into another category though, a group of people that could see themselves perfectly happy doing a myriad of various jobs. I got my BS in Biology and my certification in Secondary Education. Through my college career, I considered everything from Pharmacy to teaching, from counseling to Zoology. After two years going the medical research route, I am headed back to school to earn my DPT. One of the biggest perks is having a teaching option available to me down the road in the form of teaching in the PT field or back in a high school if I really wanted. Some people, like myself, could never imagine following a single, straight career path because we could be happy in at least a dozen different careers.
With that perspective, perhaps it's not so hard to believe that people have trouble deciding between PT and OT. Regardless of the differences, there is even more that is the same. After all, I had quite the decision this summer trying to decide between teaching high school bio and becoming a PT because there really is more in common than one would first imagine.
