MS or OTD?

[chipmunk222]

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Is there any reason where getting an OTD is advantageous? Other than to teach, that is. Does it open up a whole lot of other opportunities that would otherwise be closed to a masters?

Or is this a lot like nursing doctorates, where its kind of useless, except in teaching...? I mean a lot of jobs that a nurse phd might do is already being done by mba's and mph's.

An OTD is expensive and it will dictate where I go to OT school this fall, and I don't know if it's worth it.

Thanks!

 

[teacher2PT]

Is there any reason where getting an OTD is advantageous? Other than to teach, that is. Does it open up a whole lot of other opportunities that would otherwise be closed to a masters?

Or is this a lot like nursing doctorates, where its kind of useless, except in teaching...? I mean a lot of jobs that a nurse phd might do is already being done by mba's and mph's.

An OTD is expensive and it will dictate where I go to OT school this fall, and I don't know if it's worth it.

Thanks!

My understanding is that the OTD is a lot like many of the other recent changes to doctorates in health fields (for PT's, audiologists, etc), where the idea is that the doctorate helps increase the respectability of these fields in the eyes of the general public, or something to that effect. I think it adds to people working as more autonomous professionals, too. So until all the OT programs change over to the OTD (if they do), I don't think there's a real benefit to it yet, and there generally isn't a higher salary attached to it. I also think that in order to take on high-ranking teaching jobs you need a PhD. I could be wrong about all of this, but I know I've read about this somewhere along the way, and this is what I remember. Hope it helps at least somewhat.

 

[chipmunk222]

Thanks! I think I get what you're saying...that there is no real purpose in getting an OTD right now since only a few schools offer it. When it becomes much more prevalent, then it might become useful. Getting the "D" is expensive, and I figured it wouldnt be worth much straight out of school without any real experience to begin with. I also thought that when the "D" becomes a requirement, there will probably be a lot of programs practicing OTs can attend at night and online, hopefully with tuitiion covered by the employer. Do you think this is a reasonable assumption?

I'm guessing you're not planning to get an OTD anytime soon?

 

[teacher2PT]

Oh yeah, I was going to say that there are employers who will help for your doctorate, especially if it becomes more the norm. I don't have any plans to get it any time soon, but there are 2 online programs (I think) which I might consider once I have my student loans for my master's paid off!