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Occupational Therapy
Started by jturpin4
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Hmm...a bit late, I fully realize, but I'm an OT.
dc
dc
jturpin4 said:
I just got accepted to OT school - Class of 2008. Are you asking because you're applying or interested in OT?
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im about to finish OT school and applying to medicine. i find im explaining to other professionals what an OT is half the time. and the other half saying, no we are not physical therapists🙂 look at the title of this subform...we dont even get a mention...case in point 😀
Im finishing up the masters in OT at the university of toronto. i like certain aspects of OT, hand therapy and physical rehabilitation but there is a lot of "fluff" content that does not interest me. at least in the canadian model of OT, they are moving away from the medical model of practice to an occupational framework.
yeah i want to move into medicine because thats what i originally wanted to do. i got a looooooooooooong road ahead :S
yeah i want to move into medicine because thats what i originally wanted to do. i got a looooooooooooong road ahead :S
ft-
I did what you're doing. I was a bit "green" when I started college (16 yrs old), so I wanted to do healthcare but not spend my entire young life in school. So I did OT until I was 27, and now I'm a first year medical student at Stony Brook in Long Island, NY.
OT is a great profession that will allow you to live a reasonable life - never comfortable or rich, but reasonable for sure. Very rewarding most of the time, and quite frustrating some of the time ("no, I'm not a PT"). But for those of us that are a bit more science oriented, OT can leave you yearning for more.
If you get all the way through OT school, PLEASE work as an OT for a bit. It will do so much for your perspective and clinical skills as you look to get into medical school. Plus you get a real paycheck, which is nice. But you'll be around docs, you get to deal with real patients, you learn what's kosher and what's not in the hospital, teaches you to get along with teammates, etc. It has ABSOLUTELY helped me in medical school.
Congrats to those in OT, and good luck to all. If I can answer any questions about OT, lemme know.
dc
I did what you're doing. I was a bit "green" when I started college (16 yrs old), so I wanted to do healthcare but not spend my entire young life in school. So I did OT until I was 27, and now I'm a first year medical student at Stony Brook in Long Island, NY.
OT is a great profession that will allow you to live a reasonable life - never comfortable or rich, but reasonable for sure. Very rewarding most of the time, and quite frustrating some of the time ("no, I'm not a PT"). But for those of us that are a bit more science oriented, OT can leave you yearning for more.
If you get all the way through OT school, PLEASE work as an OT for a bit. It will do so much for your perspective and clinical skills as you look to get into medical school. Plus you get a real paycheck, which is nice. But you'll be around docs, you get to deal with real patients, you learn what's kosher and what's not in the hospital, teaches you to get along with teammates, etc. It has ABSOLUTELY helped me in medical school.
Congrats to those in OT, and good luck to all. If I can answer any questions about OT, lemme know.
dc
What kind of help are you looking for?
I can get you into a few places if you live in/near Binghamton or Utica; I could also see what I can do regarding stuff in Long Island, although I only know one OT here as of right now.
If you are looking for what to do, just call the local hospital's OT department. I assure you they get calls for volunteer work all the time; you might get stuck folding towels or cutting paper for 80% of the time, or you might get a great OT that lets you see and do everything...or anything in between. Moreover, most preschools for kids with special needs will have OTs, as do all schools, and many free standing clinics.
Let me know if I can be of help.
dc
I can get you into a few places if you live in/near Binghamton or Utica; I could also see what I can do regarding stuff in Long Island, although I only know one OT here as of right now.
If you are looking for what to do, just call the local hospital's OT department. I assure you they get calls for volunteer work all the time; you might get stuck folding towels or cutting paper for 80% of the time, or you might get a great OT that lets you see and do everything...or anything in between. Moreover, most preschools for kids with special needs will have OTs, as do all schools, and many free standing clinics.
Let me know if I can be of help.
dc
big...
how many years did you work as an OT before you applied to medical school ? i see your point and others have told me that i should practice before trying to apply again. i might just do that but on a p/t basis. im too science and medical focus for OT. i know that but i like some aspects of it and being able to interact with the patients on a very close basis is great.
how many years did you work as an OT before you applied to medical school ? i see your point and others have told me that i should practice before trying to apply again. i might just do that but on a p/t basis. im too science and medical focus for OT. i know that but i like some aspects of it and being able to interact with the patients on a very close basis is great.
ft-
I practiced for 7 years. Here's the gig. If there is anything that you want to do now, do it now. You can ALWAYS go back to medical school. The only real hurdles are gonna be your GPA (which OT schools typically make you maintain a decent GPA) and the MCAT (be careful when you take that - most schools won't accept scores older than 3 years, and if you're too far away from your science courses in undergrad, you'll have quite a bit of work to do in order to refresh yourself). But each year - hell, each day - you work with patients is another day that you bring something attractive to the table for the medical school admissions committee. I was NEVER asked about my grades on interviews. I NEVER got one of those "pro-life v. pro-choice" or any of the "typical" interview questions on the medical school route. A couple of interviewers even commented on how it was nice to be able to converse with me, as opposed to interrogate me. Your skills and experiences as an OT are going to be invaluable as a doc.
Here's real talk: as an OT, you may or may not already know that you are NOT at the top of the rehab food chain. So you're gonna learn to swallow your pride a bit, and you'll learn when to stand up for yourself, and you'll learn how to educate folks, and how to schmooze the nurses, etc. REAL helpful when some of the 20 year olds in your medical school class are trying to "tell" nurses what they should be doing.
And most importantly, if you work a bit, you get these years to YOURSELF. Get an apartment. Buy a car. Build your credit. Publish a paper or two about rehab. Travel. Ya know, I spent a year working as an OT in Portugal. Now I speak (near) fluent Portuguese. Great conversation starter. You can most certainly have a great life in medical school, but it is just easier, in my opinion, to enjoy a few years where you get to do whatever you want, have a decent paying, low-stress job when you're an OT.
Finally - I'm almost done - if you really must go to medical school now, then go. OT will not bring you untold fame or riches. I *LOVED* doing OT, so it was no issue for me. But if you are doing your Level II clerkships and you hate those, you are going to hate OT life. Just having access to cadavers for anatomy, and learning all the clinically based dysfunction will give you a leg up on the medical school students that are biobots, and you'll be fine in medical school.
Whatever you do, good luck.
Phew.
dc
I practiced for 7 years. Here's the gig. If there is anything that you want to do now, do it now. You can ALWAYS go back to medical school. The only real hurdles are gonna be your GPA (which OT schools typically make you maintain a decent GPA) and the MCAT (be careful when you take that - most schools won't accept scores older than 3 years, and if you're too far away from your science courses in undergrad, you'll have quite a bit of work to do in order to refresh yourself). But each year - hell, each day - you work with patients is another day that you bring something attractive to the table for the medical school admissions committee. I was NEVER asked about my grades on interviews. I NEVER got one of those "pro-life v. pro-choice" or any of the "typical" interview questions on the medical school route. A couple of interviewers even commented on how it was nice to be able to converse with me, as opposed to interrogate me. Your skills and experiences as an OT are going to be invaluable as a doc.
Here's real talk: as an OT, you may or may not already know that you are NOT at the top of the rehab food chain. So you're gonna learn to swallow your pride a bit, and you'll learn when to stand up for yourself, and you'll learn how to educate folks, and how to schmooze the nurses, etc. REAL helpful when some of the 20 year olds in your medical school class are trying to "tell" nurses what they should be doing.
And most importantly, if you work a bit, you get these years to YOURSELF. Get an apartment. Buy a car. Build your credit. Publish a paper or two about rehab. Travel. Ya know, I spent a year working as an OT in Portugal. Now I speak (near) fluent Portuguese. Great conversation starter. You can most certainly have a great life in medical school, but it is just easier, in my opinion, to enjoy a few years where you get to do whatever you want, have a decent paying, low-stress job when you're an OT.
Finally - I'm almost done - if you really must go to medical school now, then go. OT will not bring you untold fame or riches. I *LOVED* doing OT, so it was no issue for me. But if you are doing your Level II clerkships and you hate those, you are going to hate OT life. Just having access to cadavers for anatomy, and learning all the clinically based dysfunction will give you a leg up on the medical school students that are biobots, and you'll be fine in medical school.
Whatever you do, good luck.
Phew.
dc
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ftcnt said:
Yeah, that's so sad. Something is wrong with that...We need to make a name for occupational therapy. I'm tired of explaining what it is.
jturpin4 said:
I'm getting my master's degree at San Jose State Univerisity in California. I'm so excited!
Mrjeez said:
Are you sure you need to finish all the hours before you apply? My program requires 100 hours, which they allow people to finish anytime before the program starts. I just let them know the hours were in progress when I applied (I had 40 hours at the time).
delightx81 said:
How do you like San Jose State? Do you plan on getting your doctorates in OT as well? I am going to Eastern Kentucky University in the fall majoring in Occupational Science (Pre-OT) then probably getting my Masters there as well.
Ummm...a doctorate in OT is, in my opinion only, a bit much. I'm ready to be flamed; I say the exact same thing about PTs getting their DPTs *for clinical uses only*. I know that I don't have a doctorate, and that I'm not a PT, and that "I just don't understand" and everything else that folks say when I say that I don't agree with getting an OTD or DPT.
For "line work" - my last OT job was to do evals for a small hosptial on the inpatient side, and the COTAs would treat - an OTD would be overkill. But to each their own, I guess.
But you've gotta have the masters degree to do OT nowadays, so that's a must.
dc
For "line work" - my last OT job was to do evals for a small hosptial on the inpatient side, and the COTAs would treat - an OTD would be overkill. But to each their own, I guess.
But you've gotta have the masters degree to do OT nowadays, so that's a must.
dc
jturpin4 said:
Congrats! You're going into a great field. I've visited San Jose State a few times, and the environment is great; nice weather, lots to do near campus, and not too far from San Francisco. I will be starting their online neuroanatomy class in June. As far as the doctorates, I have considered getting them, but I'm not sure what the benefits are to having them. I noticed that you can get your PhD of OTD through "distance" online programs at many schools. I might decide to go for one of them if I open my own practice or decide to join the faculty of a school. What about you? Do you plan on getting a doctorate?
Hi Big Dan,
I'm a pre-ot student at Dominican college. How would you describe a typical day as an Occupational Therapist?
I'm a pre-ot student at Dominican college. How would you describe a typical day as an Occupational Therapist?
ftcnt said:
They finally added OT to the name of this section! Whoo Hoo!! =) Nice job.
And, today, when I come down I find an OT thread..how refreshing.
BigDan!! My man, I could use you right now. I, too, am an OT, and am currently finishing up pre-req classes in order to apply to medical school this summer. I have been a practicing OT for 4 years but for many reasons that you previously stated, I'm just going for my dream and applying to medical school. I would love to hear a little more about your med school application process. Some specific things I would like to know are how do you feel the medical schools you applied to regarded you since you do have an allied health background? Did you have to defend why you wanted to go back to medical school rather than remain an OT?
To all you other pre-OTs and OT students, occupational therapy is a fantastic field. I do agree that one of the worst aspects of being an OT is trying to explain what the heck we do(Me, the trusty OT: "Hi. I'm your occupational therapist and will be working with you today". Patient: "I don't need an Occupational Therapist; I'm retired").
To the one who asked to describe a typical day for an OT, it really depends on the setting in which you work. I work in rehab, LTACH, and outpatient (lymphedema and some hand therapy) and do not have much experience with pediatrics. So, my outlook is much different than a therapist who does work with children. Your plan of care varies from patient to patient, as well, depending on their diagnoses and their personal goals. The main goal as an OT is that you want to help the patient become as independent as possible, by means of re-teaching the patient skills of daily living (dressing, bathing, cooking, leisure activities, you name it) or adapting the enviornment, or the patient, in order for the patient to be successful. No matter where you work, you will have a schedule of patients that you will treat in a day and your treatment sessions can last from 30 minutes to an hour +, depending on your working facility. Please feel free to PM me or ask me any questions about any aspect of OT and I'll be glad to share what I know.
Oh, and I am glad they added OT to the forum title....MegBoo..SLP will be next... 😀
BigDan!! My man, I could use you right now. I, too, am an OT, and am currently finishing up pre-req classes in order to apply to medical school this summer. I have been a practicing OT for 4 years but for many reasons that you previously stated, I'm just going for my dream and applying to medical school. I would love to hear a little more about your med school application process. Some specific things I would like to know are how do you feel the medical schools you applied to regarded you since you do have an allied health background? Did you have to defend why you wanted to go back to medical school rather than remain an OT?
To all you other pre-OTs and OT students, occupational therapy is a fantastic field. I do agree that one of the worst aspects of being an OT is trying to explain what the heck we do(Me, the trusty OT: "Hi. I'm your occupational therapist and will be working with you today". Patient: "I don't need an Occupational Therapist; I'm retired").
To the one who asked to describe a typical day for an OT, it really depends on the setting in which you work. I work in rehab, LTACH, and outpatient (lymphedema and some hand therapy) and do not have much experience with pediatrics. So, my outlook is much different than a therapist who does work with children. Your plan of care varies from patient to patient, as well, depending on their diagnoses and their personal goals. The main goal as an OT is that you want to help the patient become as independent as possible, by means of re-teaching the patient skills of daily living (dressing, bathing, cooking, leisure activities, you name it) or adapting the enviornment, or the patient, in order for the patient to be successful. No matter where you work, you will have a schedule of patients that you will treat in a day and your treatment sessions can last from 30 minutes to an hour +, depending on your working facility. Please feel free to PM me or ask me any questions about any aspect of OT and I'll be glad to share what I know.
Oh, and I am glad they added OT to the forum title....MegBoo..SLP will be next... 😀
JimmyG said:
Thanks Jimmy G.
I see that you are from the South. I plan to relocate to North Carolina after I complete my degree. Do you know anything about the job prospects in North Carolina?
I haven't decided what I want to specialize in. I figure the best place to start would be the hospital. What are your thoughts on aquatic therapy? Do you actually use purposeful activity to treat your patients or excercise equipment. Why is writing stressed so much in the OT curriculum? Do you write a lot of reports?
helpinghands10 said:
Hi Helping Hands,
You know, I am actually in Arkansas...the deep south...so I do not know much about the job prospects in North Carolina. I will tell you that from what I hear from my OT friends who are in different locations around the U.S., as well as here in AR, the job market is open. This is such a benefit to us right now because whatever area you are looking to practice in, there is a job available. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the Advance magazines--they have a specialty magazine for different allied health providers and one specifically for OTs--that lists current job opportunities in all 50 states and it usually takes up a good third of the magazine every week. You can subscribe for free and it may be a good place for you to start looking for jobs in North Carolina. Here's their website:Advance for OT Website
The hospital is a good place to start, if you are interested in acute care. I, personally, enjoy the challenge of acute care, but I know some of my friends hated it. That is solely because you have such high turnover in acute care and you don't really get to build that "relationship" with the patients. However, most of our hospitals are rural hospitals, which I love because they have that "small town" feel, but, on the other hand, the more complicated cases go to larger hospitals, thus, our treatments are somewhat routine.
When I worked in outpatient, I did some aquatic therapy as a different techinque for one of my lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow, pretty much) patients that was not responding well to the traditional treatment plan. I would love to see more aquatic therapy done in OT but, from what I have heard from my OT friends that work in rehab hospitals that have consistent aquatic therapy programs, a lot of it is done by PT. Remember, I am from Arkansas and things happen a little slower down here...it may be different elsewhere...
I see a lot of therapists use exercise equipment consistently with their patients and they get good outcomes. However, I didn't get into OT to just do exercise (or I would have been a PT... 😉 ) so I really try to integrate purposeful activity into my treatments. It is just more fun for the patient and, selfishly, for me, as well.
I would say writing is stressed so much because you have to be able to develop well-written goals and document your daily treatment sessions solely for the purpose of being reimbursed for your services. I have been lucky that I have worked for hospitals and companies that teach us exactly how to write goals and have heard that if you go into private practice, it is just so much more important to write attainable goals in order for the insurance company or medicaid/medicare to justify reimbursement for your services. If Megboo is still reading this thread, she may be able to elaborate because she does have her own practice and has a better knowledge of what insurance companies are specifically looking for in goal-writing and such, if you are interested.
What a novel I just wrote, but I hope some of that helps you...
Hi guys,
I am glad I found a forum with occupational therapists on it.
I finished up all my prerequisites for the OTA program at my school. I am really exited about finally getting into the program and getting into a career, I've been working as a mental health tech for the past 8 years and I am so sick of it.
Anyways, is there any advice you guys can give me about being an OTA and being in school and doing my fieldwork when that time comes? I will really appreciate it and want to say thanks in advance.
I am glad I found a forum with occupational therapists on it.
I finished up all my prerequisites for the OTA program at my school. I am really exited about finally getting into the program and getting into a career, I've been working as a mental health tech for the past 8 years and I am so sick of it.Anyways, is there any advice you guys can give me about being an OTA and being in school and doing my fieldwork when that time comes? I will really appreciate it and want to say thanks in advance.
JimmyG said:
Jimmy G,
Thank you so much.
I work for a large commerical plan in NYC and we don't require notes for reimbursement. Our providers bill on a HCFA 1500 and we pay a flat fee for services renderred.
I feel the same way about just doing excercise. I really want to be able to incorporate purposeful activity in my patients' treatment plan.
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the Abbot said:Hi guys,
I am glad I found a forum with occupational therapists on it.
Anyways, is there any advice you guys can give me about being an OTA and being in school and doing my fieldwork when that time comes? I will really appreciate it and want to say thanks in advance.
Welcome to SDN and the Occupational Therapy thread 😀
This is so insane that OT is holding down an allied health forum. Maybe we really ARE that good?!
Umm...Jimmy G did a good job of giving generals on the day of an OT. I worked initially in OP rehab, which I think is the Cadillac of OT jobs - no real sick patients, lots of times family members are there, you get to see young and old, etc. Anyways, I saw like 12-15 patients a day, maybe 30-60 minutes per, and I was focused in neurorehab...lots of ADL and neuromuscular rehab techinques. Nice feeling to see a patient smile after using his dominant arm for the first time after a stroke. Next I did administration. Typical day involved meetings, paper pushing, email, meetings, phone calls, kissing angry patients' asses, fundraising, meetings. You get the drift. Great experience in that it taught me that I didn't have to be everyone's friend all the time, and that I could live with a little stress. Bad in that I no longer had problems. I had everyone's problems. If I include what I've seen about the social scence in medical school and hospitals, I can conclude that only our waistlines do any growing after high school, 'cause social-emotionally, there are LOTS of adult kids. Enough rambling; I doubt I'll ever be someone's boss again. Then, as I prepared for medical school, I decided to leave the big bucks for a staff OT job in a hospital. LOVED IT! I did inpatient work. I'd say between 20+ patients a day - all types, and I did 95% evals. Talk about the cats' meow. I'd roll in, looking like a million bucks, and do a quick little eval, then set the plan of care for the COTAs. Bill 'em. On to the next. All day. Loved it.
Now. As for medical school, Jimmy - if you are a strong applicant (good MCAT and good GPA) you will be fine. If you are run of the mill or below average, I would expect you to have to defend your self. I had the absolute best interviews. I went on 8, and I'd say 3 interviewers told me I'd get accepted or said that their recommendation to the Admissions Committee would be for unconditional acceptance. One guy told me how refreshing it was to converse with someone rather than have to interview/interrogate them. Think about it. The other applicants are biobots with 3.4-3.9 GPAs, whatever range of MCAT, all volunteered in a hospital, and most worked in a lab. Boom. That's it. When they ask you about an ethical decision you've had to make, you're going to have a real answer. When they ask how you'd deal with a patient that is going to die, you'll have a real answer. Healthcare reimbursement. You've got it. What don't you like about medicine? You know what to say. You've got real life behind you, and that means A LOT.
Okay. This post is too long. Jimmy, you're in great shape just being an OT. I have tons to say. If you're down, shoot me a PM, and I'll holler back with my number and we can talk all you want about your decision (which was the right one for me - I LOVE what I am doing right now).
Good luck to all, and let's keep this thing going. GREAT to see you all here. Lemme know if I can help y'all.
dc
Umm...Jimmy G did a good job of giving generals on the day of an OT. I worked initially in OP rehab, which I think is the Cadillac of OT jobs - no real sick patients, lots of times family members are there, you get to see young and old, etc. Anyways, I saw like 12-15 patients a day, maybe 30-60 minutes per, and I was focused in neurorehab...lots of ADL and neuromuscular rehab techinques. Nice feeling to see a patient smile after using his dominant arm for the first time after a stroke. Next I did administration. Typical day involved meetings, paper pushing, email, meetings, phone calls, kissing angry patients' asses, fundraising, meetings. You get the drift. Great experience in that it taught me that I didn't have to be everyone's friend all the time, and that I could live with a little stress. Bad in that I no longer had problems. I had everyone's problems. If I include what I've seen about the social scence in medical school and hospitals, I can conclude that only our waistlines do any growing after high school, 'cause social-emotionally, there are LOTS of adult kids. Enough rambling; I doubt I'll ever be someone's boss again. Then, as I prepared for medical school, I decided to leave the big bucks for a staff OT job in a hospital. LOVED IT! I did inpatient work. I'd say between 20+ patients a day - all types, and I did 95% evals. Talk about the cats' meow. I'd roll in, looking like a million bucks, and do a quick little eval, then set the plan of care for the COTAs. Bill 'em. On to the next. All day. Loved it.
Now. As for medical school, Jimmy - if you are a strong applicant (good MCAT and good GPA) you will be fine. If you are run of the mill or below average, I would expect you to have to defend your self. I had the absolute best interviews. I went on 8, and I'd say 3 interviewers told me I'd get accepted or said that their recommendation to the Admissions Committee would be for unconditional acceptance. One guy told me how refreshing it was to converse with someone rather than have to interview/interrogate them. Think about it. The other applicants are biobots with 3.4-3.9 GPAs, whatever range of MCAT, all volunteered in a hospital, and most worked in a lab. Boom. That's it. When they ask you about an ethical decision you've had to make, you're going to have a real answer. When they ask how you'd deal with a patient that is going to die, you'll have a real answer. Healthcare reimbursement. You've got it. What don't you like about medicine? You know what to say. You've got real life behind you, and that means A LOT.
Okay. This post is too long. Jimmy, you're in great shape just being an OT. I have tons to say. If you're down, shoot me a PM, and I'll holler back with my number and we can talk all you want about your decision (which was the right one for me - I LOVE what I am doing right now).
Good luck to all, and let's keep this thing going. GREAT to see you all here. Lemme know if I can help y'all.
dc
What are the different areas of OT that a person can work in? Bigdan, when you worked as a staff OT in a hospital, you did 95% evals and let the COTA do the rest of the work? When you worked in OP rehab, did you have COTA's work under you? Which did you make more money in, OP rehab or as a staff OT in the hospital? I think that when I become an OT, I want to do half of the work and let the COTA do the other half. I don't know though lol. Doing little work and doing the 95% evals also sounds good though..
j-
My gig was good at the hospital, but "let" might not be the right word for how treatments were decided. See, there were two OTs and four COTAs. It's a cost thing, ya know? So IF there were no COTAs, or less COTAs, I would have been doing the treatments, too. I liked it the way it was, but it's not like I waltzed in and said "I only wanna see the patients once.". MANY places run this way - nursing homes might have the best examples, at least in my experience. The places that I did contract work at tended to have a slew of OTA or PTA and just one or two registered therapists. And the work went as described - therapist does eval, assistant does treatment.
In OP it was completely different. I did all the evals and 99% of the treatment, partly due to situation, partly because when I was fresh outta school I wanted to do all the treatments 'cause that's how you REALLY learn. Gotta feel the clonus, gotta see the impairments that neglect causes, etc. Books describe it, but you've gotta get your hands on that body to make it stick. Anywho, I'm trying to say your work and workload will vary based on situation and circumstance.
I "made" more in OP, but I also paid more in healthcare insurance. It was so bad that I actually took an 8K paycut to go to the hospital and still had THE SAME take-home pay afterwards because the hospital's benefits were so good. It depends. I've got some friends making low 30s at a developmental disabilites facility, one up at 70K in Tenn. at a SNF, and one in the low 100s in NYC - he's working like a machine, but getting top bucks to do so. He's near 70K at a hospital job that is like 36 hours, then does per diem - that's where you can make some cheddar - maybe $80/hr or so in the city. Plus he's bilingual, so he writes the ticket. He takes a week vacation and then books 40 hours of work at $80 an hour. Cha-ching. Now he owns some property in PA and FL, besides his place just above the city. BUT...he's in NYC. So everything costs more. I mean we're just below $3 per gallon of gas here. Ctiy tax. Parking. Tolls. You get the drift. Everything depends.
Back to physiology...
dc
My gig was good at the hospital, but "let" might not be the right word for how treatments were decided. See, there were two OTs and four COTAs. It's a cost thing, ya know? So IF there were no COTAs, or less COTAs, I would have been doing the treatments, too. I liked it the way it was, but it's not like I waltzed in and said "I only wanna see the patients once.". MANY places run this way - nursing homes might have the best examples, at least in my experience. The places that I did contract work at tended to have a slew of OTA or PTA and just one or two registered therapists. And the work went as described - therapist does eval, assistant does treatment.
In OP it was completely different. I did all the evals and 99% of the treatment, partly due to situation, partly because when I was fresh outta school I wanted to do all the treatments 'cause that's how you REALLY learn. Gotta feel the clonus, gotta see the impairments that neglect causes, etc. Books describe it, but you've gotta get your hands on that body to make it stick. Anywho, I'm trying to say your work and workload will vary based on situation and circumstance.
I "made" more in OP, but I also paid more in healthcare insurance. It was so bad that I actually took an 8K paycut to go to the hospital and still had THE SAME take-home pay afterwards because the hospital's benefits were so good. It depends. I've got some friends making low 30s at a developmental disabilites facility, one up at 70K in Tenn. at a SNF, and one in the low 100s in NYC - he's working like a machine, but getting top bucks to do so. He's near 70K at a hospital job that is like 36 hours, then does per diem - that's where you can make some cheddar - maybe $80/hr or so in the city. Plus he's bilingual, so he writes the ticket. He takes a week vacation and then books 40 hours of work at $80 an hour. Cha-ching. Now he owns some property in PA and FL, besides his place just above the city. BUT...he's in NYC. So everything costs more. I mean we're just below $3 per gallon of gas here. Ctiy tax. Parking. Tolls. You get the drift. Everything depends.
Back to physiology...
dc
Thanks or your posts, bigdan. They're extremely informative. I just wanted to clarify what some of the abbreviations mean, though. I think "OP" is out-patient and "SNF" is skilled nursing facility. Is this correct? (Sorry, I'm new to this kind of vocabulary)
delight-
You've got it. Not too long until you'll slip slide into a life of indecipherable jargon and abbreviations. Enjoy standard English while it lasts. And my spelling now sucks, ever since this OT gig - because you can abbreviate EVERYTHING you write in a chart. Oh well.
And you're welcome for the posts; I enjoy helping others (natural for an OT, right?) and it's nice to be able to talk about something that I feel I have a fund of knowledge in, which is nice given that I don't have a frickin' clue what is going on here in medical school.
Best,
dc
You've got it. Not too long until you'll slip slide into a life of indecipherable jargon and abbreviations. Enjoy standard English while it lasts. And my spelling now sucks, ever since this OT gig - because you can abbreviate EVERYTHING you write in a chart. Oh well.
And you're welcome for the posts; I enjoy helping others (natural for an OT, right?) and it's nice to be able to talk about something that I feel I have a fund of knowledge in, which is nice given that I don't have a frickin' clue what is going on here in medical school.
Best,
dc
BigDan!!
Thanks for the info. I would love to talk more but I'm swamped the next couple of days. Raincheck? It's that lovely time of the semester that all the profs got together and stuck a test from each class all within the same 48 hours...I know they teach them that while they are doing research for their PhDs in that class, "How to really screw with your students.."
Major thing is that (1) I don't know any MCAT score yet since I won't be taking it until Aug...still studying... and (2) my UG and Grad GPA are fine but it's this crap shoot Organic II class I am in right now that is just a GPA death wish!! Being here on SDN makes one a jittery pre-med b/c of all the talk about this and that class grade and this one point that one should have made on the MCAT....blah blah. I feel my experience as an OT has only made me stronger as an applicant because I know exactly why I am going back to school, what type of physician I would like to become, and how to "talk medicine" in an interview. But I still get nervous, ya know??
Have a great day studying that physiology...
Thanks for the info. I would love to talk more but I'm swamped the next couple of days. Raincheck? It's that lovely time of the semester that all the profs got together and stuck a test from each class all within the same 48 hours...I know they teach them that while they are doing research for their PhDs in that class, "How to really screw with your students.."
Major thing is that (1) I don't know any MCAT score yet since I won't be taking it until Aug...still studying... and (2) my UG and Grad GPA are fine but it's this crap shoot Organic II class I am in right now that is just a GPA death wish!! Being here on SDN makes one a jittery pre-med b/c of all the talk about this and that class grade and this one point that one should have made on the MCAT....blah blah. I feel my experience as an OT has only made me stronger as an applicant because I know exactly why I am going back to school, what type of physician I would like to become, and how to "talk medicine" in an interview. But I still get nervous, ya know??
Have a great day studying that physiology...
Jimmy-
No raincheck necessary; the door is always open (that goes for everyone, if you think I can be of any help). We're all only here once (depending on religious belief, I suppose) so the least we can do is help each other out.
Don't worry about Orgo. Orgo II was my lowest ever grade, and I didn't get an A in either Orgo, and got accepted at all eight schools I interviewed at. You do need to rock that MCAT, however. Are you taking timed practice tests yet? If so, how goes it - I mean, how are you scoring? If you can get a 28 or better on the real deal, you'll get interviews. Then let your great OT personality show. Presto! You're in medical school!
What kinda doc do you wanna be? I think I know what I wanna do too, but let me tell you folks change their minds 100x in medical school.
Good luck on tests bro. And no complaining. Medical school is like that too! Consider what you've got now as "practice".
Best of luck on the tests!
dc
No raincheck necessary; the door is always open (that goes for everyone, if you think I can be of any help). We're all only here once (depending on religious belief, I suppose) so the least we can do is help each other out.
Don't worry about Orgo. Orgo II was my lowest ever grade, and I didn't get an A in either Orgo, and got accepted at all eight schools I interviewed at. You do need to rock that MCAT, however. Are you taking timed practice tests yet? If so, how goes it - I mean, how are you scoring? If you can get a 28 or better on the real deal, you'll get interviews. Then let your great OT personality show. Presto! You're in medical school!
What kinda doc do you wanna be? I think I know what I wanna do too, but let me tell you folks change their minds 100x in medical school.
Good luck on tests bro. And no complaining. Medical school is like that too! Consider what you've got now as "practice".
Best of luck on the tests!
dc
Once you become an occupational therapist, how often do you have to renew your license? Do you have to retake the board exam or anything?
delightx81 said:
Hey delight--
Once you graduate, you will then take the national exam given by NBCOT. Once you pass, then you are certified as an OTR. (R=registered with NBCOT) I just checked the website and it looks like when you graduate in '08, you will have to renew your certification every 3 years with a proof of 36 continuing education hours (avg. 12 hours/ year). You do not have to take the national boards over again to renew. Sending them a fat check will take care of it 😀
Licensure is regulated by your state. In my state I have to renew my license every year with a $55 check and 10 continuing education hours. That then makes me the OTR/L (L=licensed). Now the tricky thing, as you can see, is that the national boards require more continuing ed hours per year from me than my state requires, so it is very important for me to stay on top of my continuing ed for both organizations. Usually if you attend a couple of continuing education seminars a year, you are above the necessary continuing education hours--but it is something to be aware of and remember. So check your state's requirements and if you want more info about NBCOT their website is www.nbcot.org
Happy Easter!
jturpin4 said:
Personally, I didn't think the exam was hard (nothing like this MCAT looming ahead of me... 😱 ) If you do well in OT school, then you will do well on the exam. I studied about a month before the exam, mainly focusing on the areas I needed to brush up on. I did purchase a study guide and I guess it was the NBCOT study guide but, honestly, I don't remember. I'm not sure how true this is, but the rumor we always heard was that the test changes from year to year, emphasizing one treatment area over another. For example, I felt our test was heavily weighted with pediatrics. I may have felt that way because that was my weakest area, primarily because I had not done a level II peds rotation. The test is computerized and I don't remember how long it actually is, but no more than 4-5 hours. OT school should prepare you well for the exam and you will learn tons when you are on your fieldworks. Out of our class of 48 students, all passed the first time minus 8 of them. You have lots of time before the exam and your program will probably have some study sessions prior to your graduation to prepare you on studying/taking the exam. But, don't worry...you will do great!
Hi All,
I am so happy that OT was finally added to the title of the forum! 😀 I haven't been able to find other OT forums.
bigdan and JimmyG, you have provided excellent information on OT. It is wonderful that you are willing to share your experiences, knowledge and information with the rest of us potential/prospective OTs. 😀
I am currently in the process of completing pre-reqs for OT school. I was accepted to NYU's OT program this past Fall semester but was unable to attend due to financial circumstances--way too expensive. 🙁
Question: Does anyone know anything about the OT programs at Columbia University (NYC) or SUNY Downstate Medical Center, aside from what's on their websites? I am looking into applying to both OT programs and am trying to gather opinions and information other than what I've heard/read at the Open Houses and websites.
Madusa 🙂
I am so happy that OT was finally added to the title of the forum! 😀 I haven't been able to find other OT forums.
bigdan and JimmyG, you have provided excellent information on OT. It is wonderful that you are willing to share your experiences, knowledge and information with the rest of us potential/prospective OTs. 😀
I am currently in the process of completing pre-reqs for OT school. I was accepted to NYU's OT program this past Fall semester but was unable to attend due to financial circumstances--way too expensive. 🙁
Question: Does anyone know anything about the OT programs at Columbia University (NYC) or SUNY Downstate Medical Center, aside from what's on their websites? I am looking into applying to both OT programs and am trying to gather opinions and information other than what I've heard/read at the Open Houses and websites.
Madusa 🙂
Hey Madusa,
I was accepted to Columbia's OT program this fall but decided to stay in California for financial reasons, as well as to stay near my family. I went to an open house there last month and met some of the faculty members (who were really nice!) The OT program there is ranked 10th (NYU is 7th, I got waitlisted there). I like Columbia's curriculum because everything (including your fieldworks) fit into a 24-month timeframe (the shortest OT master's program I know of). The professors will visit each student at their level II fieldwork personally if you are doing it in the area. They are located next to the Med School, and have physicians as guest lecturers from time to time. They also have a joint OT and Master's in public health program, so you can get both degrees at the same time if you want.
The students I spoke to said their coursework is very manageable; they get a lot of fridays off, and have time to do schoolwork as well as socialize.
Have you heard of the program with the New York board of education? If you agree to work for them in NY for 2 years (with regular salary) for every one year of tuition, they will pay for it. If you stop working for them early, you must repay a percentage of the tuition (which is normally $33,000 per year). Out of this year's class of 47 students, 16 of them are participating in this program. I think NYU students may participate in this program as well.
Housing is limited, and students who live outside of the tri-state area are given priority.
I hope this helps...Let me know if you have any questions!
~Christella
I was accepted to Columbia's OT program this fall but decided to stay in California for financial reasons, as well as to stay near my family. I went to an open house there last month and met some of the faculty members (who were really nice!) The OT program there is ranked 10th (NYU is 7th, I got waitlisted there). I like Columbia's curriculum because everything (including your fieldworks) fit into a 24-month timeframe (the shortest OT master's program I know of). The professors will visit each student at their level II fieldwork personally if you are doing it in the area. They are located next to the Med School, and have physicians as guest lecturers from time to time. They also have a joint OT and Master's in public health program, so you can get both degrees at the same time if you want.
The students I spoke to said their coursework is very manageable; they get a lot of fridays off, and have time to do schoolwork as well as socialize.
Have you heard of the program with the New York board of education? If you agree to work for them in NY for 2 years (with regular salary) for every one year of tuition, they will pay for it. If you stop working for them early, you must repay a percentage of the tuition (which is normally $33,000 per year). Out of this year's class of 47 students, 16 of them are participating in this program. I think NYU students may participate in this program as well.
Housing is limited, and students who live outside of the tri-state area are given priority.
I hope this helps...Let me know if you have any questions!
~Christella
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Hi Christella,
Thank you very much for responding to my post and providing such helpful information on the Columbia OT program. 😀 I am definitely considering Columbia's OT program and have looked into the NY Board of Education scholarship program. I will request an application. 🙂
I am working on fulfilling the remaining pre-reqs (ie. Anatomy and Physiology and Developmental Psych) and trying to get some more volunteer experience. I did some volunteer work last December-January for an OT specializing in Hand Therapy, and enjoyed it. I was also able to observe an OT in a peds setting for a half day. I'm not sure if Columbia requires a certain amount of hours. 😕
I have reviewed the Columbia admissions application, and wanted to know if maybe you could clarify the personal statement question? Maybe I'm over-analyzing the question and confusing myself further.
Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again,
Jasmin (aka Madusa) 🙂
Thank you very much for responding to my post and providing such helpful information on the Columbia OT program. 😀 I am definitely considering Columbia's OT program and have looked into the NY Board of Education scholarship program. I will request an application. 🙂
I am working on fulfilling the remaining pre-reqs (ie. Anatomy and Physiology and Developmental Psych) and trying to get some more volunteer experience. I did some volunteer work last December-January for an OT specializing in Hand Therapy, and enjoyed it. I was also able to observe an OT in a peds setting for a half day. I'm not sure if Columbia requires a certain amount of hours. 😕
I have reviewed the Columbia admissions application, and wanted to know if maybe you could clarify the personal statement question? Maybe I'm over-analyzing the question and confusing myself further.
Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again,
Jasmin (aka Madusa) 🙂
Hey Jasmine,
No problem! Keep the questions coming. =) I love talking about OT stuff and helping people out (I guess that's why we're in this field...hehe)
I highly suggest that you focus on getting good grades in the pre-requisite classes because schools weigh these grades heavily. I thought I didn't have a chance to get into any master's program (especially Columbia's) because I had a low GPA (2.8) and several D's and F's on my transcript. Fortunately, I received A's and B's in all the pre-reqs and got into 6 out 8 schools I applied to.
More volunteer experience would be good, even though they are not required for Columbia. I did 70 hours in pediatrics and will be starting my 30 hours in geriatrics next week (San Jose State requires 100 hours before enrolling). It's good to be around OTs and talk to them about their job, as well as be in different environments so that you won't be shocked during your fieldworks.
Columbia's personal statement prompt is "Columbia University prides itself on preparing leading clinicians, researchers, or teachers in the field of occupational therapy. Describe one or two examples of the initiative(s) you've taken to develop these qualities. Your answer should be framed within the context of your understanding of occupational therapy." It sounds a little complicated, but I just talked about the steps I took toward developing qualities that would make me a good OT/clinician. I talked about my volunteer experience as well as explained what my understanding of OT is (which was also asked about at both of my interviews; there is no interview for Columbia). I wouldn't stress too much about analyzing the prompt; I only had one personal statement for all the schools. I would be more than happy to send you a copy if you wish.
~christella
No problem! Keep the questions coming. =) I love talking about OT stuff and helping people out (I guess that's why we're in this field...hehe)
I highly suggest that you focus on getting good grades in the pre-requisite classes because schools weigh these grades heavily. I thought I didn't have a chance to get into any master's program (especially Columbia's) because I had a low GPA (2.8) and several D's and F's on my transcript. Fortunately, I received A's and B's in all the pre-reqs and got into 6 out 8 schools I applied to.
More volunteer experience would be good, even though they are not required for Columbia. I did 70 hours in pediatrics and will be starting my 30 hours in geriatrics next week (San Jose State requires 100 hours before enrolling). It's good to be around OTs and talk to them about their job, as well as be in different environments so that you won't be shocked during your fieldworks.
Columbia's personal statement prompt is "Columbia University prides itself on preparing leading clinicians, researchers, or teachers in the field of occupational therapy. Describe one or two examples of the initiative(s) you've taken to develop these qualities. Your answer should be framed within the context of your understanding of occupational therapy." It sounds a little complicated, but I just talked about the steps I took toward developing qualities that would make me a good OT/clinician. I talked about my volunteer experience as well as explained what my understanding of OT is (which was also asked about at both of my interviews; there is no interview for Columbia). I wouldn't stress too much about analyzing the prompt; I only had one personal statement for all the schools. I would be more than happy to send you a copy if you wish.
~christella
Hi Christella,
Thanks so very much for your reply. 😀 I am currently looking for more volunteer work. However, it hasn't been easy to fit into my current work schedule--I work a full-time day job. It seems that most therapy sessions occur during business hours. 🙁 I'll keep trying.
That's excellent that you were accepted to so many OT programs!! 👍 Did you begin your program yet? I'm still working on completing the remaining pre-reqs before applying to OT programs.
When I first read Columbia's personal statement prompt, it seemed confusing. 😱 But thank you very much for providing clarification. I have a tendency of over-analyzing things sometimes (lol).
I will keep you posted on my progress, and I hope you will do the same. Again, thanks a bunch for all your help and good luck in your studies.
Jasmin 🙂
Thanks so very much for your reply. 😀 I am currently looking for more volunteer work. However, it hasn't been easy to fit into my current work schedule--I work a full-time day job. It seems that most therapy sessions occur during business hours. 🙁 I'll keep trying.
That's excellent that you were accepted to so many OT programs!! 👍 Did you begin your program yet? I'm still working on completing the remaining pre-reqs before applying to OT programs.
When I first read Columbia's personal statement prompt, it seemed confusing. 😱 But thank you very much for providing clarification. I have a tendency of over-analyzing things sometimes (lol).
I will keep you posted on my progress, and I hope you will do the same. Again, thanks a bunch for all your help and good luck in your studies.
Jasmin 🙂
Hey Jasmin,
I will be taking a mandatory online neuroanatomy class during the summer and will begin my full-time coursework in August 2006. Good luck with your pre-req's...are you applying for 2007? It's sounds like you're on track to do so since your pre-reqs can be in progress when you apply. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Best Wishes,
Christella
I will be taking a mandatory online neuroanatomy class during the summer and will begin my full-time coursework in August 2006. Good luck with your pre-req's...are you applying for 2007? It's sounds like you're on track to do so since your pre-reqs can be in progress when you apply. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Best Wishes,
Christella
Hi All,
I recently took my NBCOT exam and failed by a couple of points and very devastated. I am looking for a study group to help me better prepare for my test in the next 3months. If you are in the NYC are please respond or if you have any suggestions i would greatly appreciate!! thanks
I recently took my NBCOT exam and failed by a couple of points and very devastated. I am looking for a study group to help me better prepare for my test in the next 3months. If you are in the NYC are please respond or if you have any suggestions i would greatly appreciate!! thanks
