General Admissions & OTCAS Occupational therpay job outlook?

[Kaitlyn.w0009]

ive been told recently by a few people, "Don't become an OT, you'll never get a job. There's no availability anymore." How true do you believe this is? I'm in highschool, and I'm planning on working towards becoming an OT, but this slightly worried me.

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[mushinkansen]

I don't think you'll have a problem. There's a projected OT employment growth of 27 percent between 2014 and 2024.

http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/occupational-therapist

 

[deleted704821]

Never heard that before. Everyone I talk to discuss how great the job market is and it was recently named as one of the best degrees to have.

If you're worried do a quick job search in your area and see for yourself what the prospects are and talk to some actual OTs. The people saying this may not know what an OT really is and assume it is something else.

 

[SandmanOT]

Never heard that before.

I'm a 2nd year OT student & I'm already getting phone calls and emails from OT places asking for my resume and expected date of graduation. There are definitely a lot of jobs out there!

 

[occupationalguy]

Job outlook is going to be just fine. Like anyone else I have moments where I re-consider if I would have gone down this path or not again if I had to do it over again.
The problems I see in our field are:

1. Absurd productivity demands. Our re-imbursement rates were negatively affected by the healthcare reforms of the mid/late 1990s. Therapy has always been viewed as a cash crop by hospitals. They want to keep it that way. You're going to be documenting for HOURS after your day ends, and it will usually be off the clock (or else those hours you spend not treating patients WILL negatively affect your productivity goals. Productivity standards are often upwards of 90%. Imagine 90% of the hours you are at work have to be BILLING. 10% of the day is allocated for documentation, talking to coworkers, going to the bathroom etc. There are talks of more cuts in our reimbursement, what do you think that will do to our salary?

2. Debt load. A doctor takes out on average 200ishk in loans. An OT graduate from a school in California etc. might take out 100-150k in loans to become an OT. The entry level degree is moving towards a "doctorate" soon. When we have an OTD requirement that debt load will only increase, and your salary won't increase a dime. If you have the 3.8 needed to get into many OT programs why wouldn't you go apply to become a PA and get paid 30% more than we do, with less debt? How about medical school? You'd be making 3-4 times what an OT makes, with only a bit more debt, and with tons of job security.

I love helping my patients. I don't like feeling like I am stressed out and on a rat wheel at work.

 

[calling4color]

just check out the bureau of labor statics website. I believe the job growth is going to be 28% by 2022 which is way higher than most professions and as of now there are SEVEN JOBS for every ONE graduate from an OT program. This is a statistic from my program director. you'll be fine.

 

[scarpito]

Have any of you with positive outlooks about the OT job market actually researched it?? OT school builds you up to think you can do whatever you want post-graduation, and I've come to the realization that this is a total lie after a year in the field. I'm very discouraged about finding an acute or inpatient hospital position, and the markets in major cities in the four states I'm licensed in (CA, WA, OR, IL) are awful. Most opportunities available are PRN, and positions with benefits seem to only exist in remote or rural areas.

If you want to work SNF, schools, and home health, opportunities are plentiful. Hospitals don't seem to be the case-- I hope you know somebody to get you in. I've submitted about 20 apps over the past few months with only two calls back for PRN offers. I could only find 4 of those 20 that were full or part-time positions that would consider therapists with my experience level.

Sorry to be such a downer! My advice to current students is to get acquainted with multiple settings in the event you're not able to practice where you want.

 

[Nonameiwant]

It's pretty difficult to get a hospital position in most fields (besides the common positions ie nursing etc, even then it can take awhile for certain companies). Positions are limited, but once you are in, you are in.

If you really want in, accept a prn position (and try to work another job).
Often positions will open internally or they choose to interview applicants within the company.

Even then, many therapists that I know had to put some time in elsewhere to gain experience.

While I have yet to attend OT school, this is my opinion from my work experience of 11.5 years for a large medical company.

 

[occupationalguy]

Have any of you with positive outlooks about the OT job market actually researched it?? OT school builds you up to think you can do whatever you want post-graduation, and I've come to the realization that this is a total lie after a year in the field. I'm very discouraged about finding an acute or inpatient hospital position, and the markets in major cities in the four states I'm licensed in (CA, WA, OR, IL) are awful. Most opportunities available are PRN, and positions with benefits seem to only exist in remote or rural areas.

If you want to work SNF, schools, and home health, opportunities are plentiful. Hospitals don't seem to be the case-- I hope you know somebody to get you in. I've submitted about 20 apps over the past few months with only two calls back for PRN offers. I could only find 4 of those 20 that were full or part-time positions that would consider therapists with my experience level.

Sorry to be such a downer! My advice to current students is to get acquainted with multiple settings in the event you're not able to practice where you want.

You're not a downer if that's the truth in those states. Doesn't San Diego/LA pay ok?

 

[scarpito]

Yeah, PRN is probably the logical way to go in these hard markets.

CA generally pays better because the cost of living is higher. But my OT friend with a few years of experience just got some hospital offers in San Diego with abysmal hourly rates, so it could vary with demand too.

Also, I was speaking with another friend who is job searching in the South, and he's having problems finding school positions but says he comes by hospital openings fairly often. Perhaps this is more of a regional problem and my catastrophizing is unnecessary. 😛