some questions about OT

[paris6]

Hi I am a junior in college pursuing OT. I have shadowed a couple OTs but am interested in more people's opinions on some of the questions that I have. I am really interested in the details of what an OT is like. If you could answer even one of these questions I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you in advance!

1) Do you feel like most of OT deals with people who are mentally disabled (ie. Down syndrome, cognitively disabled, etc&#8230?

2) What are the real chances of working in a neonatal unit/early intervention? (This is where my real interest lays)

3) How do you like the clinicals? Do you feel they are diverse enough? What are they like?

4) Do you have to be a really creative person to do OT? Or is there enough templates/specific plans for certain problems/etc to help guide you?

5) What do you think is the most needed area for OT right now? (the most likely area to get a job in after graduation)

6) Do you feel like there is enough science behind what you do? (I've heard of some OTs feeling like glorified art teachers or not getting enough respect because some think that anyone can do the job)

7) What is your favorite/least favorite part about the schooling or job?

8) What made you decide to be an OT?

9) Any classes you wish you would have taken before grad. School that you feel would have helped prepare you better?

10) If you are working in the field already, would you mind disclosing your salary?

11) How did you pay for grad. School? Lots of loans?

12) Do you feel like your job/future job makes a big impact in people's lives? If you do have a job, what does your day entail?

13) ANY advice/tips that you could give me about OT, school, or anything else?

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[bigdan]

See below:

1) Do you feel like most of OT deals with people who are mentally disabled (ie. Down syndrome, cognitively disabled, etc…)?

- No. It's what you make of it. My two jobs were in 1) an outpatient rehab where I did mostly neurorehab, along with some peds, work hardening, and environmental design recommendations and 2) acute care rehab - hips, knees, strokes, hips and knees.

2) What are the real chances of working in a neonatal unit/early intervention? (This is where my real interest lays)

- Relatively good. You'll need to find the right evironment for NICU, but in upstate NY (where I was), they couldn't find enough Early Int OTs to cover the need.

3) How do you like the clinicals? Do you feel they are diverse enough? What are they like?

- Depends. I went to Kessler in NJ and Phoenix to work with Lorna Jean King on Sensory Intergation. Two awesome sites. Other sites suck, I'm sure.

4) Do you have to be a really creative person to do OT? Or is there enough templates/specific plans for certain problems/etc to help guide you?

- Creative always helps, and IMHO separates the bad OTs from the good. Thinking outside the constraints of the box is what makes you valuable. That said, you will find that the insurance companies are more than happy to tell you who you can treat, when you tx them, and for how long.

5) What do you think is the most needed area for OT right now? (the most likely area to get a job in after graduation)

- Dunno. Field looks pretty good

6) Do you feel like there is enough science behind what you do? (I’ve heard of some OTs feeling like glorified art teachers or not getting enough respect because some think that anyone can do the job)

- Glorified art teacher is an insult; not that art teachers are bad, but it's not what you're trained to do as an OT. Akin to calling an orthopedic surgeon a mechanic...wait...bad analogy. But you get my drift. I actually left OT after 7 great years to go to medical school (one year left!!!) because I felt you could reasonably go thru OT without having to advance your scientific knowledge. So, umm, yeah. Not enough science in OT for me, but that's just me.

7) What is your favorite/least favorite part about the schooling or job?

- School: fun, tons of friends. Job: actually helping. Patient comes to see you, unable to do basic life tasks after some life-changing event. You do what you are trained to do, and the patient leaves more independent. Nice. And, in hindsight, you can make reasonable money for working 40 or less (or more, if you want) hours per week. No real need for a pager, little or no on-call.

8) What made you decide to be an OT?

- I was young (16) when I started school. Wanted to work in healthcare, but did not want to spend my 20's in medical school. Looked at OT, looked at PT; my school had both but OT just seemed to fit me better.

9) Any classes you wish you would have taken before grad. School that you feel would have helped prepare you better?

- Did OT degree when Christ was a child, so I actually just have a Bachelors in OT. Sorry.

10) If you are working in the field already, would you mind disclosing your salary?

- Sure. Couple of things to keep in mind, as a disclaimer - WHERE you live matters. A lot. I was an administrator (great title, tiny salary) in Binghamton NY not-for-profit outpatient clinic at 59,000. Acute care job at 200 bed hospital in same city: 49,000. Now, in comparison, I have a very good friend that is in TN as a rehab site manager in a nursing home - he just got a pay increase to 87,000/yr. for 40 hrs/wk. Nice.

11) How did you pay for grad. School? Lots of loans?

- As previous. Just to brag, got undergrad for free.

12) Do you feel like your job/future job makes a big impact in people’s lives? If you do have a job, what does your day entail?

- As previous; I live in a hospital now.

13) ANY advice/tips that you could give me about OT, school, or anything else?

- Ask around for other opinions, keep shadowing - but in a variety of different arenas...everyone goes to a hospital to shadow, but ask about private hand therapy clinics, work/industrial rehab, school systems, nursing homes...just to get a feel for what you like and don't like. And good luck!