Let me preface this post by saying that I absolutely LOVE OT as a profession and could not have chosen a better field. Let me also preface by noting that my journey may not be the same but it might be similar and you might find yourself relating before, during or even after.
Also note that every profession has its ups and downs, naturally, but since this IS the OT forum, I thought I'd at least provide a perspective from someone who has gone on the journey for those who are aspiring to be part of the profession.
A lot of people want to hear most of the good, but never the bad and/or realistic side of the journey.
So here goes. This thread, while informative, is pretty long, so I will break it up for those with ADD/ADHD, LOL
DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!
I cannot stress this enough. For those of you reading this and are looking for guidance on HOW and WHERE to get started, go to the AOTA website right now and check out the schools with OT programs. The website is pretty good on updating current, in development, and applicant programs.
Note: I am in the process of creating a spreadsheet of ALL the schools and pertinent information needed to make a decision as to which school to apply, as not all schools are not the same. I will post when the spreadsheet is completed. This information will be helpful as one of the biggest frustrations I had when applying was that there were so many variances with each school/program. (E.G. Pre-reqs, GPA reqs, GRE/GMAT reqs, costs, curriculum, research vs. clinical based, etc) These variances can be very costly if you are not careful. So don't go into decision making lightly. Remember, this is an investment in your life that you are making.
After undergrad, I shadowed an OT at a rehabilitation facility for a couple of weeks. After that experience, I knew that it was what I wanted to do. So, I started doing some research on OT schools listed on the the AOTA website and compiled a list of possible schools I wanted to attend. The list included if GRE/GMAT required, location, cost, curriculum, admission requirements, diversity, etc.
From there, the list help me narrow down my choices. While I was doing this, I was also working full time because I needed to, but I knew that I was not going to be my job forever.
I also came here to the Student Doctor Forums, which has forums for pretty much most of the healthcare fields and the people are helpful in answering your questions. That site helped me because there were other people out there just like me who had the same questions about OT school. However, I noticed that there were many threads that asked the same questions.
Once I got my target schools compiled, I worked on my essay. Make sure you get someone to proofread ALL information before submission.
One costly mistake I did make was taking prerequisites required for just one school, with no guarantee of getting in that school. I had most of my pre-reqs from undergrad, but some of the schools required additional pre-reqs.
Why is the process so costly? I applied to 6-7 different school, all of which had different admissions criteria. I got accepted into all except for one, which waitlisted me and surprisingly my undergrad school. Funny, lol I didn't let that deter me though.
I sent my acceptance letter to one of the schools, because I heard they had a great OT program, but then I was told at the last minute I had to take one class prior to starting. That pre-req class was added at the last minute. I was mad because there was no way for me to take the class AND start the program, so ultimately, I had to withdraw my acceptance.
I was told I would have to reapply for the following year so I declined.
I also applied and got into a school in Dobbs Ferry, NY, but I HATED how their program is structured. While it is a GREAT program for a 9-5er, their pre-reqs are ridiculous and unnecessary. You can to their site and download their curriculum to see what I am talking about. I declined their acceptance. It is a great program though for someone who wants to work full time because it is a weekend (all day Friday, Saturday, Sunday) program and I believe they go by the quarter semester, like they switch classes every 12 weeks or so. Plus, it is in the Big Apple, so it was close to everything if you like the excitement of NYC and its surrounding buroughs.
One of the other schools to which I applied was ridiculous in price, I thought and is located in a seedy part of town. Some of my classmates in my program transferred from that program into my program mainly because they did not like the curriculum.
I ultimately went to and graduated from my program, which is at a SMALL college so you really get to know your professors and classmates. It is so small, we had to do out gross anatomy class at another school, which I totally missed applying to that school and wished I had, because they had a more clinical based program. My school did not required the GRE or GMAT, tuition is reasonable for a grad program and it is a two year program. Those were my deciding factors. My only issue with this school though is that it is more a research based program, which I don't believe helps you in the field unless you want to do research. I know most programs require you to do a Capstone project or a thesis, but the professor heading up the research class was way too excited over the research paper and the assignments associated with it that were completely unnecessary and unhelpful. I HATED that class. I really wish I had gotten more clinical/hands on experience at the school and that lack of experience showed in my Level II fieldwork, although I still passed.
The classes are as hard as expected though and you have to put in the work. Overall, and not to discourage you from applying because I'm talking about just my school, but if I had to do it all over again, I would have waited out to go to another school. I would definitely recommend going elsewhere over my school.
That said, remember my experience may be totally different from yours.
That dreadful OTCAS
Some of the changes that have been made since I started applying to OT school, which I think might adversely affect OT potentials are the implementation of the OTCAS, which is the central processing for most OT schools. Some schools are not participating, but I imagine they will jump onboard soon enough.
Differences in admission criteria
Another issue I have is the different requirements from each program and not a set of standard requirements. Like, during my research on schools, I went to the website of a school in GA and learned that they require an art class as a prerequisite. (side eye) The chair of the OT program recommended a pottery class for fine and gross motor work. I gave her the EXTREME side eye on the phone.
Other schools require physics, chemistry, biology, gross anatomy prior to starting, etc. Some schools just require basic social sciences like psych, sociology, English, etc.
Continued on next post....
