I just wanted to ask who has been accepted into an OTD program and who into a MSOT or MOT program. What were your reasons for the choice? I just got accepted into an MSOT program but the college has a post-professional OTD program and they will possibly be allowing some MSOT students to continue on.
Who is going for OTD and who for MSOT/MOT?
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Interesting topic, this was a choice I debated with myself a lot over! I ended up choosing to go to an MSOT program for now. I would like to eventually get a doctorate, but I want to wait until I've been in the field a bit and can get a better idea of what I want to specialize in before moving on to that step. I also am excited to get started working! The school I'm going to is talking about developing a post professional otd program as well, and I would say there is a good chance I might eventually want to take advantage of this.
I got accepted into an OTD and it was the degree I wanted from the get go. It is more money and time and at first glance it does not seem very appealing. Especially when you typically do not see a significant difference in position/pay for new grads with an OTD than new grads with a masters. However long term their are some hidden gem benefits that won me over. After years upon years of experience and enjoyment in the field I would love to be apart of some sort of academic department in relation to OT in some capacity. (such as an instructor for an OT or OTA class, a new OT or OTA program director, a fieldwork coordinator etc.) After doing a little research by checking out some staffs of some schools on their websites, I found that a decent majority of those positions are held by individuals who have a doctorate of some sort and particularly in OT. I am not saying someone with a master's doesn't, couldn't, or hasn't worked in the academic side of OT but as a professor/counselor told me, academic jobs in college/university/professional level education are pretty competitive and your educational credentials can play an important role in getting you the job. Another year or so of schooling/fieldwork to perfect my knowledge, understanding, and application of the art and science of OT is also a gem of going OTD I couldn't resist. 2 to 2 1/2 years of OT schooling sounded crammed for me and the thought of it had me sweating bullets at times lol. For those of you who are going to handle that I commend you so much!! One last gem of appeal for me was the extra time to put mastery emphasis on developing a grand model of treatment for a specific population. In the end the choice of OTD or MSOT/MOT is more of a subjective preference because an OTD is not required to be a practicing professional and the pros and cons of both are merely how you perceive them.
Just a personal opinion, but I really don't see the point of an OTD unless you're absolutely sure research and/or teaching is the path for you. And even then, I'm not sure you're going to find a lot of places willing to hire teachers and/or researchers without a few years of clinical experience. The DPT degree is kind of a joke in the medical community and nobody (that knows what they're talking about) really considers new PT graduates doctors. I hope we don't make the same mistake...
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I'm gonna agree with Johann00 here...
Surely it'll look good and it'll make you feel warm and fuzzy inside (being a doctor of OT is a big deal), but make sure that you want to do research and/or teaching... unless your OTD will be pretty much a glorified MSOT.
Surely it'll look good and it'll make you feel warm and fuzzy inside (being a doctor of OT is a big deal), but make sure that you want to do research and/or teaching... unless your OTD will be pretty much a glorified MSOT.
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I was looking seriously at OTD degrees, but was contacted for interviews by one really expensive OTD program and two developing ones. I'm leaning towards a master's now just because of cost. It's one thing to go to an applicant school for two years, but it's another to go to an applicant school for 3.5 years. More time=more risk.
I would like to do research and/or teach, but some of it is that I want to be taken more seriously by PTs by having a doctorate. Some of the areas I want to research overlap in PT and OT. I'm undergoing physical therapy right now for a recurring injury for the 5th time. It's been difficult to be taken seriously in both my anatomical knowledge and my personal experience with this injury.
I would like to do research and/or teach, but some of it is that I want to be taken more seriously by PTs by having a doctorate. Some of the areas I want to research overlap in PT and OT. I'm undergoing physical therapy right now for a recurring injury for the 5th time. It's been difficult to be taken seriously in both my anatomical knowledge and my personal experience with this injury.
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My future program has a mix of PhDs and MSOT's. I don't know if there are any otd's. Keep this in mind as well: OS is a field meant to legitimize research in our field. Thus, a PhD in OS is the future for someone who wants to do research. JMO
Thank you for the insight everyone. I am personally giving up a lot to enter an OT program (3 kids) that is almost two hours from home. It will be well worth it in the end but I will definitely have to evaluate things in the moment when deciding whether to continue on for an OTD!
how does one with a MSOT degree transition to the doctorate part (OTD)? Are there programs that allow MSOT grads direct admission to complete their doctorate?
Also is there another certification exam one has to take post-doctrate?
Also is there another certification exam one has to take post-doctrate?
I know for sure Nova Southeastern University in Florida has direct admissions from their MOT to the DrOT. ( I'm not sure how a DrOT is different from an OTD. I'm thinking it's similar but for someone who already has their master's, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.) Here is what their website says:
"In the 20 months directly following graduation, alumni of NSU's MOT program are eligible for direct admission to the (Post Professional) Practice Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (DrOT) program if they maintain an overall GPA of 90 percent in the MOT program.
Note: Six credits of coursework are waived for NSU MOT students who graduated after 2009. If a student has a GPA below 90 percent in the MOT program, they may still apply to the DrOT program for consideration."
I also know that Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis allows students to switch between MSOT and OTD during the first part (I want to say year) of the program. This isn't quite what you're looking for, but I don't know if it might interest you as well. This is what Washington University says about this option,
"MSOT and OTD students follow parallel paths during the first two years of curriculum. During the first year, all students have opportunities to learn more about the OTD degree, faculty projects, and current research laboratories. If a student wishes to move from the MSOT to the OTD or vice-versa, there is the opportunity to do so via an additional application and approval process."
I'm not sure about what other programs offer.
