4 answers
4 answers
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Hey Hafsah!
So you're interested in becoming an occupational therapist? That’s awesome! 🎉 I can totally picture you helping people live their best lives—whether that’s teaching someone how to use a spoon again after an injury or helping someone return to their favorite hobbies. 💪 It’s an amazing career, but it’s also a unique one, so let's talk about the qualities and abilities that’ll make you an absolute rockstar in this field. 👏
### **1. Communication Skills 🗣️**
You're going to be talking to people *a lot*. Whether you’re explaining exercises, giving advice, or just offering support, clear and compassionate communication is key. You’ll be working with people who might feel frustrated or overwhelmed, so being able to listen well and express yourself with empathy is huge. 🤗
**Tip**: Practice active listening! It’s not just hearing words—it’s understanding them. Be in the moment, give eye contact, and ask questions to show you really care.
### **2. Patience 🕰️**
Let’s face it—healing and improvement take time. Sometimes your patients might be slow to progress, or they might feel down about their recovery. Being patient and encouraging will help them stick with their therapy. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a person's recovery. 😅
**Tip**: Imagine yourself as a coach! Every step, no matter how small, is progress. Celebrate those mini wins. 🎉
### **3. Problem-Solving Skills 🧩**
Occupational therapists are often like puzzle solvers. You’re figuring out what’s best for each patient—whether it's adapting an activity, recommending assistive tools, or coming up with a new strategy for someone to improve their motor skills. You need to be quick on your feet and think outside the box.
**Tip**: Think like MacGyver. What’s available to you, and how can you use it in a creative way to help your patients? 🤔
### **4. Empathy 💖**
This one’s big. As an OT, you’ll work with people who may be struggling physically or emotionally. Being empathetic means understanding their struggles and genuinely caring about their recovery. When patients feel understood and supported, they’re more likely to engage in therapy and make progress. 🌈
**Tip**: Walk in your patient’s shoes. It’s not always easy, but try to relate to what they might be going through and offer them hope and encouragement.
### **5. Organizational Skills 📅**
As an OT, you’ll be juggling different patients, schedules, and treatment plans. Being organized will help you keep everything running smoothly. Whether it’s managing your calendar, tracking patient progress, or preparing materials for your sessions, staying on top of things will keep you on track.
**Tip**: Use apps or planners to keep all your tasks and appointments in one place. It's the key to not getting overwhelmed!
### **6. Physical Endurance 🏋️♀️**
You might not be doing heavy lifting all day long, but you will be on your feet a lot, moving around, and demonstrating exercises or stretches. Having the physical stamina to keep up with your patients and maintain energy throughout the day is important. So don’t forget to take care of yourself, too! 💪
**Tip**: Stay active, stretch, and get enough rest—so you can be at your best for your patients.
### **7. A Strong Knowledge Base 📚**
The field of occupational therapy requires a solid understanding of human anatomy, psychology, and rehab techniques. The more you know, the better you’ll be able to assess and treat your patients effectively.
**Tip**: Keep learning! Whether you’re in school or already working in the field, there’s always new research, techniques, and strategies to discover. Consider doing internships and shadowing OTs in real settings to build that knowledge and experience. 🌱
---
### **Steps to Become an OT:**
1. **Choose a Health Science Program**: You'll need a solid foundation, so majoring in health science is perfect. Take courses in anatomy, physiology, and psychology!
2. **Get Hands-On Experience**: Shadow OTs, do internships, or volunteer at a clinic. It’ll give you a real sense of the job and boost your resume. (Also, who doesn't like a good behind-the-scenes look?) 👀
3. **Graduate and Pursue a Master’s in Occupational Therapy**: This is the next step to becoming licensed. You’ll dive deeper into the therapeutic methods and patient care techniques you’ll use.
4. **Get Certified**: After you finish your studies, you’ll need to pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam.
5. **Find Your Specialization**: OTs can work in all sorts of fields—pediatrics, geriatrics, mental health, and more. Find where your passion lies!
6. **Never Stop Learning**: Occupational therapy is an evolving field, so always keep up with the latest techniques and research. 📚
---
### **Final Thoughts:**
You're about to embark on an exciting journey to help people live better, fuller lives. So embrace your empathy, flex your problem-solving muscles, and get ready to inspire others. Occupational therapy is not just a career—it’s a chance to make a real difference in people’s lives.
Good luck, Hafsah—you've got this! 🙌💥
So you're interested in becoming an occupational therapist? That’s awesome! 🎉 I can totally picture you helping people live their best lives—whether that’s teaching someone how to use a spoon again after an injury or helping someone return to their favorite hobbies. 💪 It’s an amazing career, but it’s also a unique one, so let's talk about the qualities and abilities that’ll make you an absolute rockstar in this field. 👏
### **1. Communication Skills 🗣️**
You're going to be talking to people *a lot*. Whether you’re explaining exercises, giving advice, or just offering support, clear and compassionate communication is key. You’ll be working with people who might feel frustrated or overwhelmed, so being able to listen well and express yourself with empathy is huge. 🤗
**Tip**: Practice active listening! It’s not just hearing words—it’s understanding them. Be in the moment, give eye contact, and ask questions to show you really care.
### **2. Patience 🕰️**
Let’s face it—healing and improvement take time. Sometimes your patients might be slow to progress, or they might feel down about their recovery. Being patient and encouraging will help them stick with their therapy. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a person's recovery. 😅
**Tip**: Imagine yourself as a coach! Every step, no matter how small, is progress. Celebrate those mini wins. 🎉
### **3. Problem-Solving Skills 🧩**
Occupational therapists are often like puzzle solvers. You’re figuring out what’s best for each patient—whether it's adapting an activity, recommending assistive tools, or coming up with a new strategy for someone to improve their motor skills. You need to be quick on your feet and think outside the box.
**Tip**: Think like MacGyver. What’s available to you, and how can you use it in a creative way to help your patients? 🤔
### **4. Empathy 💖**
This one’s big. As an OT, you’ll work with people who may be struggling physically or emotionally. Being empathetic means understanding their struggles and genuinely caring about their recovery. When patients feel understood and supported, they’re more likely to engage in therapy and make progress. 🌈
**Tip**: Walk in your patient’s shoes. It’s not always easy, but try to relate to what they might be going through and offer them hope and encouragement.
### **5. Organizational Skills 📅**
As an OT, you’ll be juggling different patients, schedules, and treatment plans. Being organized will help you keep everything running smoothly. Whether it’s managing your calendar, tracking patient progress, or preparing materials for your sessions, staying on top of things will keep you on track.
**Tip**: Use apps or planners to keep all your tasks and appointments in one place. It's the key to not getting overwhelmed!
### **6. Physical Endurance 🏋️♀️**
You might not be doing heavy lifting all day long, but you will be on your feet a lot, moving around, and demonstrating exercises or stretches. Having the physical stamina to keep up with your patients and maintain energy throughout the day is important. So don’t forget to take care of yourself, too! 💪
**Tip**: Stay active, stretch, and get enough rest—so you can be at your best for your patients.
### **7. A Strong Knowledge Base 📚**
The field of occupational therapy requires a solid understanding of human anatomy, psychology, and rehab techniques. The more you know, the better you’ll be able to assess and treat your patients effectively.
**Tip**: Keep learning! Whether you’re in school or already working in the field, there’s always new research, techniques, and strategies to discover. Consider doing internships and shadowing OTs in real settings to build that knowledge and experience. 🌱
---
### **Steps to Become an OT:**
1. **Choose a Health Science Program**: You'll need a solid foundation, so majoring in health science is perfect. Take courses in anatomy, physiology, and psychology!
2. **Get Hands-On Experience**: Shadow OTs, do internships, or volunteer at a clinic. It’ll give you a real sense of the job and boost your resume. (Also, who doesn't like a good behind-the-scenes look?) 👀
3. **Graduate and Pursue a Master’s in Occupational Therapy**: This is the next step to becoming licensed. You’ll dive deeper into the therapeutic methods and patient care techniques you’ll use.
4. **Get Certified**: After you finish your studies, you’ll need to pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam.
5. **Find Your Specialization**: OTs can work in all sorts of fields—pediatrics, geriatrics, mental health, and more. Find where your passion lies!
6. **Never Stop Learning**: Occupational therapy is an evolving field, so always keep up with the latest techniques and research. 📚
---
### **Final Thoughts:**
You're about to embark on an exciting journey to help people live better, fuller lives. So embrace your empathy, flex your problem-solving muscles, and get ready to inspire others. Occupational therapy is not just a career—it’s a chance to make a real difference in people’s lives.
Good luck, Hafsah—you've got this! 🙌💥
Updated
Taylor’s Answer
Occupational therapists tend to be compassionate towards others. We work with them in very vulnerable states and conditions and we need to be able to empathize with them. You must have respect for the human body since we work with people in toileting and bathing and seeing naked bodies is normal. You should be creative as the possibilities of adaptations and treatment ideas are endless depending on how creative you can be and tailor activities towards the patients interests. Time management is important to be able to see patients and keep up with documentation and productivity.
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Hi Hafsah:
According to U.S. News & World Report, here are the top colleges and universities to consider for Occupational Therapy:
- Boston University (Sargent)
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Illinois (Chicago)
- Washington University (St. Louis)
- University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill)
- University of Southern California
- Colorado State University
- Columbia University
- New York University
- Thomas Jefferson University
- Ohio State University
- Tufts University - Boston School of Occupational Therapy
- University of Florida
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/occupational-therapy-rankings
While in college, here are some undergraduate degrees to major in order to become an Occupational Therapist:
- Health Sciences
- Kinesiology
- Biology
- Chemistry
It will be best to seek advice from your high school guidance counselor as well as teachers to help you focus your interests for a specific major in college. Once you are in college, you will be assigned an academic advisor to help guide your educational pathway to become an Occupational Therapist. Also, professors and fellow Occupational Therapy students will be great resources for information, guidance, etc.
While in high school, one will need to focus on science and math classes to prepare to be an Occupational Therapist. Chemistry and biology will be the core science courses. Other science courses will be anatomy & physiology and physics. For math, algebra, calculus and statistics will be needed. Both concentrations will enable you to focus and refine your analytical skills for research; complex problem solving; investigative and innovative critical thinking; attention to detail; etc.
Other skills that will need to be built upon center around team building, team work and communication. In any work culture, collaboration among team members, staff and partner departments occur on a daily basis. As an Occupational Therapist, communication is essential and critical when dealing with clinical staff and patients. A college course in Public Speaking, Communication and English will help with one's communication and writing skills.
For education and training, it will take up to 7 years to become an Occupational Therapist. The Bachelor Degree will be between 4-5 years. Masters Degree will be another 2-3 years. There is also gaining hands-on, clinical experience in the industry, preparing and passing the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and earning a state license to practice via the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Afterwards, an Occupational Therapist will need to earn CEUs (Continuing Education Units) per yearly basis to remain licensed.
When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:
- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral
There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.
There are scholarships based on need, academic performance, school activities, sports involvement and community service. So, it will be to your advantage to seek out these types of scholarships. All of the academic staff at your high school that you interact with can write letters of recommendations for you based on what was just stated above. These recommendations can greatly help when filling out college and scholarship applications.
College and scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. College and scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.
You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship and gain the entry to the college of your choice, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.
Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:
https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/
https://www.nchchonors.org/students/awards-scholarships/national-scholarships
Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications.
There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.
Best wishes for your education and career path as an Occupational Therapist!
According to U.S. News & World Report, here are the top colleges and universities to consider for Occupational Therapy:
- Boston University (Sargent)
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Illinois (Chicago)
- Washington University (St. Louis)
- University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill)
- University of Southern California
- Colorado State University
- Columbia University
- New York University
- Thomas Jefferson University
- Ohio State University
- Tufts University - Boston School of Occupational Therapy
- University of Florida
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/occupational-therapy-rankings
While in college, here are some undergraduate degrees to major in order to become an Occupational Therapist:
- Health Sciences
- Kinesiology
- Biology
- Chemistry
It will be best to seek advice from your high school guidance counselor as well as teachers to help you focus your interests for a specific major in college. Once you are in college, you will be assigned an academic advisor to help guide your educational pathway to become an Occupational Therapist. Also, professors and fellow Occupational Therapy students will be great resources for information, guidance, etc.
While in high school, one will need to focus on science and math classes to prepare to be an Occupational Therapist. Chemistry and biology will be the core science courses. Other science courses will be anatomy & physiology and physics. For math, algebra, calculus and statistics will be needed. Both concentrations will enable you to focus and refine your analytical skills for research; complex problem solving; investigative and innovative critical thinking; attention to detail; etc.
Other skills that will need to be built upon center around team building, team work and communication. In any work culture, collaboration among team members, staff and partner departments occur on a daily basis. As an Occupational Therapist, communication is essential and critical when dealing with clinical staff and patients. A college course in Public Speaking, Communication and English will help with one's communication and writing skills.
For education and training, it will take up to 7 years to become an Occupational Therapist. The Bachelor Degree will be between 4-5 years. Masters Degree will be another 2-3 years. There is also gaining hands-on, clinical experience in the industry, preparing and passing the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and earning a state license to practice via the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Afterwards, an Occupational Therapist will need to earn CEUs (Continuing Education Units) per yearly basis to remain licensed.
When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:
- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral
There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.
There are scholarships based on need, academic performance, school activities, sports involvement and community service. So, it will be to your advantage to seek out these types of scholarships. All of the academic staff at your high school that you interact with can write letters of recommendations for you based on what was just stated above. These recommendations can greatly help when filling out college and scholarship applications.
College and scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. College and scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.
You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship and gain the entry to the college of your choice, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.
Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:
https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/
https://www.nchchonors.org/students/awards-scholarships/national-scholarships
Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications.
There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.
Best wishes for your education and career path as an Occupational Therapist!
Updated
Kazi’s Answer
Impressive! Occupational therapy is a rewarding field and as you said about the abilities and qualities, there are some aspects you can think about that help you succeed.
• Compassion/ empathy
• Critical thinking skills/ problem-solving skills
• Physical strength/ Patience
• Teamwork/ time management
This is great that you are already thinking about the necessary skills to develop!
• Compassion/ empathy
• Critical thinking skills/ problem-solving skills
• Physical strength/ Patience
• Teamwork/ time management
This is great that you are already thinking about the necessary skills to develop!