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Are internships worth the time that they take up Or is it more beneficial for college students to spend their time researching the job of interest??
I am looking into the field of Occupational therapy, and have heard many people do internships in college or over their summers to ensure that this is what they want to do. However, I do not want to prioritize this over my paid job if it is not truly beneficial to the college and job readiness process. But if it is truly a necessary part of deciding your future occupation I would love to know!
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Wong’s Answer
Hi Iris. Internships can be very helpful for deciding if a career is right for you. Internships let you see what a job is really like. In Occupational Therapy, this could mean watching therapists work with clients, learning how they adapt treatments, and seeing how teams communicate. This kind of experience can show if Occupational Therapy is a good fit for you.
Internships also help you meet professionals in the field, which can be useful when you apply to graduate programs. They give you stories and examples to share in interviews and can make you feel more confident about your career choice.
But internships are not the only way to learn about a job. Many students cannot afford unpaid internships, and working a paid job is also important. You can learn about Occupational Therapy by shadowing a therapist, volunteering at a hospital or clinic, or talking to occupational therapists about their work. Even a few hours of shadowing each week can help you understand the job.
Internships also help you meet professionals in the field, which can be useful when you apply to graduate programs. They give you stories and examples to share in interviews and can make you feel more confident about your career choice.
But internships are not the only way to learn about a job. Many students cannot afford unpaid internships, and working a paid job is also important. You can learn about Occupational Therapy by shadowing a therapist, volunteering at a hospital or clinic, or talking to occupational therapists about their work. Even a few hours of shadowing each week can help you understand the job.
Thank you for giving your time to respond! I definitely agree that they would provide me with a new perspective of the job, and so hopefully these opportunities arise in my future!
Iris
You're very welcome
Wong Loke Yuen
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Iris !
An internship is not to figure out if you'd like that career, rather Internships for various careers are for college students that have the foundational knowledge of the work already and usually given in their Junior and Senior year in college or after graduation from college.
In order to become an occupational therapist in your state of Texas, you will need to obtain a Bachelors or Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy. There is no Internship for this path in Texas. You would then do at least six months of clinical occupational therapy work, that means working directly on real patients. So it's best to explore this career by reading or watching presentation videos about what it's like to be an occupational therapist if you're not sure about it at this time. You can find some videos at the link below. I also left a link below of a website that clearly illustrates what it's like to be an Occupational Therapist.
My advice is to explore more about the career by reading and watching videos and decide if the work is something you'd want to do. You don't have to decrease your hours at your current job, just do it on your free time. If you decide that you want to go for this career, you will learn everything you need to know in college as an Occupational Therapy student. Just figure out if working on people's bodies is something that you really want to to do.
Keep in mind, in order to discover where your career calling is, you do need to focus some time on exploring. You need to make the time for it and not consider it a distraction.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
VIDEOS ABOUT BEING AN CCUPATIONAL THERAPIST https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=What+it%27s+like+being+an+Occupational+Therapist
THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY HUB https://www.theothub.com/occupationaltherapy
An internship is not to figure out if you'd like that career, rather Internships for various careers are for college students that have the foundational knowledge of the work already and usually given in their Junior and Senior year in college or after graduation from college.
In order to become an occupational therapist in your state of Texas, you will need to obtain a Bachelors or Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy. There is no Internship for this path in Texas. You would then do at least six months of clinical occupational therapy work, that means working directly on real patients. So it's best to explore this career by reading or watching presentation videos about what it's like to be an occupational therapist if you're not sure about it at this time. You can find some videos at the link below. I also left a link below of a website that clearly illustrates what it's like to be an Occupational Therapist.
My advice is to explore more about the career by reading and watching videos and decide if the work is something you'd want to do. You don't have to decrease your hours at your current job, just do it on your free time. If you decide that you want to go for this career, you will learn everything you need to know in college as an Occupational Therapy student. Just figure out if working on people's bodies is something that you really want to to do.
Keep in mind, in order to discover where your career calling is, you do need to focus some time on exploring. You need to make the time for it and not consider it a distraction.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
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