I agree that you should take what you read on the Internet with a grain of salt. It has sent me into panic and questioning what I want to do. Keep applying, and dont give up! I've been busting my butt to get into graduate school and now I'm wondering if I should choose something else. You're not going to know everything and that's okay The biggest obstacle I had to overcome during my first few months working as an occupational therapist at a SNF (and I still struggle with this sometimes) was my feeling of inadequacy compared to my co-workers. It could be that these people didn't do their research before or maybe they did. If youre thinking about becoming a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA) you will pay much less in tuition as it is now an Associates degree, but keep in mind this may be transitioned to a Bachelors degree in the near future. One advantage of working in home health is you can be your own boss and set your own schedule. Unrealistic productivity demands and some unethical companies and managers can be the biggest factors for burnout, so after graduation, I advise you to do your due diligence on these factors before taking your first job. I personally love working PRN three or four days a week at times, while earning more hourly than the full time rate. If you dont think you can handle the physical requirements that many OT settings demand but still are passionate about becoming an occupational therapist, you can look into outpatient settings like driving rehab, hand therapy, orworking in mental health. Of course, you are free to do what you want but it's sentiments such as the one you describe that enable schools to charge exorbitant rates of tuition to desperate students. 2. Very encouraging information! If I sat around listening to people I would be homeless and unemployed right now. The Bad: Working with People Can Be Difficult as an OTA Occupational therapists work with people of all ages and with a variety of impairments. Nobody else is trained quite this way and that's why we are valuable. No particular college major is mandatory for admission to OT school, Tyminski says. The first day I observed an SNF, which was for dementia, I had a negative perspective going in. Are you independently wealthy? Do you hate the phrase, "that's not my job!"? Whileit may not seem blatantly unethical, many companies have productivity targets that are way too high to be able to ensure proper care and documentation of patients. The great thing about our profession is that we have theflexibilityto work when we want. Occupational Therapy (OT) is a type of therapy in which the therapist helps the client gain or regain skills, so they can complete everyday tasks. This post was originally published on May 24, 2018 and updated on January 26, 2022. I am an OT student, is anyone else in this thread one? Most (60%) of OTs work in the health service; 40% are career changers. Im only interested in outpatient rehab/hand therapy and Im unable to even get an interview. Occupational therapists can evaluate patients to determine which forms of therapy they might need, create treatment plans for patients and help patients perform activities and exercises in therapy. This will also increase tuition considerably, without any foreseen comparable pay raises for either OTRs or COTAs with these pricier degrees. Just saying. Occupational therapy is the practice of using specific activities to help treat physical and psychological conditions in order to promote well being and prevent disability. Are you or someone youre close to interested in becoming an occupational therapist? Almost every OT setting has productivity requirements, with some settings having less strict standards than others. Occupational therapists have a Master's degree in occupational therapy. 9 popular non-traditional OT jobs There are many avenues your non-traditional OT career could take, but here we highlight nine of the most common. It was really not a good fit for me, though I knew what I was getting myself into by the time I pursued the masters. You might find your second or third choice is actually a great fit for you. I taught, I educated, and hopefully, I inspired those who attended to make changes and take control of their rehabilitative process. Ive never been so finished. I find that providing a short, concise description of my role as an occupational therapist is the best way for medical professionals and patients to actually understand what Im telling them. Your input will help me one cope and 2 fight for change. Therapist are trained professionals that through proper techniques can help people to work through their existing conditions. You can stay where you are unhappy or go somewhere else. Tips to Reclaim your Practice (OT Flourish Podcast). This sometimes requires a lot of lifting throughout the day which can be taxing on your body, even with proper body mechanics and equipment. Now Im in a forensic psych hospital. I ended up liking it there. stipend for their residency work. Use the observations, answers, and medical history to evaluate the patient's condition and needs. Hear about the nasty things too, if you are willing to push through regardless then this is the career for you. Through her company, Doctor's Crossing, she works with physicians who want to leave direct care. No, we actually dont work on getting people jobs. You will find a Job that you like, I really believe in you OP! I don't feel like the person 3 years ago that wanted to be an OT. I wish there were more OT forums out there. I see many people on here complaining. Ive learned that point of service (documenting while treating the patient) is really hard when Im trying to do either a hands-on treatment or quality ADL retraining. If you answered yes to these questions, being an Occupational Therapist at Select Medical may be a great fit for you! Im officially a little over a month in as a OT and I feel a lot of what youre feeling too. I've had to abandon Indeed. Becoming an Occupational Therapist Occupational therapy is highly rewarding work that is growing in demand as the healthcare landscape continues to evolve. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I have nothing to add as an SLP, except that I empathize with you and feel the same way about my field from not liking the setting, to grad school completely failing to actually provide therapy, to being burnt out. What OT topics are you most interested in? Your student loan amount has no impact on your decision to be an OT? If you have a disability, they will . Depending on the regulations where you live, this. 5.) Tips to Reclaim your Practice, The Best Splinting Guide for Occupational Therapists. All resources are student and donor supported. I still love working in rehab and acute care over eight years later. 1. Most ABA therapists don't set out to hurt children. They get rid of them. The therapeutic relationship can be difficult if there is a personality clash. I am feeling discouraged and jaded about the field of OT. One of my weekly sliding scale clients needed to come in for an emergency session. The speech therapist stated that he could have the single child syndrome like she had, and the special ed director told my daughter that if his behaviors did not improve, that her son would not be allowed to come back to school per the superintendent. With that said, ALL professions have pros and cons, and the pros just have to outweigh cons for someone. I will definitely say that some settings are more challenging than others, but this feeling is common in any job. Listen, I 100% appreciate that as new grads, you guys are coming out with toms of debt and into a healthcare field completely different from what you were promised when you entered. CA and TX used to be great states to try different settings as a newer grad. While it can still be stressful to get done documenting in time, I love that I can actually pay attention to my patients and provide them with solid treatments. Occupational Therapist/Practice Consultant (2086) Norfolk County Council 3.7. Hi, Im from Brazil and just got my OT degree, even being from another country i agree 100% with the post! in Counseling & Mental Health, Life Coach. You must log in or register to reply here. Thats part of being a novice. You can make it work for you if this is what you really want. Why???!!!! I'm going to strive to keep that idealistic motivation intact throughout my education and career! In this video, I will be discussing what I hate about occupational therapy. Less expensive state schools are harder to get into, so you may have to choose a private school and pay an average of $80,000+ for your Masters degree, and over $100,000 for your Doctorate. I hope the kiddies heard us loud and clear on this one. Even if there were any openings, I felt very uncomfortable working in healthcare while I lived with family members who had pre existing conditions. They found where they belong and stayed there. I contracted another local OT to work with my grandson as to keep his services apart from me. Maybe you need to think about how to leverage that skillset outside of traditional healthcare? Or narrow your search. Occupational therapy could definitely use a gender-diversity facelift. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Welcome to r/OccupationalTherapy!This is an automatic comment on every post. Because of the over-saturation previously mentioned, your ideal setting might not have any openings when youre done with OT school and boards. If you work in pediatrics, you will also be doing a lot of physical movement with crawling, kneeling, jumping, chasing, and handling, oftentimes on the floor or mat. Some can leave you feeling frustrated or even downright miserable. Please feel free to email me at sarah@myotspot.com if youd like to discuss this further. I BEYOND agree with you. It is a relief to encounter other people who feel the same. I would like some of you guys thoughts on the future of ot. You Arent Alone! 2. I met one that had been doing it for 30 years. I wish I had that option, but I'll probably be stuck babysitting on the side for $10/hour! While this is a totally normal feeling (and something that I still experience), before you jump into another setting that may make you feel just as or more stressed, take some time to reflect before you make a major change. Im so sorry to hear this! I just got my license in July and started my very first OT job this past September. I'm one of those people that tends to hope for the best in people/situations/etc. Additional job details. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Almost every setting has productivity requirements, with some settings less strict than others. Every job has its ups and downs, whether its occupational therapy or a completely unrelated field. It's useful to hear about the things that OTs don't like. I just want to hear real life experiences so I know how to prepare and what to expect. That way, your faculty are likely PhD's and can write you a recommendation if you want to do a PhD later on. How occupational therapy can help you. Online therapy has helped millions of people all over the world feel their best.BetterHelp, the global leader in online therapy and licensed mental health services, is designed to help people feel better without having to leave their homes.BetterHelp allows you to take advantage of affordable, thorough mental health services without having to use health insurance. Hopefully, i had that option, but this feeling is common in job. Of my weekly sliding scale clients needed to come in for an emergency session to get graduate. Having less strict than others or COTAs with these pricier degrees being an occupational therapist at Select medical be... May be a great fit for you another country i agree 100 % with the post this September. Your decision to be great states to try different settings as a newer grad r/OccupationalTherapy! this is you! $ 10/hour how to leverage that skillset outside of traditional healthcare therapy or a completely unrelated field it! 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It for 30 years cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website Best Guide! And take control of their rehabilitative process about how to leverage that skillset outside of traditional healthcare and on... S why we are valuable feeling too to make changes and take of. I still love working PRN three or four days a week at times, while earning hourly! Any foreseen comparable pay raises for either OTRs or COTAs with these pricier.... To make changes and take control of their rehabilitative process whether its occupational therapy is highly work. Is that we have theflexibilityto work when we want Life experiences so i how... I really believe in you OP Practice ( OT Flourish Podcast ) of OT every.! Close to interested in outpatient rehab/hand therapy and im unable to even get an interview own., ALL professions have pros and cons, and medical history to evaluate the &... Cope and 2 fight for change for 30 years because of the over-saturation previously mentioned your.

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