In fact, healthcare professionals spend more time on documentation than direct client care. It may not display this or other websites correctly. So while you do get to provide meaningful treatments and help people achieve their goals, you do have to deal with the struggle of meeting your productivity on a daily basis. In postgraduate studies, it's possible to gain a Masters degree in one to two years. But how to get the training when you're expected to know from the start and the productivity demands don't allow for that kind of time? This happens to every profession that shows up on list as a top profession to major in. In my area (I live in a major city), I haven't seen any non-school based or agency OT positions available. Writing Writing is one of the easiest switches you can make, but you have to be willing to put in lots of time, and you might take a pretty steep pay cut at the beginning. The beauty of OT is that there are so many different venues and settings that you can go into so that if you were unhappy in one setting you can go to another one. At least in OT I know I have many options in which to practice, and don't have to stay in a job I don't care for. Among other unethical issues I have had. If you are male and reading this, understand that you will be outnumbered by females regardless of where you decide to worka hospital, a rehabilitation center, a school, or a nursing home. Being organized and able to manage your time efficiently are key skills that any employer looks for in their future employee. My goal is to leave the profession, and find a way to promote inclusion and diversity in organizations. Just saying. To become an occupational therapist, you'll need a degree in occupational therapy, which usually takes three years full time or up to six years part time. Ive found that, at work especially, Im also having to explain that no, Im not the physical therapist, and what we do is similar but different, and I go into the reasons why. More new OTs does not automatically equal more positions being created to meet the demand, so many new grads are faced with the fact that they might have to move to another city to find a job. I did learn a lot from the setting and it gave me the experience I needed to get my dream job in inpatient rehab. Brooklynite, I agree with what you're saying and I'd like to think I'm not that weak-minded to just give up OT because of a few negative things I've read. Others work in schools, nursing homes, and home health services. Why???!!!! Im somehow hopeful that it will get better, I would ultimately like to specialize in something, whether it be mental health/peds, lymphedema or burns, or something in acute care but it seems with everything you need the experience. Maybe you need to think about how to leverage that skillset outside of traditional healthcare? Are you really forced to compromise your morals and the law just to bill more hours and make more money for your company? As a school and hospital OT, I found that the lack of resources and sheer amount of paperwork and red tape interfered with my ability to actually spend time with patients and make a difference. Thank you for your contribution. Since Jan, myself and another contracting PT has witnessed a classroom aide pulling speech students (some Medicaid billable) and performing one on one speech therapy with them. All resources are student and donor supported. I agree with this. Oh no, that's so frustrating! I worked in SNFs for over a dozen years, and the productivity expectations were ridiculous, in addition to blatant fraud. 10. How occupational therapy can help you. Therapy should be treated as the helping profession that it is, and not a factory with demands so high many therapists dont even have time to eat or use the bathroom. Maybe in business roles, like HR? I hate how OT services are viewed as a "privilege," creating a lack of accessibility, especially for clients living in rural areas. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Hear about the nasty things too, if you are willing to push through regardless then this is the career for you. Almost every OT setting has productivity requirements, with some settings having less strict standards than others. Its so overwhelming so thank you for sharing your worries and thank you to everyone providing this feedback. ugh, that horrid Indeed forum. Its an old-fashioned profession in that many therapists work part time for limited times but are not responsible for the household income as the other spouse is relied upon as the real income generator. In the end, my gf has decided not to pursue OT for other reasons. I agree with the previous comment that says that people tend to be more verbal (or post things online) if they absolutely love their job or especially if they have a bone to pick. OT came to me like an epiphany and for the past two years I thought I was preparing for my dream career. Obviously, in a ideal world that job would magically be available, but this isnt tv. stipend for their residency work. If youre wondering if your city is saturated, check Indeed.com regularly and see if new job postings are listed, in addition to seeing how many OT and OTA programs exist in the city. We (I say we, as in the OT community but it was really the boomers) did yall a disservice by flooding the market with OT schools when the profession became hot. I found that my aptitude and academic achievement was equivalent to, if not higher, than some medical students, who then became, obviously, physicans; yet, in my first year of employment I earned about $30,000 ($15/hour). I am looking to talk to some OTs that have run into problems such as unnecessary treatment or documenting hours to make money for the company. I volunteered extensively in multiple settings and worked as an aide for a year before I even made my decision. Maybe in community organizing? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Hi Carolyn thank you your comment was helpful! In my own experience, I've talked to a lot of OT's over the years (in outpatient therapy and ped's mostly) and they have never expressed even an eighth of what those people said. C) The area you end up loving might not even be on your radar nowa lot of OT students dream of working in the schools. Tips to Reclaim your Practice, The Best Splinting Guide for Occupational Therapists. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Add in Before asking yourself, "is being a physical therapist worth it?" understand that, in our profession, there can be a lot of subjectivity when it comes to diagnosis and treatment. They get rid of them. You can search Pinterest, check out the Facebook OT Treatment Groups, or take some continuing education courses for ideas. The client-centered nature of this job can be both intrinsically enriching, as you are in a position to provide care and help to patients, but it can also lead to physical and emotional stress. 35,411 - 43,517 a year. 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. Requesting support and further information. 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. 5 out of 10 are bored out of their mind. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I mean, there's so much you can do in healthcare, most of which requires you to have healthcare experience, which OT would fulfill. Unfortunately, this pandemic is going to have a negative effect on all students. Not Being Able to Watch. I'm going to strive to keep that idealistic motivation intact throughout my education and career! Welcome to r/OccupationalTherapy!This is an automatic comment on every post. Hi! Thinking about ditching the profession altogether. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. One of my first articles, 5 Surprisingly Easy Ways To Make Extra Money After OT School shows you other ways to make money to give yourself that extra day or two off a week. I also will offer some solutions to these common problems so you can get back to (or start!) There is a raging debate about the OTD within our field. Teddi has become the first child in the UK to receive lifesaving gene therapy after being born with metachromatic Liked by Zo W. Hand therapist Augusta has been fitting splints for 25+ years - supporting or immobilising the hand for medical needs, such as arthritis, trauma Good luck everyone! In order to practice in the United States, you must pass the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination. I know it's a "HOT" field and whatever but I know a lot of people that are in it for the money and they will have sad sad lives. Becoming an Occupational Therapist Occupational therapy is highly rewarding work that is growing in demand as the healthcare landscape continues to evolve. It's always good to go into a profession knowing the downsides of it. But at Indeed you get people who repetitiously bash the OT profession using multiple screen names. In any profession there are upsides and downsides. If given the tools it is amazing what kind of healing a person's body and mind can accomplish. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. What would be most helpful for you? Nobody else is trained quite this way and that's why we are valuable. You can certainly find a position, whether permanent or travel, but you might have to make the choice to leave a bigger city. I thought it would be much more psychosocial than it is, and I don't feel like school prepared me (AT ALL) and I'm failing in these jobs. I've never known anyone in any field who didn't have at least one not-so-great 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. Wow this is a long threadAll the OTs and COTAs I've met and shadowed love their jobs! Becoming an occupational therapist is expensive. Like many things in life, consistency is key. Whats the setting? When interviewing for a new position, be sure to ask about productivity requirements, expected caseload, hours you will actually get, mentorship, etc. But, this is especially applicable in home health therapy. The therapeutic relationship can be difficult if there is a personality clash. You can read more about ethical dilemmas in my post titledEthical Dilemmas in Occupational Therapy. Look at places like state hospitals or the VA for different jobs. If you are burning out in one area (yes it happens) there are many other areas to switch to. Is to leave the profession, and the law just to bill more and! 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