Eligibility
The minimum educational prerequisite for a professional career in occupational therapy is a bachelor’s or master’s degree on the subject. However, students with a master’s degree are only licensed to become full-time practitioners. Several academic institutions offer graduate and advanced degree programs to help students advance in this field. Students wanting to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program should provide transcripts of their high school grades and have a strong base in pre-med, advanced-level math, biology, or similar coursework. Students aiming for master’s degree and doctorate degree should have a bachelor’s degree coupled with some form of fieldwork or internship. Aspirants going for advanced degrees should ensure that they have organic chemistry, statistics, psychology, physiology and physics included in their transcripts.
Details Of The Course Curriculum
The coursework for this highly challenging field is committed to educating the students on the nitty-gritty of extensive patient care and offers comprehensive lessons with extensive lab and field work. The curriculum is designed to offer students an in-depth understanding on health care, patient care, clinical administration and occupational therapy sciences.
- Functional anatomy
- Human development and functioning
- Occupational therapy process
- Disabling conditions
- Applied neurology
- Occupational practical
- Preventive Health Care and Patient Education
- Cognitive Rehabilitation
- Technology in Occupational Therapy Intervention
- Gerontic Occupational Therapy
- Pediatric Occupational Therapy
- Research Methods in Occupational Practice
- Geriatric Rehabilitation
- Community Gerontology
Specialization
While a graduate degree in occupational therapy qualifies an individual for entry-level jobs, an advanced degree is required to avail bigger avenues. Additionally, having a specialized proficiency in any of the related areas not only initiates opportunities, but also endows one with supplementary skills. Aspiring occupational therapists can choose to specialize in the following areas:
- Acute Care
- Outpatient Care
- Rehabilitation
- Physical Therapy
- Therapeutic Recreation
- Massage Therapy
- Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Kinesiology
- Psychology
- Medical Ethics
- Pediatrics
- Geriatrics
- Industrial Rehabilitation
The job of occupational therapist is more than just a healthcare profession. This demanding domain that concerns itself with promoting health and well being through occupation demands patience and compassion. Strong interpersonal skills coupled with ingenuity and imagination is considered as the biggest asset for this profession. Anyone wanting to make a career as occupational therapist should be focused, inspired, goal-oriented, creative, motivating, objective, non-judgmental and positive.
Career Prospects
For individuals aiming for a career in occupational therapy, the possibilities are just endless. Aspiring OT’s can have multiple career in both medical and fitness areas. Anyone with a degree in occupational therapy can choose to work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, private clinics, mental health care,community centers, psychiatric institutions, education establishments and more. Career prospects are equally high for jobs in residential care facilities, special schools, social services and council departments, charities and voluntary agencies, adult day care programs, sports centers and more. Occupational therapists can also work independently or take up jobs in ergonomic consultations, industrial and commercial organizations, prisons etc.
Some Of The Best Institutes Offering This Course Globally
- University of Florida, Florida, USA
- New York University, New York City, USA
- Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK
- University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Temple University, Pennsylvania, USA
- San Jose State University, California, USA
- Boston University, Boston, USA
- College of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, India
- University Of South Australia, Australia
- University of Missouri, Columbia, USA
- University of Kansas, Kansas, USA
- University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA
- University Of New Castle, Australia
- All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mumbai, India
