Occupational Therapy - A New Career Choice

An occupational therapist helps patients who have lost the ability to do routine everyday activities due to some handicap or physical, developmental or congenital problems, to restore normalcy in their lives. By working closely with them, the therapists not only help the patients to develop the skills required, but also complement these with compensation skills to enable the patients to become independent in small activities like dressing on their own and using a computer. They would also teach them to use accessories like orthotics, wheelchairs and dressing and eating aids. The field of occupational therapy is as demanding as it is interesting, for people with compassion and love for their fellow human beings. However, since this plays a critical part in the lives of patients in dire need of help, an occupational therapy degree is necessary, if you want to make a mark in this field, and for this, you would need searching for accredited therapy schools with occupational therapy program.

If you aspire for a job as an occupational therapist, try to include courses on biology, sociology, psychology, anatomy and other science and social science related subjects, in your undergraduate classes, besides taking up opportunities as a volunteer, which will stand you in good stead for your future educational advancement. You must remember that completing a master's degree and taking up a job, does not absolve you from participating in on-going education to hone your skills and become up-to-date with the latest technologies and developments in the field.

Physically fitness is imperative for occupational therapists, as their work demands standing for most of their working hours, and they even have to lift the patients at times, besides other exhausting activities of the occupation and a strenuous 42-hour week, sometimes even at different locations. In the schools, a therapist would choose the vocation that interests him. Some would prefer concentrating on therapy for children, while others may prefer to devote quality time with helping older patients who may just be recovering from a stroke or some other devastating incident in their lives.

Most occupational therapy schools cater to a master's degree, which is the minimum qualification for an entrance to a career in this field. In addition, the students would also have to take a national certification exam to qualify for employment. Most of these therapy schools run a full-time program, but now, a slew of schools are offering programs on a part-time basis for the student's convenience, so that they can continue to attend to their other vocations in hand. Before you enter a therapy school, you would do well to check out their record of graduating students, the part-time courses they offer and the help they would render in job placement, after you complete the course with them.