This parent informed me that the special ed director called her in to an unofficial meeting at the school board office and upon arrival the superintendent was also present. Do you hate the phrase, "that's not my job!"? reasons why you SHOULD do OT as a profession! I would like some of you guys thoughts on the future of ot. Answer: Depends on the setting. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. A non-staff member scheduled a meeting with my daughter to meet with my grandsons teacher and principal. I love the theory of OT and what it stands for but if the world does not understand the value of it, will it be one of the first occupations to go? 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. Thanks for the article. From experience I know that finding OTs for those positions can be very difficult. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Look at places like state hospitals or the VA for different jobs. The disparity in financial compensation is just awful, honestly. Therapist are trained professionals that through proper techniques can help people to work through their existing conditions. I applied for a few rehab positions, but did not get an interviews. This happens to every profession that shows up on list as a top profession to major in. I am an OT student, is anyone else in this thread one? Use Your Comfort Zone. But just know that everyone has rough days (or weeks, or months!) The new school assistant principal informed the OT that there was not enough staff or funding to support the additional help my grandson needed. The lady I shadowed did help with toileting with the in-patients but she also did that as her own choice. These are based on my experiences working in the United States; other countries may differ. You'll . I mean, there's so much you can do in healthcare, most of which requires you to have healthcare experience, which OT would fulfill. I might have to see 80 students in. 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. I volunteered in 7 different places in preparation for the OT application. I've had to abandon Indeed. This is super common. You can certainly find a position, whether permanent or travel, but you might have to make the choice to leave a bigger city. Good luck everyone! I doubt there is a job that is full of sunshine and butterflies 24/7 out there. It's easier that way because he's more willing to cooperate. To be a licensed speech-language pathologist, you need to complete an undergraduate degree, a master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, pass a Praxis exam, complete 400 hours of supervised clinical hours, and complete a 9-month (paid) clinical fellowship. Occupational Therapist/Practice Consultant (2086) Norfolk County Council 3.7. You are using an out of date browser. With that said, I'm sure every forum dedicated to any profession has plenty of negativity as well. Additionally, some states may require that a person using distance therapy be located in the same state in which the therapist is licensed. 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 welcome all replies. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. But it will give you a better idea or what NOT to look for. I hope this post helps give you some clarity of why you might be feeling burned out as an OT or COTA, and provides you with some actionable solutions to take to increase your satisfaction as an occupational therapy practitioner. OT burnout is a tough topic to address since we all want to believe that every position as an occupational therapist or COTA will be amazing and our dream job. Spending several hours in there, however, changed my mind entirely. I can't really give advice because I quit the profession for similar reasons. Wanting to be an OT so badly, the size of the loan didn't affect my decision to which schools I applied to. Permanent + 1. This is a subreddit to celebrate all things Occupational Therapy. 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. And, when you entered into your fieldwork years, covid hit so you didnt get the full experience so you are entering the field slightly less prepared than previous years. If you sat in my classes you would notice that there is little empirical justification for OT interventions (it's a problem that we are faced with in our field, hence why a research emphasis is being pursued so much by many programs). Or inpatient rehab. I'm one of those people that tends to hope for the best in people/situations/etc. Specifically in the part we have to explain every single day for everyone we know what we do. If you're a creative problem solver who enjoys helping people to get the most out of life, becoming an occupational therapist will give you real fulfilment, day in and day out. 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. Travel therapists LOVE taking time off between each three month contract to relax and recharge. I also will offer some solutions to these common problems so you can get back to (or start!) Our results indicated that the average salary among the participants was actually $70,732. You can't only know about the good, beautiful things about OT. Im always on my toes switching back and forth from inpatient rehab to very different diagnoses and treatments in acute care. I love her OT and PT. Your student loan amount has no impact on your decision to be an OT? I would love to go part time but my work load wouldn't change. (My OT Spot), Is Occupational Therapy a Good Career? I am HATING Being an OT Need some words of encouragement or advice. Being organized and able to manage your time efficiently are key skills that any employer looks for in their future employee. I've never known anyone in any field who didn't have at least one not-so-great job. Teacher2PT, thanks for your advice and best of luck to you too! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 2. Many spokes on a wheel: Using our training, expertise, & skills to meet our clients' needs Our Values I have a 7 yr. old grandson who has Autism, ADHD, and sensory dysfunction. In my area (I live in a major city), I haven't seen any non-school based or agency OT positions available. 35,411 - 43,517 a year. CA and TX used to be great states to try different settings as a newer grad. Let me know what you guys think about this. Moving around all day, versus sitting for long periods of time, has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and premature death. Some people are never satisfied no matter what. Over 40 years I worked inpatient, rehab, outpatient hands, workplace health, nursing homes and home health. We had to hire an advocate and the school did offer to place him in a program that was not suited for children with Autism, not to mention that children in this program often do not transition out. I also chose OT for the fact that it combines healthcare and behavioral science, and I'm very confident in my choice. You can learn all these skills if you make an effort to do so , it doesn't mean you can not be an OT, but these are some of the skills you will need on the j. And you wonder if youre missing out by working in a setting that isnt everything youve imagined. 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. 11 /15. 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. Thank you for your contribution. I work in a SNF so theyre pretty lonely and the fact that youre there to try whatever it is youve got means a lot to them. The hourly price you pay depends on the type . I agree with OTROX, if the majority of your exposure to OT is coming from these forums then you need to do a little more research on the career. She was at a hospital and she said that the top administrative jobs always goes to nurses. Occupational Therapy has a lot to offer to our society. I would like to talk to more OTs about this epidemic we are having as OTs being under apperciated, strong armed to keep kids on caseload despite appropriate and clinical reasoning to discharge. Looking to eventually get a Doctorate in OT and become a SI specialist. I met one that had been doing it for 30 years. I cant speak for occupational therapy assistant (OTA) programs. If youre open to other types of settings after graduation, this wont be a huge downside. Consider applying to hospital positions, many have outpatient clinics in the hospital and you may have the opportunity to 'cross train' even if you're hired in a different setting of the hospital. 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. This is SUPER stressful since you dont have anyone to guide you or answer questions, and you really are thrown to the wolves.. Answer (1 of 3): Not sure what you are currently doing for work. Being accepted into an OT program is hard and very competitive. She was told my grandson might need to be taken off all his meds. He lost his family preservation counselor that contracted to the school because of federal cutbacks and he was not given any additional support in the classroom. 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. Just think of the reasons you wanted to do this in the first place, because there are some and they matter. Hi Ana, Are you working in Brazil or the usa? Try to make hair washing less of an ordeal, and you may find that your child is suddenly more adaptable to it as part of the routine. I cant imagine doing anything else. What OT topics are you most interested in? The politics in my program are unbearable; grading is extremely subjective and favoritism is endemic. Thanks so much for adding this, Carolyn! I see many people on here complaining. Cast a wide net when you are looking for jobs. even when they continually show me otherwise. School rankings are mostly based upon application and acceptance statistics, as well as attendance in classes. Thats part of being a novice. As OTs we are trained to analyze and assess-the individual, their skills/needs, the demands of each task, and determine the ways to either bring the person back to a functional state or adapt the task/environment/tools to facilitate success. There will always be people who want to bitch no matter how many people wipe their asses. I have been reading the Indeed boards a lot and they are usually so negative. But honestly, being an occupational therapist is hard. For a more realistic look on OT salaries, be sure to check out our comprehensive article, Occupational Therapist Salary: Data From 2,322 OTs and COTAs. If anyone can provide further insight on that, I'd appreciate it. Ive seen this in myself, my friends, and my coworkers at the end of each day and week that its really hard to have any energy to get anything else done. You really shouldnt believe what people have to say about becoming an OT. Top new foods with well-liked sauces or seasonings to help them seem less strange and unusual . THAT SPEAKS VOLUME!!!!!!!! After being a US-based occupational therapist for over six years now and having worked in multiple adult-based rehab settings, I want to share with you 7 things I wish I knew before becoming an occupational therapist. This is harder than it sounds due to the increasing paperwork demands that companies and insurers require. 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