Occupational Therapy, which is a form of therapy that is used for patients to recuperate from a mental or physical illness that rehabilitates them to perform activities needed in day to day life, and is the best career to pursue for natural people lovers. It offers several job benefits that your typical full time job does not. Occupational Therapists (OT’s) and Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA) work with hands on drills that act as rehabilitation to later help patients master the skill of putting clothes on, feeding themselves, writing, using the bathroom, using manners in public, and showing mastery of daily life skills.
Occupational Therapy Services can help daily to develop the underlying skills necessary for learning and performing functional tasks. Our therapists focus on self-care skills, sensory, motor, postural, and emotional. ” – A quote from Occupational Therapy Plus Inc. Occupational Therapists typically work in all different settings, such as a school, a designated workplace, or even the patient’s house. An OT will often work with patients on things such as: learning disabilities, strokes, illnesses, arthritis, tendon injuries, burns, spinal cord injuries, amputations, broken bones, sprains, and mental illnesses.
This form of therapy works with all age groups and class. As soon as patients begin to express forms of a mental or physical illness, an occupational therapist may be the best recourse to help this patient recuperate and proceed to daily life. An OT will customize his/her work around the patient, meaning that there are no guidelines to follow, speaking in terms of whether the patient remains in the program or not. Each patient is different, and depending on the severity of the illness, the patient could stay with a COTA and OT for years. This is why, Occupational Therapy, is a “one in a million” career path for most people.
Unlike many other careers, it takes a unique love for people to become either an Occupational Therapist or Occupational Therapist Assistant. Though the career seems like a happy summer day on a beach, it can often become quite an atrocious experience for the patient’s parents, and even the patient. Patients with a mental illness are often attached to a guardian (or two) and they will put up a fight to leave the side of this person that they claim. Often times patients are screaming, fighting and throwing tantrums, all for just leaving the guardian’s side.
This is why often times OT’s and OTA’s work in the patient’s home, to prevent this type of diabolical behavior from happening. The most relaxing and comforting workplace for a patient is in the home of the patient, followed by in the setting of a designated workplace, and lastly in a school setting with peers. I particularly have fallen in love with this career due to the upfront experience I’ve witnessed in the past few years. With my mom working at an Occupational Therapy center in town, I’ve encountered the best, and the worst, emotions of the career.
There is an unfair advantage given to me since I’ve been introduced to this career in a way many are not. Due to a love for people, especially kids, my heart is drawn to this career to rehabilitate these people back to their needs for daily life. Patch Adams quotes: “You treat a disease: you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you win – no matter what the outcome. ” With my exceptional and unconditional love for the mentally disabled, I feel the need to pursue in Occupational Therapy, and prosper to the best of my ability.
This quote applies to my priorities, Occupational Therapy, and I’ve been provided experiences of a lifetime, and this is how I plan to spend my life. Pursuing a career such as Occupational Therapy requires years of schooling, studies in other fields, practice hours, time, and commitment. The minimum amount of schooling to become an OT is five years. This consists of a bachelor’s and master’s degree minimum. During the first couple of years of college, the student will work to complete and achieve the bachelor’s degree.
Speaking in terms of an Occupational Therapist, the student may, upon their own discretion, study in the fields of psychology, the study of the human brain and learning about why we do what we do, sociology, the study of the human society and the population, or anthropology, which is the study of various aspects of human society now compared to later terms. Unlike a university, a community college is cheaper, smaller, and sometimes more beneficial to the individual. The student may begin to obtain the bachelor’s degree of choice at a community college, and then transfer to complete and obtain the bachelor’s degree at a university.
In terms of Occupational Therapy, the student may begin to take courses such as sociology introductions, psychology introductions, anthropology introductions, etc. Taking these classes early on will prove to a college that the individual is capable to complete the work at the university. Most universities have the same requirements. You must have an undergraduate degree (in any field) and the following prerequisites such as: Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2 (with labs), Statistics, Medical Terminology, Philosophy, Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Intro to Sociology/Anthropology, and Intro to Occupational Therapy.
After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in the participant’s field of choice, a master’s degree may be completed at a university. A master’s degree is minimum of two-three years of college. During the years spent yearning to obtain a master’s degree, the individual will be often times learning anatomy, practicing patient care, and completing fieldwork. Before graduating from the university, an average of 25 weeks will be completed doing fieldwork of Occupational Therapy. Several tests are required to obtain your Occupational Therapy state licensure. This license is required to begin your career in the state of your choice.
North Carolina is a wonderful state to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy. Compared to the other 49 states, North Carolina is within the top 20 highest paying states for Occupational Therapy. Places such as Las Vegas, Florida, Texas, or other places in California will have a higher pay and higher Occupational Therapy rate than places such as North/South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, etc. because of the variety of the people and population size. The bigger the city, the higher the population, and the more variety, the higher the salary will be for an Occupational Therapist.
A great place to thrive in a career of Occupational Therapy is in Raleigh, North Carolina. Raleigh has a population of 431,746 (as of 2013), and is succeeding, thriving and flourishing more and more every day. A degree in Occupational Therapy in Raleigh will offer high pay, wonderful benefits, and easier chances of successfulness compared to other big cities. Due to the high amount of jobs, the high demand for OT’s, and the high pay, Raleigh is begging for Occupational Therapists’ for schools, workplaces, and household OT’s.
As of right now, Indeed. om “Occupational Therapist Jobs, Employment in Raleigh, NC” is listing 174 jobs available for this career. In the United States, currently, there are approximately 131,000 jobs available for an Occupational Therapist. This is a wide range of jobs. Compared to other careers, Occupational Therapists are flourishing recently, due to the high demand. Over the past ten years, there has been a 30% growth in Occupational Therapy. Including in this 30% increase, in the years of 2013-2014, there have been 30,000 more job openings for an OT. The minimum amount of attending college(s) would be 5 years.
This includes time obtaining a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, fieldwork, and possibly more. Each degree is approximately 2 years each, including 25 weeks of fieldwork, not including whether you shadow, intern, or start practicing the career late. Based upon an in state student for ECU, the cost of attendance is $17,665/year. Taken for 5 years (while obtaining both degrees), your total and final cost of attendance would be approximately $88,325. However, tuition costs for an in state student would be approximately $6,916/year. After obtaining your bachelor’s and master’s degree, the total approximate costs for tuition would be $34,580.
After 5 years of schooling, of only attending East Carolina University, your approximate costs after graduating would be $122,905. The approximate cost is estimated with no scholarships. With the help of scholarships, a grant or payment to help with one’s education, the cost of tuition would be reduced, often significantly. The approximate cost of out of state tuition for students attending East Carolina University is $22,974 a year. This cost, working to obtain a bachelor’s and master’s degree for 5 years, would be $114,874. Including the cost of attendance for ECU, for 5 years, would be $168,125.
However, due to out of state residents, you would need boarding. The approximate price for boarding students at ECU is $9,471. After graduation, due to cost of attendance, cost of tuition, boarding, and other expenses, the total cost of an out of state student for East Carolina University would be approximately $330,335. Again, due to scholarships, the prices may be significantly decreased. With the many college students working to obtain degrees to become a certified Occupational Therapist, the average GPA of the students is 3. 6. Generally, there is an extremely high graduation rate with these students.
The average graduation rate is 95%-100%. This is a very high graduation rate! With this high pay, a high salary is a necessity. The average salary pay for an Occupational Therapist in Raleigh, NC is $80,000/year as of 2013. However, this salary can flocculate due to where the OT is practicing, who they’re working with, and other depending factors. For example, the average salary for an Occupational Therapist in a workplace (a designated place to practice OT with patients) is $75,000-$89,000 per year. The bigger the city, usually, the higher the pay.
For example, Little Washington would not be the best place to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy, because the average salary is significantly lower than it is in Raleigh, NC. Similarly to the workplaces, OT’s make an average salary of $73,000/year at the patient’s home, $75,000 at a nursing home, and $75,000-$89,000 at a school place. However, an Occupational Therapist Assistant will, on average in the city of Raleigh, NC, make around $50,000/year. Due to only having a 2 year degree, and the awesome job benefits of the career, this is an awesome pay for what is required.
The education available to become a certified Occupational Therapist is rather easy to find, however, the amount of time and effort you put into it will be a challenge. The ending result (after graduation) will be well worth it. However, compared to other colleges in North Carolina (one of the best places to pursue Occupational Therapy), East Carolina University offers an all around wonderful program to obtain your master’s degree in. With ECU being one of the few colleges to offer a degree in Occupational Therapy, it is exceptionally well, has a soaring high graduation rate, and offers things other colleges do not.
After graduation, the student will obtain his/her state license, and then pursue the career of their dreams. The years spent practicing Occupational Therapy will be fair – steady income, wonderful job benefits, and the satisfaction of knowing the practitioner matters. Opportunities of advancement in a career such as Occupational Therapy may be hard to come by. One way of success and high advancement is if you obtain your bachelor’s degree and become an Occupational Therapist Assistant. You may advance from this career to a certified Occupational Therapist if you eventually obtain your master’s degree and move up to an OT, rather than COTA.
Speaking in terms of a certified Occupational Therapist straight out of college, an advancement may not be in favor for a while. Another way Occupational Therapists find ways to advance is by starting their own practice at a workplace. This requires hiring more OT’s/COTA’s, a workplace, and several other key factors. Many say this decision is not wise – however, it can be to the benefit of the individual if it is successful. Many fail at starting their own practice, and little succeed. On top of the extra stress, it’s very costly and time consuming to run your own practice.
It often is believed that it isn’t worth it. The job benefits of an Occupational Therapist are not like many other jobs. This career offers several benefits and leisures that others do not. For example, Occupational Therapy Plus Inc. of Washington, North Carolina offers the ability to continue your education, paid Malpractice Insurance, employee referral bonuses, relocation assistance, medical/dental/vision/life insurance, IRA simple, vacation time, holiday pay, flexible hours, tuition reimbursement, short term disability, and pay in Lieu of Benefits.
Occupational Therapists are one of a kind people. They strive for success, happiness, goals, and satisfaction. In order to pursue in a career such as this, you must qualify in terms of putting your patients before yourself. This career is not about the salary, to many people. Often times, people are more satisfied with knowing that they matter to their patient, rather than receiving a paycheck. After long thought, I have decided that I want to take step into this wonderful career, in hopes to help others, be a support system, help achieve myself and others’ goals, and see my hard work pay off.
I believe this career is the best fit for me, considering it involves all of my favorites, such as: psychology, sociology, education, and my genuine love for people, especially kids. Also after long thought, I have decided I want to work to obtain my degrees from East Carolina University, and after graduation with a degree in Occupational Therapy, I plan to practice for a school or workplace in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Although I have a love for Washington, NC, my heart feels drawn to the bigger city, with more people, and more help needed. I feel drawn to this career due to the up close experiences I’ve witnessed, and this way I know I have a true love for this career. Without Occupational Therapy, I would continue to be clueless as to what I wanted to pursue in after my high school graduation. I am thankful I discovered this career, and I am thankful I’ve witnessed it up close.