Occupational Therapist : Occupational Therapy Career, Education & Earning
Published in online degree programs, occupational therapy career, occupational therapist career, degree in occupational therapy, career in occupational therapy by jamestomerson |The job of an occupational therapist is to assist disabled people to improve their quality of life. There are disabled children and adult who are unable to do activities like buttoning a shirt, using a computer or driving a car. Therefore, the role of occupational therapist is to increase such people's productivity so that they become independent. The disability of patients in such cases can range from emotional and mental to physical. The occupational therapists' job is to work with all these patients and help them in improving their reasoning skills. The occupation of occupational therapists is extremely challenging. However, it is really satisfying to see ourselves helping to improve other people's lives. During their occupational therapy career, these professionals can come across a number of patients. Some of these patients would need assistance to be able to perform basic daily activities independently while some others would require occupational therapist to help them become successful at their workplace.
While performing their job, occupational therapists also make use of a variety of computer programs to help them with their tasks. These computer programs are used in occupational therapy with a view to assisting patients for developing decision making, reasoning, problem solving and coordination skills among others. During their career, these occupational therapy professionals also need to take care of patients who are ailing from permanent disabilities. Therefore, therapists can also help patients suffering from paralysis or cerebral palsy. Besides helping such patients operate the wheelchair independently, the job of an occupational therapist may also require them to devise new equipment to suit individual patient requirement.
The occupational therapists' career happens to really challenging. To perform the job quite well, professionals need to be creative and practical. Patients that need occupational therapy can belong to any age group. The occupational therapists may help may help a patient who got a spinal cord injury in an accident, or a woman who suffered from a stroke, or an elderly with poor vision etc. The role of an occupational therapist becomes very crucial when it comes to taking care of an Alzheimer's patient. Cases and extent of therapeutic treatment may vary from patient to patient. No matter how exhausted you may feel at the end of day, the job always brings you pure joy and satisfaction out of helping people improve their lives. During your career as an occupational therapist, you make a difference in other people's lives. There are not too many jobs that bring such joy and satisfaction.
With the advancement in their career and years of experience, occupational therapist may also choose to specialize in a specific area. For example, there are therapists who look after only school children whereas there are others that treat the elderly. Some other occupational therapists may make their career out of treating a specific injury case like spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy etc. The roles and responsibilities in each case, however, remain the same. Occupational therapy always deals with helping the patients increase their productivity, gain reasoning skills, be able to do daily activities on their own and finally become as much independent as possible.
Education Requirements
To kick start a career in occupational therapy, candidates need to obtain a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in the same field. Besides acquiring an accredited degree program in occupational therapy, candidates also need to obtain a license to practice occupational therapy and become a registered occupational therapist. The coursework for an occupational therapy degree program includes physical sciences, behavioral sciences and biological sciences. Those who aspire to become occupational therapist also need to be motivating and encouraging while they practice their profession. Trust, patience and imagination are the other skills that candidates need to make a career in occupational therapy.
Job & Employment Opportunities
With a continuous growth in population, disabilities also grow in number. The need for occupational therapist is continuously on the rise. As people live longer and the number of elderly people increases, more and more therapists are required to help people suffering from health debilitations and other life threatening problems. More occupational therapy jobs are expected by the year 2012. Both at hospitals and schools, the requirement for therapists is growing.
How much can you earn from an occupational therapy career?
The annual earning of an occupational therapist may range from $35,000 t0 $74,000. Professionals with a few years of experience under the belt will be earning a higher salary. The median annual salary of occupational therapists (with an experience of 8 years) is $63,800.
