How to Become an Occupational Therapist

While occupational therapists deal with issues like ergonomics and better workplace design, they also focus on rehabilitating disabled individuals or retraining them to improve their quality of life. Consider being an occupational therapist if you're looking for a career where your hands-on help can make a difference in someone's life.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Career Books
• Health Magazines Or Books
• Career Counseling
• Computers

1. Prepare for a career as an occupational therapist (OT) by taking as many psychology, sociology, human development, anatomy, physics and anthropology classes as possible during high school and college.

2. Volunteer anywhere you can work with a registered OT helping children with special needs, senior citizens and even the homeless. Learn to work with all walks of life and to be understanding and tolerant of differences and diversity.

3. Look for a part-time job at a nearby hospital to gain additional experience. Any job where you will be helping to move patients will relate to your practical coursework in OT.

4. Shadow a practicing OT for a day or two before you get into any program to make sure the career is something that really interests you. OTs are usually resourceful self-starters with excellent communication skills, high ethical standards and a desire to help people.

5. Be proactive about your education and don't assume you can get it all out of a book. Take part in sports, band or art classes; studying the way people move, work and live can help you be more creative about finding solutions in your OT career.

6. Choose an accredited program. In the United States, you must receive a bachelor's of science degree in OT before you are eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and become a registered OT (OTR).

7. Decide what kind of working environment you want. OTs can be found everywhere, from high-stress hospital settings to the relaxed country doctor's office.

Tips & Warnings

• Minor in a related area like kinesiology or biology to make yourself more marketable to employers upon graduation.

• Contact the American Occupational Therapists Association (AOTA) for a list of accredited OT programs. You can write to the association at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20824, or visit its Web site (see Related Sites).

• Don't assume that just because it is called occupational therapy it always relates to someone's job. Most OTs deal more with health and living issues, like helping someone with one leg learn to walk with a prosthetic.

• Be prepared for the physical part of this job. OTs are often required to do some heavy lifting in the course of a normal day.