Occupational therapy how long

Earn your degree in ot from NEIT and begin your new career path today! What Does the Occupational Therapist do? Step 3: Advance Your Education. Step 5: Obtain Licensure. Do you have what it takes to pursue a career in occupational therapy? Do I have a strong desire to help people and provide care? Am I looking for a flexible career with good growth? Do I see myself advancing in the medical field?

Am I ready for a physically demanding job? Am I ready for long hours of work? Will I be able to make the sacrifices I need to make to get the education I require? What are the desirable qualities of an occupational therapist? Excellent communication skills: Occupational therapists need to constantly communicate with patients, doctors, other specialists, and caregivers. The mentality of each patient is different and occupational therapists are required to be communicators, because they may have to explain complex therapeutic ideas to their patients in a way they can understand.

Creativity and persistence: Therapists need to realize that the road to recovery will vary from one patient to another. Sometimes it may take a long time to find the most helpful treatment.

A lot of patience: Patients with different physical limitations may end up as your patients. Your positive attitude and outlook will help your new and old patients stay motivated and work toward their goals daily. As you gain experience and complete the learning curve, the time you spend on paperwork and its related tasks will decrease significantly.

What skills do occupational therapists need? Other FAQs. How many years of college does it take to be an OT? What to study to become an occupational therapist? What is the best major for occupational therapy? Is it hard to become an occupational therapist? Apply to our veterinary tech program and graduate in less than 2 years.

Search Over 17, Online Programs:. What kind of training is required to become an occupational therapist? Are there any certification or licensure requirements?

How long does it take to become an occupational therapist? What does an occupational therapist earn? What are the job prospects? What are the long term career prospects for occupational therapists? How can I find a job as an occupational therapist?

How can I learn more about becoming an occupational therapist? All Rights Reserved. Our tuition numbers reflect data collected from the National Center for Education Statistics. AOTA provides members with professional support, information and resources, discounted continuing education, legal advocacy, professional certification and credentialing and more.

Organized by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation, Pi Theta Epsilon is a national honor society for occupational therapy students and alumni. The association allows students to collaborate and exchange information and provides research and continuing education opportunities. Students can look for student occupational therapy associations SOTA like this one at their schools. This is an example of occupational therapy associations at the state level.

Finding a local association can help professionals build strong connections with other occupational therapists in their community and open up job and education opportunities in their area. This international professional association connects occupational therapist from around the world and promotes the global advancement of occupational therapy. Members receive exclusive access to articles, bulletins, an online forum and other publications. Because they help all types of people improve their functionality in day-to-day activities, occupational therapists can benefit from having a large arsenal of tools and educational resources.

Whether they are looking to brush up on developments in the industry or for apps and activities to use with clients, occupational therapists can get started on their search by browsing through these resources. This organization aims to increase public understanding of occupational therapy and support current and prospective occupational therapists. The foundation promotes research and provides educational information, scholarships, conferences, expos and more.

Occupational therapists and author, Barbara Smith, compiles a variety of resources for occupational therapists on her website. Along with her books, visitors can find articles, videos and fun tools and toys to help in their occupational therapy practices. Dexteria is an app developer that has created a nice selection of highly-rated apps to help improve math, comprehension and fine motor skills.

Those who are considering a career in occupational therapy may find it useful to hear why other people decided to enter the field.

AOTA provides videos of occupational therapists explaining why they decided occupational therapy was the career for them. Professionals can check out reviews for different apps and items to see if they are worthwhile before buying them for themselves. Occupational therapists can find a huge array of products and tools to help them help clients. Pencil grips, weighted vests, sensory pillows, strengthening tools and tons more can be purchased here. The American Occupational Therapy Association has various job search and prep tools to help occupational therapists and occupational therapist assistants build resumes, prepare for interviews and find jobs in their area.

Joining professional associations can help occupational therapists build their professional networks and learn more about the changing landscape of occupational therapy. Continuing education units CEUs are education credits professionals earn by periodically taking classes after they have become licensed. Each state specifies how many CEUs occupational therapists need to take before they can renew their license.

Students earn CEUs by taking approved courses, which are often available online. AOTA offers continuing education courses for occupational therapists and offers a database of approved, non-AOTA continuing education providers.