|
What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy is a health profession that uses purposeful occupations and meaningful activities with individuals whose lives have been disrupted by physically disabling injury or illness, cognitive deficits, developmental challenges, the aging process, and psychosocial challenges.
The Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) works under the supervision of the Occupational Therapist (OT). Under the guidance of an OT, OTAs play an important role in carrying out treatment programs. They may choose or construct equipment that helps clients to function more independently, plan and carry out treatment occupations for individuals or groups of clients, and work closely with families as clients prepare to return home. The OTA focuses on treatment and health restoration through meaningful occupations and finds ways to restore function so that people can continue their pursuit of what means most to them in their lives.
Which qualities or personal traits are useful in practicing occupational therapy?
OTAs need patience, understanding and compassion when dealing with clients facing health problems. Patience is important because many clients may not show rapid progress and practitioners must be prepared for that challenge. Compassion and understanding are also vital when working with clients who have disabilities that require them to undergo extensive and sometimes painful treatment in order to improve function. OT professionals must have a passion for performing life-changing work. Part of that passion includes a drive to use creative problem-solving to come up with treatments and adaptations that will be meaningful to the people they serve and that will help them fulfill their life’s most important occupations and roles.
What is the job outlook for occupational therapy assistants?
The U.S Department of Labor predicts that employment for OT assistants will grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012 and will increase by 36% or more.
What is the salary for occupational therapy assistants?
In 2008 the highest 10% earned close to $65,000 while the average salary was $45,500.
Where do occupational therapy practitioners work?
Occupational therapy practitioners work in a variety of job settings. Public schools, hospitals, mental health centers, nursing homes, physician practices, community agencies and home health agencies are all job settings that may employ occupational therapy practitioners.
Does occupational therapy offer opportunities for individuals of culturally diverse backgrounds?
Yes, the OT profession wants to increase the number of practitioners representing culturally diverse backgrounds. Target populations include African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders. Other underrepresented groups include people with disabilities and men.
Is the OTA program at Marion Technical College accredited?
The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program (OTA) at Marion Technical College has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. Once accreditation of the program has been obtained, its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
What are the requirements for admission to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program?
- American College Test (ACT) composite score of 16 or higher.
- Basic computer skills prior to admission to the program. This can be satisfied through successful completion of the MTC Technology Skills test.
- A minimum 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for recent course work from an educational institution.
- A 20-hour documented observation experience with an OTR/L or a COTA. Requirements 5, 6 and 7 must be met by the time of enrollment in the first Occupational Therapy Assistant course.
- Satisfactory medical examination from a physician to include specified laboratory tests, immunizations and drug screen. Validation of this requirement must be received by the OTA Program Clinical Coordinator.
- Current basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation qualifications from the American Heart Association (BLS, Health Care Provider, CPR), American Red Cross (infant, child, and adult CPR; choking victim; AED), or American Safety & Health Institute (Professional level/AED). Must be maintained through to graduation.
- Students admitted into the program are required to submit to a criminal background check facilitated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification. Students with certain felony, misdemeanor, or drug-related arrests as specified in Senate Bill 38 and House Bill 160 will be ineligible for admission into the program.
- Successful completion of four years of high school, or a standard equivalency test, or certification of equivalent education by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
- Completion of all MTC general admission requirements, including MTC Application for Admission and nonrefundable application fee.
- Submission of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Application.
MTC General Admission: Information regarding the general admission process to MTC can be obtained online at: http://www.mtc.edu/Admission/index.html or by contacting the Admissions Office at: 740-389-4636. The general admission process must be completed before applications to the OTA Program will be considered.
Program Duration: The OTA program starts in the fall term and is designed for completion in seven consecutive quarters. Students can take some courses toward the degree prior to admission. It will take a minimum of seven quarters to complete the program once admitted because of the sequence of the professional courses in the OTA program.
Travel to Clinical Sites: Students enrolled in the OTA program at MTC will have the opportunity to complete clinical assignments in conjunction to classroom and lab instruction. Clinical assignments for students are arranged so that all students can benefit by learning through a variety of clinical experiences. Such assignments may be in clinical facilities outside the college’s immediate service area.
Application Deadline: Applications to the OTA Program at Marion Technical College must be completed and submitted to Marion Technical College by April 30 in order to begin the program the following fall.
If required, college foundation courses are available to help you
meet any specialized program admission requirements. A complete
listing of all requirements is available at www.ohioalliedhealth.com |
