Occupational Therapists are in demand. After completing an A.A.&S, you will continue your pre-occupational therapy study by transferring to a four-year school. Pre-occupational therapy candidates are required to have a bachelor’s degree. You can declare a major in any subject at a four-year school to obtain a Bachelor of Science Degree, which will require an additional two years of college. Your chosen major does not determine your success in being accepted to an occupational therapy school.
It is, however, important that you include the prerequisites required by the schools you are interested in attending in your educational curriculum. Many of these classes are taken during your two years at SWCC. After being accepted into occupational therapy school, it typically takes two years to earn a Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.), though programs vary in length.Early in your academic career, you will need to research some of the occupational therapy schools you are interested in attending in order to ensure you will meet all their criteria for admission. Some basic factors are:
It is the Graduate Record Examination. It is a standardized test taken by students who are applying to occupational therapy schools. It will be similar to the ACT® or SAT®. It is a broad assessment of your critical thinking, analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning skills — all skills developed over many years, including your two years at SWCC.
Occupational therapists must have excellent communication, writing, and interpersonal skills. Other important qualities are compassion, patience, and flexibility. As in other health-related occupations, empathy, understanding, and the desire to help others are good qualities for dealing effectively with patients
The student should shadow occupational therapists and ask questions about the profession. Occupational therapy is a health care profession that focuses on treating injured, ill, or disabled patients. They help patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working. It aims to help people live as independently as possible. Occupational therapists may work in a variety of settings, such as orthopedic clinics, hospitals, schools, home health care facilities, and nursing homes.
There are 157 Occupational Therapy Schools in the United States.
Jennifer Long, Occupational Therapy School
After receiving her A.A.&S. in Science from SWCC, Ms. Long transferred to Radford University and completed a degree from the Occupational Therapy School.