What is occupational therapy (OT)?
Occupational Therapy is a form of therapy for those recovering from physical or mental illness or injury through the therapeutic use of everyday activities called occupations. It encourages rehabilitation through the performance of activities required in daily life and is also used to prevent the development of certain conditions or disorders. OT is often thought of as holistic rehabilitation as it incorporates meaningful activities. Occupational therapy is a very broad and diverse field! Occupational therapy enables people across the lifespan to participate in the activities of daily living they want and need to do! For example, a wrist injury would make getting dressed in the morning painful and autism may hinder a child from interacting effectively with classmate. OTs can help in these cases and many others! According to The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA), occupational therapists ask, “What matters to you?” NOT “What’s the matter with you?” What does the Pre-OT Club do? The Pre-OT Club at UIC is a major source of information. We host general body meetings (around every 3-4 weeks of the semester) where we have a "theme" or topic relevant to pre-OT students. In the past, we have:
However, we are not the only resource available to pre-OT students! Other resources include career advisors, major advisors, volunteer organizations, specifically organizations that work with the disability community (such as Swimable @ UIC, KEEN). How does one become an occupational therapist? The first step to become an OT is to pass the prerequisite classes that a certain OT school may require for admittance while working towards a bachelor's degree (these vary from school to school). Around the summer before senior year or months before you submit your OT school applications, you will be taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and applying to OT schools that you may be interested in attending (if the schools you are applying to require the GRE). Once accepted, you will complete your master's/clinical doctorate and take your certification examination (NBCOT) to be licensed as an Occupational Therapist, Registered, Licensed (OTR/L). How many years does OT school take? Do I need to get an Master's or OTD? As of Spring 2017, you can become an OTR/L by solely having your Master's in Occupational Therapy, after passing your NBCOT. This usually takes 2 to 2.5 years to complete. In fact, in the past (this does not apply anymore), you could have had a Bachelor's degree in OT and could still become an OTR/L. However, the current minimum expectation is having a Master's degree in the field. For Fall 2022 applicants, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) will be launching an entry-level doctorate program. Reach out to us or go to UIC's website for more details! With what kinds of patients/clients does an OT work with? An OT will work with all sorts of patients with varying abilities, disabilities, and ages. OTs work with children, adolescents, adults, and the geriatric population. In sum, OTs work with people across the lifespan on a variety of skills required for everyday activities! How do I start volunteering at different places in Chicago? What are some places I can volunteer? You generally want to start volunteering as early as you can throughout your undergraduate career. A variety of volunteering resources are located here on our “Volunteering Resources” tab. Start by looking through some of these places and find the one that best suits your interests, availability, and commitment. Send a professional email (following the guidelines on the “Shadowing Resources” tab) and gather more information! Volunteering can involve mentoring young kids, serving food to the homeless, greeting guests at the hospital, and so much more! Getting a variety of volunteering experiences (they don’t necessarily need to be OT-related) can strengthen your application significantly! Where can I find OT observation/shadowing hours? A few resources on how to find observation/shadowing hours can be located on our “Shadowing Resources” tab. Please note that this is not a holistic list, but rather starting points. Searching "occupational therapy Chicago" or related terms may help you find a variety of shadowing opportunities! Dedication is key to finding these sorts of opportunities as they are limited in the city. How do I track my OT observation/shadowing hours? On our "Shadowing Resources" tab, we outline a suggested way to track your observation hours! How do I start applying for OT schools? To apply to OT schools, schools can either ask you submit an application via the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy (OTCAS) or a school-specific application. Alternatively, schools can ask for you to apply via OTCAS and also submit a school-specific application. A good idea is to start looking at various OT school requirements (GPA, prerequisites, personal statements, observation/shadowing hours, etc..) around your underclassmen years. Work on achieving these expectations throughout your undergraduate career. Applications for OT schools become available around July before the summer of your senior year (or of the year before you plan on starting OT school). How can I start planning as an underclassmen? In our GBM #2 of Fall 2016, we suggested creating a spreadsheet throughout your underclassmen years of OT schools you were interested in. See more specifics on our "Information" tab and download the presentation! How I do become a successful applicant for OT school? Becoming a successful applicant looks different for everyone! Try looking for school-specific admissions information such as average GPA of successful applicants, GRE scores, volunteering hours, observation/shadowing hours, etc... to get a general idea of how to be a competitive applicant for that school. Each school is different, but generally maintaining a strong GPA, getting a variety of OT experiences (whether that be through volunteering, shadowing, participating in student organizations like Pre-OT Club, research, etc...) would be great! Check with individual schools to see what you can do to prepare the best application you can! Is the GRE required for all schools? No! The GRE is not required for all OT schools. For example, as of Spring 2017, Midwestern University's OT program in Downer's Grove does not require the GRE but other schools such as UIC, Rush, and many others do require it. However, check with individual schools to see if they have cut-off scores and how much they weigh the GRE when it comes to admissions. How can I succeed on the GRE? Taking a course, purchasing a study book, and looking for resources online have been useful for Pre-OT Club alumni who were accepted into OT schools. Studying over a sufficient period of time is needed for most people as the GRE comprises of writing, verbal, and math sections! The GRE involves going to a test center and taking the test on a computer in a quiet, monitored room for approximately 4 hours. Check out their official website for practice tests, associated fees, and for dates to register! Where can I learn more information about OT? You can learn more about occupational therapy through the UIC pre-OT website by exploring all of our tabs, career advisors, checking out the UIC OT Department's website, and by going to aota.org, the American Occupational Therapy Association website. |