Occupational therapy is a profession that is quite unfamiliar to many, but which is helpful for people across a lifespan to do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities. It is the use of various assessments and treatment plans to modify, restore, or maintain the meaningful activities, or occupations, of individuals, groups, or communities. It is a health profession performed by occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants.
About half of occupational therapists find jobs in offices of occupational therapy or hospitals. Others work in nursing homes, schools and home health services.
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Occupational Therapy is a course where time duration can vary between 3 years to 4.5 years in various institutes across the country.
Candidates need to have passed 10th and 12th from a recognized board to fulfil the minimum eligibility criterion. Some of the top colleges which provide admission to the program in India are:
● Manipal College of Health Professionals (MAHE).
● Christian Medical College, Vellore
● All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Handicapped, Mumbai
B.Sc. in Occupational Therapy is one course which is in high demand currently and can provide job stability, decent pay and a fruitful career.
Master’s in occupational therapy (MOT) is a two-year postgraduate degree program. The program is designed to make students familiar with the evidence, and practicality of the practice of occupational therapy. The criteria for admission include a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from a well-recognized university with a minimum percentage of 50%.
Outside India, the master’s program can be preceded by any other bachelor’s degree in psychology or Biology.
Postgraduate programs abroad are offered in universities such as:
The University of Essex, University of South Australia, Curtin University, University of Plymouth, University of Brighton, Monash University, Bond University, The University of Queensland etc.
The Universities provide research-based programs as well as doctorate programs (OTD).
The applicants coming from a country where English is not the primary language will have to present required scores of any of the English proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL, PET etc.
Students who are interested in developing the knowledge and skills to work in any of the diverse areas/fields of practice including mental health, physical rehabilitation, acute care, community health and working for geriatric population and schools, can apply.
The master’s program will be best suited for those who are very comfortable working with machines and equipment. They are also presumed to have good scientific thinking. Excellent communication skills and an ability to work as a team and bond well with patients are also necessary traits. The skillset of the applicants should also include the ability to solve problems, maintain good rapport and work with negligible supervision.
I hope this will help you to take up an interesting career to serve others and explore the instinctive abilities you have in you!
