Occupational Therapist

An Occupational Therapist is a full-time position, typically for a hospital or health clinic. They will often work indoors at a clinic, but may travel for specific patient needs. It is possible to have a typical 9-5 schedule, but many therapists work nights and weekends to accommodate their patients’ lives.

Specific tasks with patients will depend on the Therapist’s specialty. They may spend their therapy time helping someone to walk, another person to write their name, or how to use a device such as a wheelchair. 

Some therapists may teach individuals how to create a budget, manage their time, or perform house chores. Regardless of the specifics, they will work with the patient and their caretakers to develop an individualized plan.

In a typical day (or week), an Occupational Therapist will:

• Meet with a patient, their caregivers, and their physicians to develop an initial plan, and revise previous plans based on patient progress.
• Demonstrate exercises, teach a skill, or demonstrate equipment for a patient need.
• Assess a living situation and advise a family how best to accommodate an individual’s special needs.
• Meet with a patient family to help them understand their role in the patient’s therapy and new life.
• Work through evaluations, billing questions, and healthcare provider communication – including insurance questions.
• Occupational Therapy can involve a lot of hands-on therapy with patients. Therapists are often on their feet and moving quite a bit during a work day. It is a physically and emotionally demanding career.

Soft Skills

• Strong written and oral communication skills, especially active listening.
• Patience and willingness to inspire hope.
• Service-based outlook on life, actively looking for ways to help.
• Critical Thinking and Decision Making

Technical Skills

• Use of computers, including word processing, database entry, and spreadsheet software (Such as Microsoft Office)
• Use of site-specific billing and patient database software.
• Use of therapeutic and counselling principles and methods.

• Hospitals
• Therapy offices or clinics.
• Educational Organizations such as K-12 schools, colleges, or similar.
• Home healthcare services.
• Nursing or assisted living facilities.

Becoming an Occupational Therapist involves working through a Master’s degree. In order to be accepted into most programs, you will need to show volunteering time in occupational therapy programs, as well as having done well in your Bachelor’s program. While there are some programs that can combine the Bachelor’s and Masters programs, you can expect to be in school from Freshman year to the end of Graduate School for up to 7 years.

These programs involve at least 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork during your master’s program. This can involve very long, flexible hours. Many occupational therapists will realize during this time if the field is a place they want to work.

As you are learning, you will meet people who are experiencing the hardest time of their lives, who will not be happy to work with you, and may not appreciate the good you are doing in their lives. This will be combined with your class load, and likely a job to make ends meet.

However, many Occupational Therapists believe the sacrifices of time to be worth it. They enter a very needed and well-compensated field.

• Increased emphasis on patient-led therapy, with the OT as a guide more than “boss” of the therapy.
• Moving therapy out of clinics and into the real-world settings a patient will need to use the skills.
• An increase in technological accommodations, with a need to determine if a tech-based solution is superior to a traditional physical therapy.

• Exercising, running, playing sports.
• Volunteering and helping others.
• Pretending to be a doctor or similar role.