Anyone who’s looking for a career of a lifetime has to consider healthcare roles because they are in big demand and they deliver high job satisfaction. If you’re a guy, sometimes you think the only option is to choose a physician-type role. Not true. Men are very good at the responsibilities of occupational therapy assistants (OTAs), yet they are less than 15% of occupational therapy assistant school graduates. Occupational therapy assistant school is a wide-open opportunity.
The growth of the occupational therapy practitioner field has been dramatic over the past 15 years. Many healthcare-minded students have decided to be occupational therapy assistants because the benefits of OT are better understood and accepted today.
The seemingly generic nature of the occupational therapy assistant job may be part of the mystery. Talk to OTAs, and you’ll see the highly practical aspects of the job present a tremendous opportunity for multi-talented individuals who like achieving goals as much as caring for others.
Here are 8 reasons why you or someone you know (especially a guy) would want to become an occupational therapy assistant:
1. An OTA is a member of a team
Occupational therapy is a team game that takes a whole-person point of view toward better health and healing.
The occupational therapist (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) have distinct roles in an occupational therapy team, yet they work toward a unified goal. An OT develops and leads the treatment plan, and an OTA works directly with an individual to carry out the plan. Together they evaluate progress and make adjustments to ensure continued progress.
2. An OTA loves to see people achieve
You’ll work directly with people with developmental, emotional, sensory, and other disorders and those seeking recovery from injuries or illness.
The rewards of that come in seeing someone accomplish a daily task that today they couldn’t do a week or so ago will also give you a tangible sense of accomplishment. Your clients will know your efforts helped them reach their short- and long-term goals.
3. An OTA is often a coach
You’ll be working with people who want to reach their potential yet need someone to come alongside them and provide motivation, structure, and encouragement.
4. Occupational therapy assistant school: challenges and opportunities
Being an OTA isn’t going to be easy sometimes. It’ll often be up to you to help people with difficult situations that can be physically and mentally draining.
The willingness to rise to that kind of challenge makes the work of OTAs so appreciated by occupational therapy clients and today’s employers.
5. An OTA’s career can easily expand.
While working directly with people may be your true calling, the expertise you receive in occupational therapy assistant school makes for an excellent candidate to become a manager of a rehab center or a corporate return-to-work program.
Some OTAs advance in their career by adding new specialization areas, attending professional training workshops, or earning continuing education credits.
6. Initiating new approaches
Choose to become an occupational therapy assistant, and you’ll find out-of-the-box thinking is important. Every treatment plan tends to be customized because everyone you’re helping has different needs, issues, and personalities.
Sometimes a “best practice” in occupational therapy assistant school works well; sometimes, getting healthier comes down to executing proven therapeutic principles in innovative ways.
7. Men understand men
Many clients appreciate either male or female OTAs, but sometimes people want the assistance of r own gender because of the personal nature of the difficulty. Uneasiness or embarrassment can be a barrier to making adequate therapy progress.
8. Competitive pay scale
Everyone wants a career with a good starting wage and a bright future. National statistics show that a newly certified OTA earns $45-$48,000 per year – even more if you go to a high-need state.
In 2022, experienced OTAs are earning a median salary of $61,730, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The career site owlguru.com gives the OTA profession a high overall grade due to work-life balance, wages, job satisfaction, and job growth.
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a nonprofit, private, healthcare-focused university in Overland Park, Kansas. The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Occupational Therapy Assistant degree at CUKC includes 16 core courses and four-to-five months of required fieldwork experience.
When you choose to become an occupational therapy assistant is up to you. There are two class starts per year: spring and fall. You can also start on your required courses anytime.
Other OTA program highlights:
There’s no better time to find out how to become an occupational therapy assistant. Connect with an advisor today, or request this free eBook: Your Complete Guide to an Occupational Therapy Assistant Career.
