8 Reasons Men Should Choose Occupational Therapy Assistant School

Communications Staff

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 make up less than 15% of those graduating from occupational therapy assistant school. It’s a wide-open career opportunity.

The growth of the occupational therapy practitioner field has been dramatic over the past 15 years. Many healthcare-minded students have decided to become an occupational therapy assistant because the benefits of OT are better understood and accepted today. Still, the struggle for getting more men into OT and OTA roles continues. Why is that?

Opportunity for Men in Occupational Therapy Assistant School

Part of the mystery may be the seemingly generic nature of the occupational therapy assistant job title. Talk to any OTA, though, 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 they like 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 very much a team game, one 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 having developmental, emotional, sensory, and other disorders, and those seeking to recover from injuries or illness. The rewards of that come in seeing someone accomplish a daily task today they couldn’t do a week or so ago will also give you a tangible sense of accomplishment. Your clients will know that 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 really want to reach their potential yet need someone to come alongside them and provide motivation, structure, encouragement to reach beyond their own perceived limitations.
4. Challenges present 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. Going home exhausted may be more the norm than not. It’s the willingness to rise to that kind of challenge that 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 you a good 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 an ability for thinking beyond boundaries definitely comes into play. Every treatment plan tends to be customized because everyone you’re helping has different needs, issues, and personalities.Sometimes a “best practice” learned inoccupational 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 their 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 often earn right at $45,000 per year – even more if you go to a high-need state.In 2018, experienced OTAs are earning 59,300 yearlyaccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The career site owlguru.com gives the OTA profession an A grade due to work-life balance, wages, and job satisfaction.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant School at CUKC

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a nonprofit, private, healthcare-focused university located in Overland Park, Kansas. The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Occupational Therapy Assistant degree at CUKC includes 16 core courses along with the four-to-five months of required fieldwork experience. Coursework is presented in eight-week segments to immerse students in their class subjects.

When you choose to become an occupational therapy assistant is up to you. There are three class starts per year: spring, summer, and fall. Other features of the CUKC program:

• Incorporates an on-campus simulated living quarters
• Gets you ready to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
• Offers guaranteed admission for students who complete all of the required prerequisite coursework at CUKC, provided all criteria for the OTA program and other considerations are satisfactory.

There’s no better time to find out how to become an occupational therapy assistant. Connect with an advisortoday, or request this free ebook: Your Complete Guide to an Occupational Therapy Assistant Career.