If you want a career that merges your desire to help people with your desire for fun and creativity, becoming an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) is your ticket to success. As an OTA, your primary goal is empowering patients of all ages to participate in the life skills and activities they want to do.
“Occupational therapy practitioners ask ‘What matters to you?’ not, ‘What’s the matter with you?’” says Julie Carson, director of IWU-National & Global’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. When you pursue a career as an OTA, you help people reach new heights in life and overcome illnesses, injuries, and disabilities. Here are a few highlights of becoming an OTA:
Two-Year Degree
One of the best parts of becoming an OTA is that you can start your career in two years, rather than the standard four years. An OTA associate degree gets you into the workforce faster – without holding you back from doing what you love.
Are you wondering if you should pursue a four-year degree instead of a two-year degree? Believe it or not, the career outlook is better for OTAs than it is for occupational therapists (OTs). The demand for OTAs is expected to grow by 36% through 2030, which means there will be no shortage of job opportunities for OTA graduates.
Patient Interaction
If you want to work face-to-face with patients – both individually and in group settings – you’ll love being an OTA. While you will have some paperwork responsibilities, the bulk of your job will be equipping and empowering patients of all ages and backgrounds to reach their goals.
In larger practices, OTAs often get to do more hands-on work than occupational therapists because OTs spend time assessing patients, creating treatment plans, and evaluating progress. As an OTA, you carry out treatment plans created by OTs, working directly with patients to enhance their skills.
Diverse Workplace Opportunities
Becoming an occupational therapy assistant opens the door to a variety of workplaces. You can pursue a more traditional career in a hospital setting, or you can go a different direction. OTAs can find careers in:
- Therapists’ Private Practices
- Schools & Educational Services
- Skilled Nursing Facilities
- Home Healthcare Services
- Rehabilitation Centers
- Retirement Communities
Become an OTA
Because of the wide variety of services OTAs offer, their jobs will be in demand for years to come. Children with developmental disabilities, people with chronic or degenerative illnesses, and aging citizens can all benefit from occupational therapy; it’s a career that empowers people to achieve as much independence as possible through creative and personalized means.
If you want to make a difference in others’ lives, become an OTA. IWU’s OTA program, based at the Greenwood Education Center just south of Indianapolis, features state-of-the-art lab facilities and clinically experienced faculty who are dedicated to helping you thrive in your career.