Occupational therapy courses have started to gain unprecedented demand in the recent past. This is after being ranked as one of the most thriving careers over the past four years. The news has resulted in many adults switching careers and taking occupational therapy courses so as to venture into this lucrative profession. The need for a diverse workforce in hospitals and medical institutions has also contributed to this. There were about 104,000 jobs for occupational therapists in the US in 2008. Most of these jobs were in ambulatory healthcare, which constituted 29 percent. Others were employed in hospitals, nursing care facilities, private and public educational services, outpatient care centers and community care facilities.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, career prospects in this field are promising and are expected to grow by 29 percent through 2018. According to 2009 salary rates, OT’s were earning an average annual salary of $69,630. The job basically entails helping patients with physical disabilities gain dexterity and body strength through physical exercises. They also help patients improve their visual acuity, reasoning skills as well as gain the ability to recognize patterns and several other responsibilities.
There are basic requirements from occupational therapy courses that you have to meet for you to qualify as an occupational therapist. Essentially, you would need to have a master’s degree or any other advanced degree. Psychology, anthropology, biology, sociology, anatomy and liberal arts are some of the majors in which you can enroll for a master’s degree. Occupation therapists in the US have to be licensed by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), which requires one to pass an exam. You must have graduated from an educational program that is accredited by the Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) in order for you to sit for the national certification examination.
Benefits of taking occupational therapy courses
Enrolling for a two-year accredited occupational therapy program would help you work towards certification so that you can become a licensed therapist. The American Occupational Therapy Association provides an elaborate list of accredited training programs and so you should take advantage of this to ensure you are playing your cards right from the onset. These courses are meant to assist students gain useful skills for the job. Enrolling for these courses would give you better career prospects in this field. Occupational therapy courses provide a career that is being projected to grow faster than the average job rate. The aging baby boomers employed in this profession is also another factor that will lead to a huge demand for medical professionals such as nurses and therapists in the not so distant future.
Taking occupational therapy courses would enable you change careers and get into a career with good job prospects. You can opt to take the courses online or from a physical classroom. However, regardless of the mode you opt for; do ensure that the school is accredited by the relevant authority as this would play a pivotal roll when sitting your exams. Additionally, it is also important to develop networks with professors and fellow colleagues because you might need them in future as references.