introduction of occupational therapy essay

What is Occupational Therapy

• Categories: Children Development Therapy

About this sample

Words: 1523 |

Published: Dec 12, 2018

Words: 1523 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

Table of contents

What is occupational therapy, occupational therapy activities for children, works cited, role of occupational therapist.

• self-esteem
• self-confidence
• independence
• social interaction.
• Fine Motor Skills Development of small muscles needed for fingers to pick up small items. For example, picking up colourful beads from bowl using fingers.
• Visual Motor Integration Hand eye coordination, such as picking up small pieces of food from the plate and getting it to the mouth.
• Gross Motor CoordinationWalking, standing, running, jumping
• Cognition and perception Thinking and problem solving. For example, trying to figure out how to get a book off a shelf
• Sensory Processing Integration of information coming in from the different senses, such as adjusting your walk from the boardwalk to the sand and into the water on a summer day at the beach)
• Environmental modifications/adaptive equipment Changing the environment so a child can “do” the “work” such as sliding a special pencil grip onto the pencil so it can be held securely for writing.

For Toddlers and Infants:

Sensory integration activities, coordination activities, visual perception activities, activities for fine and gross motor skills, research behind intervention, focus of research.

• Is Handwriting interventions effective to improve the legibility of school aged children?
• Are Cognitive and Performance based measures used effective for the prevention and wellness among older adults in fall prevention?
• How cognitive interventions to promote neuroplasticity and improve verbal memory and attention
• Research on school based interventions for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in inclusive classrooms
• Are school based yoga programs on adaptive behaviour in children and adolescents with disabilities efficient
• Exploration of strength based practices to improve outcomes for children, adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum DisorderReliability and validity of assessment tools used by occupational therapists
• Validity of computerized visual perceptual motor measures for school aged children
• Outcome measure for children’s occupational repertoire development

Who conducted the Research?

• Yu-Lun Chen is a PhD student in the Department of Occupational Therapy at NYU. She has clinical experience which includes home-based intervention for children and families with neurological and developmental disorders. Yu-Lun’s research focuses on participation of children and adolescents withdisabilities in schools, home activities and in their communities. Her main objectives are to identify the determinants of participation outcomes and to improve current services and interventions.
• Ellen Modlin is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Occupational Therapy at NYU. She has worked in the NYC public schools, Early Intervention, and the Nassau County school district. She is currently serving on the school district’s assistive tech committee for the development of screenings and interventions with technology to support students in the classroom. Ellen’s focus of interest is using assistive tech to assist students with visual-perceptual deficits.
• Researches that was involved in the research are experienced (Based on their work experience in the field)
• Research does not only focus on young children but it also focuses on adolescents and adults (not age biased as it has a wide age range)
• Research was conducted in various settings such as classrooms, homes and communities
• It focuses how Occupational Therapist can serve better to help people with disorders Areas of improvement:
• Duration of the research – It should be done over a longer period of time
• Although it focuses on how to improve Occupational Therapist, it would be better if they focus more on how the OTs can help the people with disorders function better in their everyday lives
• Getting parents, guardians or family members of people with disorders to be part of this research Future Directions for Occupational TherapyIt is important for everyone (parents, teachers, therapist, healthcare personnel etc) to begin focusing on the long-term health and education needs for people of all ages and how Occupational Therapy can benefit people with disabilities achieve these needs. On a greater scale, more and more people are accepting the view that disability results from the daily interaction between the individual and his environment, rather than coming from within the person himself. This perspective stresses how the ability to carry out activities and participate in life situations is an essential component of a person’s daily living. Participation is described as involvement in a person’s daily life and represents the highest level in the hierarchy of functioning. Participation is the ultimate long-term objective of occupational therapy and more focus should be placed on it. More research should be conducted on how to help people with these disabilities to integrate themselves into society. The individualized treatment approach implemented by occupational therapists enables people with disabilities to meet the demands of their occupations, promotes well-being, prevents disability and helps people of all ages maintain optimum health.
• American Occupational Therapy Association. (2014). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (3rd ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(Suppl. 1), S1-S48.
• Chen, Y. L. (2019). Participation outcomes of children and adolescents with disabilities in schools, home activities, and community: A scoping review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(3), 1-10.
• Chen, Y. L., & Modlin, E. (2020). Assistive technology interventions for students with visual-perceptual deficits: A scoping review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(4), 1-10.
• College of Occupational Therapists. (2017). Sensory integration therapy and sensory processing disorder. Retrieved from https://www.rcot.co.uk/children-and-young-people/sensory-integration-therapy-and-sensory-processing-disorder
• Department of Health and Human Services. (2018). Occupational therapy in early intervention. Retrieved from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/occupational-therapy-in-early-intervention
• New York University Steinhardt Department of Occupational Therapy. (n.d.). Research.
• Occupational Therapy Australia. (2015). Occupational therapy and sensory processing.
• Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa. (2020). Occupational therapy in schools. Retrieved from https://www.otasa.org.za/page/occupationaltherapyinschools
• World Federation of Occupational Therapists. (2018). Occupational therapy in school settings. Retrieved from https://www.wfot.org/resources/occupational-therapy-in-school-settings
• World Health Organization. (2021). Rehabilitation in health systems.

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Introduction to Occupational Therapy - Level 5

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• Entry requirements

Fees and funding

What's next.

For module start dates, please view our Module Calendar found on our CPD page.

Please note this module is planned to be delivered at our Colchester campus. Application deadlines and interview dates are available on the module calendar. Please contact [email protected] for further information. . This module is aimed at those who have previously obtained a relevant level 5/assistant practitioner qualification, but lack formal occupational therapy academic learning.

This is an occupational therapy specific pathway module that provides the an opportunity for you to explore and develop your knowledge of theory underpinning the profession: its origins, core beliefs, values and skills.  A 2-week full-time placement will also be undertaken within a placement ‘away’ from your current place of work.

This module will introduce students to the core knowledge and skills of occupational therapy enabling them to consider themselves and others as occupational beings and to identify potential influences on occupational performance.

The module will be delivered 1 day a week in the summer term and includes a 2-week full-time practice placement in an allocated occupational therapy setting. You will start to develop an understanding of your professional identity in relation to the core tenets of occupational therapy and have an opportunity to practice some core skills.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

• Evaluate occupational therapy and the core skills of an Occupational Therapist (Essay and PP Explore).
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the meaning of occupation to identify humans as occupational beings (Essay).
• Critically analyse the underlying concepts of how humans engage in occupations (Essay).
• Apply a critical understanding of the influences upon occupational performance across the lifespan (Essay).
• Evaluate and apply the theoretical frameworks that underpins the occupational therapy profession (Essay).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the OT process relevant to your placement setting (PP Explore).
• Demonstrate effective use of reflection to develop the professional practice (PP Explore).
• Demonstrate the ability to interact with individuals/people using a broad range of communication styles (PP Explore).

Accreditation and professional recognition

The completion of this module can lead to eligibility for applying to the OT degree apprenticeship.  Only after successful completion of the OT degree apprenticeship will learners be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Our expert staff

A unique feature of our School is that most of our staff work or have worked within clinical practice. This enhances our grasp of the contemporary links between academic research, the major issues of the day and real-life practice.

Occupational Therapy is taught by registered experienced staff with a variety of different backgrounds. The course is led by Selena Goodchild. Selena qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2003, and has practised in a variety of settings, including inpatient orthopaedics, A&E, and Hand Therapy.

We also have expertise in the areas of mental health, brain injury and hand therapy. Specialist guest lecturers additionally lend external expertise to our academic staff. Full details of our staff can be found on our HSC Staff Profiles .

Entry Requirements

• Evidence of Level 2 Maths and English.
• Relevant foundation degree or level 5 qualification (e.g., assistant practitioner).
• Completed 75 taster/insight hours in a relevant area of practice outside the applicant’s usual place of work and ideally outside of the organisation. This can be up to 10 insight days in different areas of practice that are negotiated with your employer and will need to be evidenced. If you require any further guidance, a template document can be provided.
• Employing organisation has a reciprocal arrangement in place for the individual to undertake a 2-week full-time practice placement ‘away’ from the individuals usual place of work and ideally outside of the organisation (RCOT 2019, Learning and development standards).
• Completion of a Placement passport provided by the university with the relevant mandatory requirements completed to undertake the practice placement including evidence of DBS, Occupational Health, and mandatory training.
• Identified work-based learning mentor to support the learner's progress and tripartite approach for the duration of the module.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the scope of occupational therapy and practice settings together with effective communication skills.

Module Outline

The module will be delivered on a Thursday and will require the learner to undertake an induction and practice placement preparation session prior to undertaking the module. This module is delivered 1 day a week, supported by work-based learning opportunities.

The full-time placement provides an opportunity to explore the role of the OT in a different settings and inform the module learning.

A tripartite meeting between the university, learner and employer will be undertaken at the end of the module to discuss any next steps.

Teaching and learning disclaimer

Following the impact of the pandemic, we made changes to our teaching and assessment to ensure our current students could continue with their studies uninterrupted and safely. These changes included courses being taught through blended delivery, normally including some face-to-face teaching, online provision, or a combination of both across the year.

The teaching and assessment methods listed show what is currently planned for 2022 entry; changes may be necessary if, by the beginning of this course, we need to adapt the way we’re delivering them due to the external environment, and to allow you to continue to receive the best education possible safely and seamlessly.

Assessment strategy

• 100% weighting of a 2000 word written essay, based on an occupational profile
• Completion and achievement of a Pass grade for a 2-week full-time practice placement in which students will be able to explore occupational therapy in a different practice setting and be assessed using the standard practice placement form.

Our CPD Funding page has more information on fees for our modules and potential funding sources.

Application deadlines and interview dates are available on the module calendar. Please contact [email protected] for further information.

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• Writing an assignment takes time, more time than you may expect.  Just because you find yourself spending many weeks on an assignment doesn’t mean that you’re approaching it in the wrong way.
• It also takes time to develop the skills to write well, so don’t be discouraged if your early marks aren’t what you’d hoped for.  Use the feedback from your previous assignments to improve.
• Different types of assignments require different styles, so be prepared for the need to continue to develop your skills.

We’ve broken down TIME into 4 key elements of academic writing: Targeted, In-depth, Measured and Evidence-based.

• What is an academic piece of work

Your assignment needs to be targeted .  It should:

• Be focused on the questions and criteria
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Your assignment needs to be in-depth .  You should consider your questions and criteria thoroughly, thinking about all possible aspects, and including the argument both for and against different viewpoints.

You should:

• Identify topic areas
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• How to be in-depth
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An academic writing style is measured. By this, we mean that it’s:

• Emotionally neutral
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• How to be measured

Your assignment needs to be evidence-based . You should:

• Reference all the ideas in your work
• Paraphrase your evidence
• Apply critical thinking to your evidence
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• How to paraphrase

Once you’ve found all your evidence, and have decided what to say in each section, you need to write it up as paragraphs.  Each paragraph should be on a single topic, making a single point.  A paragraph is usually around a third of a page. 

We find Godwin’s (2014) WEED model very helpful for constructing paragraphs.

W is for What

You should begin your paragraph with the topic or point that you’re making, so that it’s clear to your lecturer.  Everything in the paragraph should fit in with this opening sentence.

E is for Evidence  

The middle of your paragraph should be full of evidence – this is where all your references should be incorporated.  Make sure that your evidence fits in with your topic.

E is for Examples

Sometimes it’s useful to expand on your evidence.  If you’re talking about a case study, the example might be how your point relates to the particular scenario being discussed.

D is for Do

You should conclude your paragraph with the implications of your discussion.  This gives you the opportunity to add your commentary, which is very important in assignments which require you to use critical analysis. 

So, in effect, each paragraph is like a mini-essay, with an introduction, main body and conclusion.

Allow yourself some TIME to proofread your assignment.  You’ll probably want to proofread it several times. 

You should read it through at least once for sense and structure, to see if your paragraphs flow.  Check that your introduction matches the content of your assignment.  You’ll also want to make sure that you’ve been concise in your writing style. 

You’ll then need to read it again to check for grammatical errors, typos and that your references are correct.

It’s best if you can create some distance from your assignment by coming back to it after a few days. It’s also often easier to pick out mistakes if you read your work aloud.

• How to proofread

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We have a skills guide dedicated to academic writing , with an online tutorial and an  Adobe visual guide  to support you.

School Guidelines for Academic Writing and Presentation of Assessed Written Work

• School of Health & Life Sciences Student Guidance for the Presentation of Assessed Written Work (2021)

Tutorials for academic writing and study skills support

Academic Writing and Study Skills Tutorials are available to all students. They are a confidential one-to-one or small group appointment with a member of the Library Team lasting up to 30 minutes. They are available in person on campus, via Teams and email.

In order to ensure that the students who need them most have access to a tutorial, we will support you to engage with our online services and drop-ins before we make you a tutorial appointment.

Requesting a tutorial

• Tutorials are booked for you by our Learning and Skills Development Team. To request skills support email: [email protected]
• Our Team will help you to define what support you need and will initially guide you through our online materials and encourage you to engage with our Study Skill Drop-ins
• If after trying out this support for yourself, you would like further support you can email us again at [email protected] and we will make a tutorial appointment for you
• We will refer you for up to three appointments per semester (1 appointment per assignment)
• Appointments could be with a range of library staff so be aware that you may not see the same adviser at each one-to-one
• Depending on demand there may be a waiting list for one-to-one appointments

What can a tutorial help you with? We can help you to develop your own independent study skills in many aspects of academic writing. This could be helping you to develop your own skills to:

- Understand your tutor’s feedback on a marked assignment and act upon that feedback for future assignments - Understand your School’s Assessment Criteria for an assignment - Improve your time management and plan for your assignment submission dates - Structure your assignment - Develop your critical thinking and writing - Develop your independent proof-reading skills and the skills for you assess that your work is of a quality appropriate  for submission

You can bring your assignment plan or a piece of work with you as an example and we will use it to inform our advice on how to develop the independent skills that will improve your confidence and performance.

What tutorials are not able to help with and why

• We cannot read your work ahead of a tutorial, however, you can bring a piece of work with you to your appointment for us to refer to in the session
• As your work needs to be entirely your own, we will not check draft assignments for you in order to approve their quality before submission but we will support you to develop these skills for yourself
• In order to protect your academic integrity we cannot proof-read your work for you i.e. check the content, structure, spelling or grammar, but we will help you to develop the valuable skills to successfully proof read your own work
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Occupational Therapy Personal Statement Examples

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Complete Personal Statement Guide for Pre-OT Occupational Therapy School Programs

Introduction.

This detailed guide will provide you with tips, do’s, don’ts, examples, and other helpful things along the way to write your personal statement for OT school.

You may be thinking:

• Where do I even start with writing a personal statement?
• Maybe I can look for some more examples online.
• My story does not seem as exciting as these examples.
• These examples don’t really relate to me.
• I don’t like the writing style or “feeling” that these examples give me.
• How do I even go about this?

Or maybe you didn’t have any of these thoughts and you are just looking for some extra tips to polish up your personal statement before you send it to the world. This guide will still help!

While this guide was written with Pre-OT’s for occupational therapy personal statements in mind, it of course can apply to other professions such as physical therapy, speech therapy, PA, RN, even undergraduate programs.

I am not part of any admissions committee or affiliated with them in any way. However, as a graduate of an occupational therapy program, I also read and edited many other personal statements for friends and family. This guide is not a guarantee that you will get accepted or a guarantee that you will produce the best personal statement. This is just my opinion and unfortunately, the writing is all up to you!

Fortunately, you already have the hard part done – building your education, experiences, personal character, and goals!

Not quite there yet, that’s okay too – this guide will give you a preview of how to prepare to write your personal statement.

The Process

The process of writing a personal statement may involve something like:

Reflecting, getting something typed on the screen, getting writer’s block, getting distracted, taking a break, editing it, reflecting, typing some ideas, deleting those ideas, repeat, have it proofread, reading it out loud, reflecting, make more edits, and you’re done! While this sounds like a lot, it’s doable.

Set-up and Preparation

Start Early

When you feel like you are ready to write your personal statement, start writing! Don’t wait until the last minute to write. Personal statements require editing, giving it some time for your mind to clear to re-read, having it proofread by someone else, and making more edits.

Install Grammarly

We use Grammarly as a browser extension for its spellcheck and grammar check. It is really good at catching mistakes as you go and the free version is all you really need to get some basic editing done. This allows you to focus on the writing and not the spelling. Software like Grammarly also helps if you especially have a hard time with writing in general. While it can suggest edits for errors, it is up to you to write the content.  AI is not quite there yet, but we are close!

Cheating & plagiarizing

I just have to say it. Don’t cheat or plagiarize. Don’t hire someone to write for you. I hear stories of students cheating here or there, so it must still be happening. Grad school is not the time to jeopardize all the hard work you put in.

Have a back-up system for your document

It would be a huge set-back to lose all your hard work. These days, you can easily use the cloud such as Dropbox or Google Drive/Docs for storing your files. This goes for your personal statement document as well as your graduate school application files such as notes, deadlines, resumes, etc. All it takes is a coffee spilled on your laptop for you to lose all your hard work (it happened to my classmate in OT school). Better yet, back up all your data that is important to you. Lectures, recordings, assignments.

Write in a place you feel productive

It doesn’t have to be a quiet library. It just has to be what works. If it’s a coffee shop, then go there. Write in a place you associate with positive work (but also don’t get distracted too easily, e.g. a cat cafe) – like to your favorite study area.

It’s okay if it doesn’t seem perfect or even good at first

After all, you are writing something like this probably for the first time, with a unique set of experiences for a specific intention of impressing the OT’s admissions panel. It can be difficult for artists to create art or music, or write a book in one session. So don’t stress it!

• Re-research the profession, job description, duties, etc. BLS.gov is my favorite go-to for profession research. We have a video on it here .
• Follow the personal statement prompt and instructions. Read it several times to make sure. If there is a word limit, don’t go over. Double-check before you submit.
• Pay attention to the file format that is requested from the programs. Word doc? PDF? Make sure your file actually opens after you upload it and is not corrupt, if possible. If you are uploading to a central application like OTCAS, make sure you meet those guidelines.
• Write in the same tense and person throughout (“I”, first-person is fine).
• Write in an order that makes sense and flows to the reader, e.g. chronologically.
• Write with a purpose. Each sentence should be there for a reason and not be filler. Exclude extra information or too specific of information that doesn’t contribute to your story.
• Example: Nowadays, I want to be an occupational therapist first and foremost because I want to help people and really make a difference in each of their lives.
• Better example: My goal is to become an occupational therapist who makes a difference in people’s lives.
• Warning : I wouldn’t you use this specific example in your personal statement because it’s probably been overused. Try to be creative by saying how you want to “help” people in  other ways .
• Be honest, try to copy an example’s voice, do not write over-the-top or fabricate the story.
• Be politically correct and culturally sensitive.
• My personal statement didn’t have big GRE words or fancy syntax. It told a great story that was (in my opinion) to the point, compelling, persuasive, and driven.
• Describe your values and goals while highlighting your strengths.
• In my opinion, it is best to talk about college, work, and other achievements and experiences in your “adulthood”.
• Even traveling experience (shows cultural awareness) as an adult is more noteworthy than say winning a basketball game in high school (less relevant to OT)
• Tip: think about when you first were motivated to become an OT and start from there, not earlier.
• Don’t use cliches or minimize them as much you can. Readers see this a lot and it does not make a big impact on their impression of you.
• Don’t use slang/informal speech, e.g. “sticking with it” -> perseverance.
• Don’t make jokes and be careful if you decide to use humor (what may be funny to you may not be to the reader). It’s safe to leave humor out and just get to the point.
• Avoid being sarcastic.
• Pay attention to your use of OT – it can be occupational therapy or occupational therapist, but personally, I get confused when people use “OT” interchangeably.
• In my final submitted personal statement, I only abbreviated “MSOT” and “EMT” and did not “OT” once.
• Example: I got accepted to shadow at [facility] and was observing observed patients do their rehab exercises.
• Pay attention to these verbs in sentences that run longer. Consider shortening them to make it less tiring to read, avoiding avoid run-on sentences. (see what I did there?)
• Don’t abbreviate or hyphenate too often or incorrectly . If you do it one way, be sure you are at least consistent throughout. e.g. evidence-based, not evidenced based.
• O ccupational therapist is capitalized like this correctly.
• However, an Occupational Therapist is not correct if capitalized like this.
• This is the correct capitalization for an occupational therapist.
• The same goes for the field of occupational therapy.
• O ccupational therapy is capitalized correctly in this sentence.
• Abbreviations are always capitalized, e.g. OT.
• Don’t write anything negative about anyone, organization, place, etc .
• Don’t write in a negative tone, be a “Debbie Downer”
• “OTs make a lot of money.”
• “I will be the best occupational therapist because…”
• “I am the best candidate because”
• “Since I am… , therefore”
• “Unlike others”, or
• “Other professions” talking down, avoid talking about other professions in general. No one profession is better than another, the same applies to OT. Think about why OT over other professions leading to your decision to become one).
• Think about how someone in another profession, say a PT would feel after reading your personal statement. They should not feel offended after reading your personal statement, but instead think, “wow, such and such would make a great OT.” Not that OT is better than PT, that kind of thing.
• When I become an occupational therapist. If I become an occupational therapist.
• Don’t repeat yourself, you only need to say something once in its context. Of course, the bigger message can be repeated, e.g. intro and conclusion. Just don’t sound repetitive.
• Don’t use the same phrases (especially close to each other), try using different words. That doesn’t mean you should just look up words in a thesaurus. Really think about what’s the point you are trying to make.
• Don’t use profanity.
• In everyday speech we say things like, “that’s crazy”. Someone with a mental illness who really is crazy could be offended. I had a teacher whose pet-peeve was people who said things were crazy . Remove crazy from your personal statement.
• “He probably was abused since he was in a recovery program/”
• I would avoid using “ normal” too. “Occupational therapists help patients get back to their normal.” This implies the patient was abnormal before. Better words: recover, improve, rehabilitate, strengthen, adapt, overcome, etc.
• Other labels: retarded, slow, crippled, mental, insane
• You can include a facility name, e.g. Standford hospital – as long as you don’t talk about it in a negative context.
• “Standford hospital treats a lot of poor patients.” Standford hospital is a valuable asset to the community for the underserved.
• Don’t include anything that can be seen as a weakness, e.g. low GPA, took a semester off, DUI, unexplained career changes.
• This is your chance to “say” what you want to say and include your story that is not apparent in the other pre-requisites. All the other candidates likely have high GPAs and had to take the same pre-requisite courses, but they did not shadow at your facility with your patient , so here’s your chance to distinguish yourself.
• What experience may be unique to you ?
• For example, I included my experience of being an EMT to make myself stand out.
• This could backfire and show your lack of research into how broad OT can be. Don’t forget about mental health too! OT’s study to be  generalists , not specialists.
• While it’s okay to want to work with a specific population as a goal, don’t accidentally make it sound like you think OT’s only do one thing. Hope this one makes sense.

Question’s to address or reflect on

Reflect. Write. Take a break. Repeat.

• What is your experience with other backgrounds and cultures in your pre-OT journey?
• How did you realize that OT was for you? Why not PT? (Reflect, but don’t answer this directly.)
• What or who were the influence(s) or influencers?
• This is a rich opportunity to mention your specific OT shadowing experience at the stage in which you want to be an OT.
• I would include at least 1 example from this, 2 is better, but not too much either.
• Not just becoming an OT (graduating) but afterwards. e.g. 1 year post-grad, 5 years, where you see yourself 10 years out.
• What challenges did you overcome in your pre-requisite pre-OT journey?
• What sets you apart from other applicants? Why should I not pick person A or person B over you?
• Tip: research the school’s website for their mission statement, OT program background, etc. to get familiar with the specifics. If you can include and relate to some of this, even better!
• “My motivation to help others and my passion for occupational therapy will guide me to be successful in the [program].” or

Since [school] strives to “[OT program mission statement]”, I firmly believe that [school] will help me reach my goals of becoming a successful occupational therapist.

Recommendations

• Talk about why you want to be an OT, but not just to “help” people. How? Which population/community/background? Conditions? Why? Tip: three major categories of OT are: mental health, pediatrics, and adults/older adults. Nurses help people too. How is OT different for you?
• Hint: occupations ! meaningful, client-centered.
• Check out the OTDUDE Podcast and other podcasts for ideas; Episode 1: What is OT
• Reflection tip: other professions may be based on the medical model or helping people become healthy, but OT is different because…
• Check out AOTA.org for some phrasing of the profession to inspire you.
• If you are comfortable, use OT related terminology or phrases, but don’t go overboard, e.g. occupation, intervention, treatment, activities of daily living, evidence-based, collaborative, interdisciplinary, client-centered, holistic, functional. Plain English is fine, you don’t have to sound like a journal article.
• As mentioned, highlight why you would be a valuable candidate (fit) to their program. Think about not only your experience but your character and quality traits . Examples: creativity, leadership, patient, resourceful, reliability? Teamwork and communication?
• Show indirectly through your stories or experiences why you will be successful in the program and not “drop-out”. Perseverance.
• Psychologically, readers tend to remember the beginnings and end more than the middle.
• How will being an OT help you achieve your goals, career? Not just short-term, but think bigger. While this sounds cliche – OT is not just a job, it will become your life. A person’s job (and career) is a large part of their identity.
• The reader should feel like they read about a person they would want to meet in the program and in real life, someone who can contribute something to the cohort, school, faculty, alumni – long term relationship. You will not only graduate as a student but a colleague in the field of occupational therapy to the faculty.

Here is a template I created to get you started. This is of course not a magic template that works for everyone or neither was it created by any OT entity for students. Copy & paste this into your favorite word processing program and write away.

Paragraph 1

Sentence 1: Attention-grabbing sentence. Hook into your story.

Supporting sentences: Support the above story with specifics.

Concluding sentence: “Thesis statement” stating why you chose (or) may be a successful OT.

Body Paragraphs (2, 3, 4, 5, etc.)

Opening sentence: As a , I [did this, and that] at [place or company or school]

Supporting sentences: strengthen your narrative in the opening sentence. These sentences should not deviate from the opening sentence topic or story, otherwise start a new paragraph. Should answer a [ Question’s to address or reflect on] section (see above).

Concluding sentence(s): wrap everything in this story up, optionally include a transition sentence.

Concluding Paragraph

Opening sentence: restate why you will be a successful OT.

Supporting sentences: start wrapping things up. Big picture. If applying to a specific program, consider answering why this program (e.g. does its mission statement appeal to you?).

Final sentence: end strong stating that you want to be an OT. Mention because it is in your long-term goals.  Consider ending everything with the words “occupational therapist” (identity), e.g. “…be a successful occupational therapist” OR “occupational therapy”, e.g. “… to pursue a career in occupational therapy”.

Here are some examples. All identifying information and some facts were fabricated for example sake.

After graduation, I did a lot of soul searching in terms of the career I wanted to pursue. Did I want to appease my parents and pursue [career]? Should we expand [business name] and take it to the next level? I knew I wanted a career that could help people in my day-to-day, but none of those paths fulfilled that desire. After my [family member] injured her arm and was unable to return to work or help out around the house, I saw her frustration and loss of dignity. Our family took a significant financial toll. When my [family member] finally saw an occupational therapist, I motivated her to do the exercises from her care plan and she eventually regained upper arm function. My [family member’s] perseverance inspired me to become an occupational therapist to help people develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living, working, and leading active lifestyles .

• This excerpt, although really did happen, sounds cliche with phrases like soul searching, take it to the next level.
• While the reflection part and figuring out what to do may seem important, it can be shortened to and still get the message across.
• Using the family member is a good example especially since it related to a story with an occupational therapist.
• The last two sentences highlight that I know what OT is (and why I want to become one) but can be cleaned up.

I was inspired by a personal experience with an occupational therapist when my [family member] suffered a rotator cuff tear and was unable to perform her activities of daily living . My [family member] became discouraged and did not do the recommended home exercises , but I saw the value in them and helped my [family member] complete them daily to recover. I learned the value of occupational therapy and how important it is to take a holistic approach by involving caregivers .

• Mentioning ADL’s shows I know what OT’s do.
• Shows my direct involvement with OT intervention.
• Shows my understanding of OT’s holistic approach.
• Words like “value” are strong. The word caregiver is often used in OT documentation.

I was hired as a EMT at [employer] in [city] for a small business that reminded me of our own [business name]. My role as a EMT at [employer] involved caring and treating for the sick and injured that involved tasks such as CPR or patient comfort and advocacy. As an EMT I again found that I was a valuable asset to the company having known how to speak some Spanish. Patients and staff members challenged me and tested my patience. My contact with patients out in the field was a unique experience that exposed me to the reality of what a healthcare profession involved. Due to the physical demands of the job and the high stress environment, many EMTs “burned out” and quit. I admit that I have thought about quitting, but I found the interactions with my patients far more rewarding and continued to work close to two years as an EMT. Working closely with these patients taught me to be sensitive to each person and their unique experiences. As an EMT, I developed my critical thinking skills to adapt the environment to my patients in order to safely transfer care, as well as educate patients on how to minimize hazards and prevent further injuries. Hearing my patients personally thank me for my care and education reassured me that I was pursuing the right career in helping patients resume their activities of daily living and accomplish their own goals.

• How would you improve this example?
• Lots of specifics can be taken out like employer name, city.
• Role as EMT is well-known, better to include more significant things such as experience, outcome, or relevance to OT.
• Being bilingual is nice, but more for a resume than a personal statement as it does not add to the story.
• Leave out specific thought process of thinking about quitting (weaknesses). Perseverance was also already shared in a previous example – talk about another quality instead, e.g. stress management, working with diverse population, fast-paced environment, patient education as an EMT and how it translates to OT.
• Reflect on how one story can share multiple strengths you have not mentioned so far in previous examples.
• The example does not translate or relate back to OT in a clear manner, but alludes to the qualities of one. This can be written to be more obvious because EMT and OT have very similar qualities that are needed to be good practitioners.

As an EMT, I developed my critical thinking skills with my patients in order to safely transfer care and educate patients on how to prevent further injuries. Hearing my patients personally thank me for my care and education reassures me that I am pursuing the right career by helping patients resume their activities of daily living and accomplish their own goals .

Much shorter, to the point, and use of effective words that highlight what OT’s also do – educate, doing it safely, prevention of disease and injury, and meeting client’s goals.

FAQ and Self-Doubt

Addressing negative self-talk and negative beliefs about yourself.

“This is my 100th time applying…”

Maybe it will be your 101st that you get in. You see this all the time with graduates taking the board exam who fail X number of times. Don’t give up!

“I was never good at writing.”

Writing takes practice. I never liked writing in grade school. Now I enjoy writing about OT. So use your resources, e.g. spell-check, someone to proof-read, reading other examples. You CAN do it.

“My experience is not that special.”

Not everyone did CPR on their patient, observed a miraculous rehab recovery, etc. It’s what you make of the moments, how you interpret it, become inspired by it, how it changes you, and make you want to be an OT. It’s all from YOUR perspective. You can take 2 people who watch the same movie. One person could be moved by it and the other not be interested, right?

“The more I read this, the more I feel like it is not good enough.”

Take a break, put it down, and come back to it. Have someone else read it and get their opinion. Sometimes, we get stuck in our own thoughts and they can trick us and lead us down a negative path of thinking.

“I have the opposite problem, I have too much to write about and not enough room.”

You can probably take our your younger experiences. Leave the “resume” stuff out. Try to pick the most “OT” related or healthcare moments. If you do not have these examples to draw from, choose ones that fit the characteristics of a good OT. Each example should not be a repeated theme of another and highlight something profound.

“Now I am not so sure what OT’s do anymore, after writing all this.”

Go on BLS.gov for OT’s, listen to OT podcasts (to become inspired), watch some YouTubers on OT.

“I am having doubts about OT vs. (other profession)”

Avoid reading forums, facebook groups, Reddit for OT. These are often skewed towards OTs who may be burned out (which could happen for any other profession on social media). Dig deep into why you wanted to be an OT in the first place! If still in doubt, maybe you should observe some more, talk to some more OT’s and listen to some OT podcasts (because they are positive about the profession usually). I would avoid YouTube as many who are burned out could make videos.

“No one can proofread my personal statement.”

Try writing workshops, a school or public library, or similar resources. A simple google search could help and you won’t necessarily need to pay. Avoid suspicious websites and  uploading  your work to avoid others from plagiarizing you. Use people or resources that you trust.

“This is my 100th draft, it’s not perfect yet”

Deadlines will often help with this. Don’t let them catch you off guard. Consider going back and making an outline and seeing if you covered everything you want to talk about. A timer may help. Get the approval of at least 2 readers to give you support for how awesome your personal statement is.

“I don’t know where to start in writing”

That’s okay, start writing about a story or experience you have in mind and build around it. Start in the middle as intros and conclusions can be very difficult to begin writing.

• Read some other examples online, but don’t stress about it. If possible, have someone who may have been accepted to a graduate program send you theirs. You can use it as a template or for inspiration to the types of stores, tone, conclusion paragraph used, etc.
• Set a timer (e.g. Pomodoro method) so you won’t stress out and remind yourself to take breaks, move-on, just get something out and fix it later. Exact grammar, spelling, and other “writing” can be fixed later – focus on content.
• Get into a habit of writing, set a schedule …or do it randomly, no-schedule (whatever works for you ). Maybe it’s writing every other day in the morning, after a nap, after playing video games, after a meal, after walking your dog, or whatever sets you up for success.
• Have at least 2 people read (and edit) your personal statement. Don’t take it personally and not all suggestions are necessarily correct.
• In the earlier stages of writing, if deciding between two stories or segments in your writing, consider having two drafts and see which one your proof-readers prefer.
• Read your personal statement out loud, spaced out, e.g. 1 week later (when it is no longer fresh and you forgot some of what you wrote). Make edits as needed.
• Candidates come from all walks of life, have different personalities (e.g. type-A vs. B), extroverted vs. introverted, outspoken vs. quiet – so some of these tips (or your editor suggestions) may not appeal to you or seem unnatural, etc. This can be your strength. Follow your gut. It’s not like OT schools are only looking for outspoken, extroverted candidates. It’s how you use those qualities to better the world with OT. This is what makes you unique, special, and distinguished. Highlight those features!
• Take care of yourself – eat well, exercise, manage your stress, breathe.

Thank you for reading this long guide. I wish you the best in your journey to becoming an occupational therapist (or whatever career). See you all in the field!

Introduction

Students prepare for entry to a graduate program in occupational therapy by obtaining a baccalaureate degree, completing the prerequisite course work for entry into specific programs, and by obtaining a broad variety of volunteer clinical experience under the direction of an occupational therapist. Students may complete undergraduate degrees in any area. Most programs require submission of scores for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE – general test only).

Specific information on each occupational therapy program can be obtained from the American Occupational Therapy Association at aota.org . Students are encouraged to review prerequisite courses early in their academic planning and to develop a plan of study within the first quarter of entry to Western.

Pre-Occupational Therapy is not a major at WWU and OT programs do not prefer any specific major.

How to Indicate you are Pre-Occupational Therapy:

Although Pre-Occupational Therapy is not a major, the university maintains a record of students who have indicated their intention to pursue healthcare careers. In order to gain access to our Health Professions Advising Canvas site and advising that is relevant to your intended area, send an email to [email protected] with your name, W number, Western email address with “Pre-OT” as the subject line.

Course Requirements

Regardless of major, certain prerequisite courses expected by most OT schools include:

Freshman/Sophomore Years:

• Meet with a Pre-Occupational Therapy advisor to complete a plan of study.
• Examine the requirements of OT schools you wish to qualify to apply to, to determine which of these courses you should complete.
• MATH 114 - Precalculus I Credits: 5 (MATH 114 fulfills the QSR GUR requirement.)
• CHEM 161 - General Chemistry I Credits: 5 (if using BIOL 101 as pre-req for BIOL 348, BIOL 349)

or  CHEM 161 - General Chemistry I    

•    and   CHEM 162 - General Chemistry II Credits: 5 (if using BIOL 205 as a pre-req for BIOL 348, BIOL 349)

A chemistry course is only required by some OT programs, but CHEM 161 is required for BIOL 204 and BIOL 349; CHEM 162 is required for BIOL 205. CHEM 161 and CHEM 162 can also contribute to fulfilling the Natural Sciences GUR requirement.

• PSY 101 - Introduction to Psychology Credits: 5 (PSY 101 contributes to fulfillment of SSC GUR requirement)
• PSY 230 - Lifespan Developmental Psychology Credits: 5
• PSY 250 - Introduction to Behavioral and Mental Health Credits: 5

Select behavioral science course beyond PSY 101 by examining the requirements of OT schools you are interested in being qualified to apply to, to see if they have any specific requirements.

Course from SSC GUR category can be selected.

• BIOL 204 - Introduction to Evolution, Ecology and Biodiversity w/lab Credits: 5
• BIOL 205 - Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology w/lab Credits: 5
• or   BIOL 101 - Introduction to Biology w/lab Credits: 4

BIOL 101, BIOL 204 and BIOL 205 contribute towards fulfilling the Natural Sciences GUR requirement.

• PHYS 101 - Physics Analysis Credits: 4

A physics course is only required by some OT programs. A physics course can also contribute to fulfilling the Natural Sciences GUR requirement.

One Statistics course from the following:

• MATH 240 - Introduction to Statistics Credits: 4
• KIN 307 - Statistics in Exercise & Sport Science Credits: 4
• BIOL 340 - Biostatistics Credits: 5

Other GUR courses.

Junior Year

Work on completing the following:

• BIOL 348 - Human Anatomy and Physiology w/lab Credits: 5

Only HHD and Biology/Anthropology majors are allowed to resister for Biol 348 at WWU. Students in other majors requiring Biol 348 for professional school may be granted an override if they request one from the instructor at least three weeks prior to phase I of registration.

• BIOL 349 - Human Physiology w/lab Credits: 5
• Other Occupational Therapy prerequisites. You must examine the requirements of OT schools you wish to qualify to apply to, and ensure you complete their requirements by discussing these requirements with your advisor so they can be included in your plan of study.
• Clinical experience hours (be sure to include a variety of settings and target populations, for example mental health youth adult etc.). See your Pre-OT advisor for assistance setting up clinical experience hours.
• Major requirements.
• Prepare for the Graduate Records Examination (GRE).   

Senior Year

• Take the GRE in the fall.
• Request letters of recommendation from professors, administrators and professionals.
• Complete remaining Occupational Therapy prerequisites.
• Complete major requirements.
• Two quarters before graduation, meet with major faculty advisor for major evaluation and apply for graduation.