Occupational Therapy Personal Statement

In order to become an Occupational Therapists Assistant, one must earn an Associate’s Degree, obtain a certification and/or license for OTA, and have 1-2 years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. As I complete my major, I will also be gaining work experience during my Externship. Through this experience, I will have the opportunity to participate actively in my field of work interest alongside my mentors who are OTs and OTAS and gain the hands-on training I will need in order to begin my career as an OTA.

Ever since I was a child, people always asked me what I would like to be when I grew up. At first, I would always say that I wanted to become an engineer because of my love for hands-on learning and my exceptional problem-solving skills. However, when I grew older I found that similar spark of fascination in the medical field. I wanted to go into a profession where I could help others and use my love for problem solving and hands-on interest. This is when I became interested in occupational therapy and fell in love with the profession. Occupational therapy has several elements I find passion in such as, the ability to be hands on and help change other people’s lives in a positive manner. My goal in life is to become an occupational therapist and help others live independent lives again. As I work to obtain this goal, I am doing many things such as strengthening my writing skills because this major involves many various aspects of writing. To succeed in this field, one needs to be able to write strong research-based papers and cite all sources correctly. I am striving to master these skills in hopes that I can succeed in and accomplish my academic goals.

Growing up, I have been an individual who has pushed myself beyond the minimum requirements in order to succeed. In high school I excelled in both academics and athletics. I graduated in the top 10% of my class and lettered in hockey and tennis my sophomore, junior, and senior year. I worked hard and put in extra time in order to set myself apart from others. Succeeding in both school and athletics made me a responsible, reliable, and an organized individual. These experiences made me a versatile individual and have given me a work ethic that has benefited me with my academics in college and with my work and volunteer experiences.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational therapy assistants and aides help patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working.” OT Career Path.com also states that, “occupational therapy assistants assist with the rehabilitation and care of patients with mental, developmental, physical, social, and emotional disabilities” Occupational therapist may provide many different forms of service from setting up materials, moving a patient, explaining exercises, preparing reports and implementing treatment plan as prescribed by the Occupational Therapist. An OTA’s duties vary greatly an example of their duties include helping patients acquire fine

With my past work experiences as a case manager, I 've had various meetings about what services my clients were going to need and what my involvement was going to be in meeting their needs. This has helped me strengthen my communication skills and I have learned to talk to a variety of different individuals. I especially find myself to have confidence which has also helped me sound relaxed and approachable when meeting someone for the first time. With this in mind I felt positive I was going to do well on my interview reflection assignment for my Introduction to Occupational Therapy class.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant lab at University of Charleston is unavailable after normal business hours to complete tasks hands on and to work on homework effectively; with no computer lab available for additional knowledge on the subjects, OTA students of University of Charleston is at a hindrance, resulting in tasks being completed off campus. The OTA program is at an educational disadvantage because the main resources are limited to a Monday through Friday schedule, which entitles students to rely on unscholarly articles and websites for information.

I believe that everybody deserves to have a happy and comfortable life and that being able to complete every task effectively plays a major part in achieving this. I think as humans we tend to take everyday tasks for granted as it we complete these subconsciously without ever considering the impact it would have on our lives if we were unable to complete them. I want to be an Occupational Therapist as I believe that adjusting a person’s environment and teaching them necessary skills makes a huge positive impact to their life. I am also passionate about seeing people grow in strength to achieve their full potential no matter what challenges they face.

To become an Occupational Therapist a person must attend a University and obtain a Bachelor’s degree of Science and then proceed to obtain a Masters degree. Most Universities require between nineteen and Twenty-one credits of prerequisite coursework, Biology with a lab, Human Physiology with

Hard work and empathy were instilled in me at a young age and ultimately have guided my life decisions. I always knew I wanted a career doing something that involved helping people and left me feeling that I made a difference in their lives. I finished my undergraduate degree in Nutrition, but in the end lacked passion for the profession. Following a personal experience with an Occupational Therapist, I was able to see the positive outcome she had on my grandfathers recovery which lead me to pursue my career in occupational therapy.

In this day and age, there are so many health careers out there most people don’t even know where to start when looking for an occupation that truly interest them. I’ve spent my whole life not knowing what I wanted to grow up to be and worrying about not knowing what to study in college. This past year I have recently been looking into Occupational Therapy. This form of therapy is to help those recuperating from physical or mental illness that encourages rehabilitation through the performance of activities required in daily life (What Is Occupational Therapy?, n.d.). People who work in this field are referred to as Occupational Therapist.

I have had many experiences that may have an impact on my career as an Occupational Therapist. When my grandfather suffered a stroke in 2009, I watched therapist closely and asked many questions so that when he was discharged I would be able to help out at home. Occupational therapist helped my grandfather learn how to do basic daily activities again which he could no longer do due to the stroke. Going through this life changing experience I believe will have an impact on my career as an occupational therapist. The compassion and knowledge shown to my family and I during this time is something I can use when I begin my career as an occupational Therapist. When my granddad was in the rehab center after suffering from a massive stroke I closely

Initially, in the future I would like to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy. I want to become an Occupational Therapist because I would love to help people recover from injury to regain skills. I am very focused on my career and the path I want to take in pursuing my career. The medical field has always been a passion of mine.

Professionally, I’ve had the opportunity to hold four different jobs that all revolve around catering to people. Through working at the grocery store, the landscaping business, the student services at my University and by being a camp director for summer youth sports programs I have gained valuable experience with people of all ages. Along with this, I had the opportunity to be a part of a mission trip that went to New Orleans a few years after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. It was moving to be able to help the citizens in need and see how strong willed they were after such a recent disaster. Personally, I believe that even the things I do in my free time have aided me in my preparation for the career of occupational therapy. Whenever I have open leisure time I am either running or playing music in my band. Running has made me a good planner and someone who doesn’t quit as training for long runs such as marathons takes as much mental toughness as physical toughness. Also, being a band member has required a lot of practice, planning and organization. I must practice to keep my skills on par, stay organized and communicate effectively with my band mates to write songs and hold practices. All of my experiences have aided me in my preparation for becoming an occupational

I had planned on earning a psychology major in college. I wanted to be in a health care profession where I could spend quality time with my patients, and help them to improve their quality of life in all aspects. Occupational therapy was a perfect fit. I have found that occupational therapy is one of the most holistic health care professions, and I am proud to have chosen this as my career path. It is a profession that requires sensitivity, understanding, and compassion; all of the characteristics that I value tremendously (http://www.ithaca.edu).Occupational therapy is a career that is certain to contribute much to society and bring enormous self-fulfillment.

I always knew I was meant to be in the health care field. I grew up with my mother being a registered nurse. I admired the work my mother did, but I knew that wasn’t the career path for me. I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live independently, safely, and unrestrictedly. I want to be an occupational therapist for the direct role I’d have in a patient’s life and rehabilitation process.