When looking for a career, many people research the salary of the position. Others research the job duties and daily routine of the profession. I had the opportunity to learn both of these things as well as other important things about Occupational Therapy when interviewing Ms. Kristen Dorwart-Marsh of the Regional Rehabilitation Institute in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Ms. Dorwart-Marsh was very excited to meet with me and spread information about the career of Occupational Therapy. We discussed the job duties, ways to get into occupational therapy, skills needed for the job, and the job outlook. When discussing what schooling was required to become an Occupational therapist, she told me that she has a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. …show more content…
Both were amazing experiences. For the past seven summers, I have volunteered at Camp Friendship of the Black Hills. This is a summer camp for individuals with intellectual disabilities and is quite the life changing event. I then asked her what her perspective of Occupational Therapy as a career was. She believes that Occupational Therapy is a great career with multiple opportunities for growth and places to work. I also believe that this is true; there are many settings that Occupational Therapists work in including schools, hospitals, and various businesses. She says that there is only one method into becoming an Occupational therapist and that is Graduate school. Being curious to what I would do on a daily basis in the career I asked her. She said that she assists with functional training of the patient, working towards individualized goals to maximize performance and independence. One cool and interesting thing is that one day is never the same as the …show more content…
As you might know, it isn’t very easy to get into a graduate school. Most graduate schools have requirements to even apply. The University of South Dakota’s requirements are a 3.5 grade point average and a 3.0 grade point average in science classes. A student applying must also have knowledge and volunteer experience in the field. Even if you have a Doctorate’s degree, you don’t necessarily have a lock into the field. As I said earlier, not many men are in the field. There has not been any way proof or information on why this is, but it’s true. Maybe it’s just not the field for men. When interning at Avera Mckennan hospital, there were three female Occupational Therapists and one male Occupational Therapist that I shadowed and helped. The ratio of female to male may not be big, but it is quite significant. In conclusion, Occupational Therapy seems to be a great career to go into. With our population increasingly growing older there is a great need for health workers. Occupational Therapists provide a service to all people to improve and lengthen their lives. They work in multiple settings and there is room for advancement. There are a few negatives but the positives far out weight the
Ms. Dorwart-Marsh was very excited to meet with me and spread information about the career of Occupational Therapy. We discussed the job duties, ways to get into occupational therapy, skills needed for the job, and the job outlook. When discussing what schooling was required to become an Occupational therapist, she told me that she has a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. …show more content…
Both were amazing experiences. For the past seven summers, I have volunteered at Camp Friendship of the Black Hills. This is a summer camp for individuals with intellectual disabilities and is quite the life changing event. I then asked her what her perspective of Occupational Therapy as a career was. She believes that Occupational Therapy is a great career with multiple opportunities for growth and places to work. I also believe that this is true; there are many settings that Occupational Therapists work in including schools, hospitals, and various businesses. She says that there is only one method into becoming an Occupational therapist and that is Graduate school. Being curious to what I would do on a daily basis in the career I asked her. She said that she assists with functional training of the patient, working towards individualized goals to maximize performance and independence. One cool and interesting thing is that one day is never the same as the …show more content…
As you might know, it isn’t very easy to get into a graduate school. Most graduate schools have requirements to even apply. The University of South Dakota’s requirements are a 3.5 grade point average and a 3.0 grade point average in science classes. A student applying must also have knowledge and volunteer experience in the field. Even if you have a Doctorate’s degree, you don’t necessarily have a lock into the field. As I said earlier, not many men are in the field. There has not been any way proof or information on why this is, but it’s true. Maybe it’s just not the field for men. When interning at Avera Mckennan hospital, there were three female Occupational Therapists and one male Occupational Therapist that I shadowed and helped. The ratio of female to male may not be big, but it is quite significant. In conclusion, Occupational Therapy seems to be a great career to go into. With our population increasingly growing older there is a great need for health workers. Occupational Therapists provide a service to all people to improve and lengthen their lives. They work in multiple settings and there is room for advancement. There are a few negatives but the positives far out weight the