Pre-Occupational Therapy Preparation at UHMānoa

(Text compiled from the American Occupational Therapy Association website at www.aota.org, NAAHP’s Medical Professions Admission Guide: Strategy for Success, the U.W. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the UHM 2006-2007 Catalog.)

M.O.T. and M.S.O.T. Programs
Prerequisites for Admission
What makes a strong candidate?
Standardized Tests
The Application Process
Additional Information
Downloadable Brochure

Occupational therapists (OTs) use purposeful, everyday activities as a means to help people who have physical, developmental, or emotional disabilities achieve independence. OTs work with other health care providers to evaluate patients and develop plans and goals to prevent or minimize disability and to help patients acquire skills necessary for productive and satisfying living. OTs engage in a wide range of activities, including administering and interpreting diagnostic tests, teaching life skills, designing and making orthotic/prosthetic devices, inventing adaptive equipment, and adapting environments.

Occupational therapists work in a variety of settings, including outpatient rehabilitation centers, hospitals and clinics, sports facilities, skilled nursing facilities, community and government health agencies, home health agencies, and a very few in private practice. Although most are involved in practice, some OTs conduct research or teach in higher education.

Although programs used to offer Bachelor degrees in occupational therapy, the high demand for graduate-trained OTs prompted the phasing out of the baccalaureate level in favor of Masters degrees. The minimum qualification for OTs is now either the Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.) or the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (M.S.O.T.). Increasing numbers of schools are now offering Doctor of Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.) programs, as well.

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Occupational Therapy Programs

Becoming a Master of Occupational Therapy, M.O.T., or Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, M.S.O.T., requires approximately 5 to 6.5 years of education; becoming a Doctor of Occupational Therapy, O.T.D., usually requires an additional 2 years:

  • Undergraduate course work (about 3 years) or Bachelors degree (about 4 years);
  • Master degree in Occupational Therapy (usually 2 to 2.5 years);
  • Doctoral degree (about 2 years).

Although a Bachelors degree is not always required for admission to an OT program, it makes you more competitive for admission and provides more options for advancement and career opportunities. Combined Bachelors/Masters programs (those that accept undergraduates who have not yet received their Bachelors degree) often require students to complete their Bachelors before receiving their Masters. OT programs are generally two years of academic study followed by six months of supervised clinical experience.

Doctoral programs in Occupational Therapy are usually primarily clinical (practice-based), but often include topics such as management, theory, and research.

OTs who graduate from an accredited program are eligible to sit for the national certification exam by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and the state licensing exam. Those who pass the exam are awarded the title Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR). All OTs must be licensed in order to practice.

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Prerequisites for Admission

Most importantly, remember that requirements vary from school to school! There is no standard list of prerequisite courses for occupational therapy; it is therefore imperative that you research the programs you are interested in attending. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) website, www.aota.org, includes a list of accredited programs.

Recommended or required courses often include the following:

Phyl 141/141Lab and 142/142Lab
Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II
Psy 230
Psychobiology
Psy 331
Behavioral Neuroscience
Psy 371
Abnormal Psychology
Any Psy X4X or X7X course
(240 or 476, for ex.)
Human Development
Hlth 110 and125 at KAP
Medical Terminology
Socs or Psy 225
Statistics
Hlth 160, 252, and 280 at KAP
Human Disease

Although there is no "pre-occupational therapy" major, related fields include the natural sciences (anatomy, biology, chemistry, physics), behavioral sciences (psychology, sociology, anthropology, social work, family resources, kinesiology), and the liberal arts (such as art). Pre-OT students at UHM should consider majoring in one of these fields and choosing elective courses from the other fields and from the recommended courses listed above.

Work or volunteer experience involving direct contact with people with disabilities, illness, or other disadvantages is essential. OT programs may require significant observation or experience and may request that one of your letters of recommendation come from a licensed occupational therapist.

Experience opportunities are available at hospitals, nursing homes, senior centers, shelters, rehabilitation facilities, etc.; see UHM’s Pre-Health/Pre-Law Advising Center for a list of possible contacts.

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What makes a strong candidate?

Tuition for occupational therapy programs, as high as it is, covers only a fraction of the cost of educating an OT, which means that each new student represents a huge investment. Schools need to be certain that the students they accept will be capable of completing the curriculum and are likely to become good occupational therapists.

Are you capable of completing the OT curriculum?

Admissions committees are looking for students who have:

  • successfully completed undergraduate course work
  • earned a Bachelor's degree
  • a strong overall GPA
  • balanced their course load so it is challenging yet realistic

Are you likely to become a good occupational therapist?

Admissions committees look for students who have:

  • experience in and detailed knowledge of the field
  • excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • ingenuity and imagination in solving problems
  • high adaptability, which is especially important in home health care services
  • maturity (judgment, responsibility, dependability) and especially patience
  • empathy, compassion, and an enduring commitment to helping people
  • high ethical and moral standards and a conscientious work ethic

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Standardized Tests

OT programs sometimes require applicants to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Some programs require the entire GRE; others require only certain sections. The GRE can be scheduled for almost any day of the year and is available only in computer-based format. Appointments are scheduled first-come, first-served basis. You can register three ways: via telephone, at 1-800-529-3590, using a credit card; via mail, by completing the Authorization Voucher Request Form in the GRE Registration Bulletin and mailing it to the designated address along with the registration fee payment; or via online at www.gre.org, using a credit card.

The GRE requires approximately 3-4 hours and tests your verbal, quantitative (math), and writing skills. Some versions include an ungraded, experimental section. Scores for the verbal and quantitative sections range from 200 to 800, with 800 being highest; scores for the writing section range from 0 to 6, with 6 being highest. Your score report will be mailed to you, usually within about two weeks of the test date, and will include not only your scores but also your percentile ranking.

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The Application Process

Applications to occupational therapy programs must be submitted directly to each individual school. Applications, procedures, and deadlines differ significantly from school to school; it is imperative you begin the application process early, preferably about one year before you plan to attend.

In general, applications request:

  • an application form asking for basic information, including volunteer or paid experience in the field;
  • a personal statement;
  • official transcripts from every institution attended;
  • scores from the GRE; and
  • letters of recommendation.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the school has received all materials and to verify that the application is complete!

OT programs rarely require an interview, but if so, applicants are responsible for all costs incurred while interviewing, including airfare, lodging, and meals.

  • The more you know about the school, the better your chances of being accepted.
  • Contact individual schools’ Admissions Offices to find out how they handle:
    • advanced placement (AP) credits
    • College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits
    • courses taken at a community college
    • courses taken for credit/no credit instead of a grade
    • residency issues
    • time limits on acceptable science courses
    • coursework taken outside the U.S.

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Additional Information

UHMānoa’s Pre-Health/Pre-Law Advising Center (PAC) has reference books, lists of volunteer opportunities, academic planning worksheets, and one-on-one advising by peers who can help you prepare for and apply to occupational therapy programs.

UHM's Pre-Medical Association www.hawaii.edu/premed
premed@hawaii.edu
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) www.aota.org
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
(List of schools located within the AOTA website)		 www.aota.org
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) www.nbcot.org
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) www.gre.org
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) www.wiche.edu

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