“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud” Maya Angelou
This is the last of our summer posts for 2016 which specifically profile careers that do not require a 4-year college degree. For the rest of the year, we will continue to have a career profile within each of our post, however, other information will also be presented that will be crucial in helping young people navigate their way toward achieving their educational and career goals.
For this post, we are going to look at two more career options in the health care industry, one of which is ranked as the #1 career on the U.S. News & World Report’s list of “Best Health Care Support Careers”. The two careers are that of Occupational Therapy Assistant and Physical Therapy Assistant.
Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA)
The field of Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) is listed as the #1 “Best Health Care Support Job” by U.S. News & World Report. In addition the growth rate for the profession is projected to be around 43% between the years of 2014 and 2024. What’s influencing the growth rate is the aging “baby boomer” population who will be more prone to requiring the services provided through occupational therapy.
What Does An Occupational Therapy Assistant Do?
The field of occupational therapy works with individuals who may have suffered some kind of illness (such as a stroke), being involved in an accident, or has a physical disability that has caused limitations in their ability to perform daily living activities such as eating, dressing, working, and school activities. Through occupational therapy, these individuals are provided with rehabilitative services that can help them gain a degree of independent living.
The professional trained as the Occupational Therapist (OT) will evaluate and diagnose a patient’s condition and then develop and prescribe a treatment plan which is designed to help the patient achieve and/or recover to an independent lifestyle in spite of the injury or disability. Once the plan is developed . it is then the responsibility of the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) to work directly with the patient to implement the treatment plan so they can achieve the goal of a more independent life style.
The duties of an OTA will vary depending on the population they are working with. Those duties could include some of the following:
- working with children with developmental disabilities and helping them with coordination and socialization through play acitivity
- teaching patients how to use special equipment for feeding, dressing, and other daily activities
- helping patients perform stretching and strengthening exercises
- acclimating patients to wheelchairs, artificial limbs and other devices
- recording the progress of patients and reporting back to the OT.
Occupational Therapy Assistants work under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist. Their work setting can be in a hospital, rehabilitation center, nursing home, outpatient clinic, home health care agency, private practice, school, or private organization.
The work of an OTA can be physically demanding in that they may be involved in helping patients perform their exercise activities as well as helping to support a patient’s weight as they teach them how to maneuver from a wheelchair to a bed or bathtub.
Because an OTA will be in constant contact with patients, they need to be able to communicate clearly and tactfully as they will be guiding their clients through tasks that may be difficult for them to complete. In addition , an OTA will need to have the aibility to show compassion as well as have a desire to help others.
Educational Requirements
To become an OTA one would have to obtain a 2-year Associate Degree from an educational program that has been accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association. These programs are available through community colleges, junior colleges and technical schools. The coursework will consist of topics such as anatomy, physiology, psychology, biology, kinesiology, rehabilitation theory, etc. In addition to classroom work, a student will also be required to complete clinical training where they will be able to gain hands on experience under the supervision of an experienced and licensed occupational therapist.
Upon obtaining the associate degree, most states do require that a person becomes licensed before gaining employment as an OTA. You will be able to obtain your license by passing the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant exam administered through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.
Employment Outlook and Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS) project the growth rate for Occupational Therapy Assistants at 43% between the years of 2014 and 2024. This will add approximately 14,100 new job to this profession during that time period.
Also, according to the BLS, the average annual salary for OTAs in May 2015 was $57,870. The highest 10% was earning a salary of more than $78,080.
Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)
U.S. News & World Report ranks the professional of Physical Therapy Assistant as #4 on it’s list of “Best Health Care Support Jobs”. The ranking, as with Occupational Therapy Assistant, is again largely due to the increase need for trained individuals to meet the growing demand caused by an aging “baby boomer” population.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the growth rate for Physical Therapy Assistants (PTAs) will be approximately 41% between the years of 2014 and 2024 .
What Does A Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) Do?
To understand the duties of a PTA, we will first take a look at physical therapy and it’s purpose.
Through physical therapy, services are provided to an individual who may be suffering from some type of injury, illness or disability that has limited their mobility and functionality. Physical therapy is provided to them to help them develop, maintain, or restore their maximum movement and ability.
It is the duty of the actual Physical Therapist (PT) to examine the patient, evaluate/diagnose their condition, and then develop a “Plan of Care”. Through that “Plan of Care”, treatment techniques are utilized that are designed to increase the patient’s ability to move, reduce their pain, and restore their functionality. Once the “Plan of Care” is developed by the PT, it is then the responsibility of the Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) to work directly with the patient to implement the treatment techniques prescribed.
The duties of a PTA may entail some or all of the following:
- assisting patients through treatment techniques such as massages and stretches
- helping patients through various exercises and work out routines
- administering hot and cold packs as well as electrical stimulation
- observing patients through their therapy routines and reporting those observations to the PT
- providing instructions to patients on the use of equipment and devices such as crutches, walkers, etc.
- educating patients and their families on what to do after treatment.
Physical Therapy Assistants (PTAs) generally work under the direct supervision of a Physical Therapist (PT). Their work environment can range from that of a hospital, outpatient clinic, home health care agency, school, sport or fitness facility, nursing home, private practice, or corporation. The clientele they work with can range from that of a newborn to the elderly.
Educational Requirements
To become a PTA, one would need to obtain a 2-year Associate Degree from an accredited physical therapy assistant program. These programs are generally offered through community colleges and technical schools. It’s important that the educational program you choose is accredited by the CAPTE (Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education), as this will allow you to sit for the licensing exam upon graduation.
Your educational process will consist of classroom instructions in subjects such as anatomy, physiology, general science, kinesiology, exercise physiology, algebra, english, etc. In addition to classroom training, students will also be required to complete a clinical component where they will gain hands on experience under the supervision of a licensed PT.
Upon obtaining the Associate Degree, all states (except Hawaii) require that PTAs are licensed before employment. License can be obtained by passing an exam offered through the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.
Employment Outlook and Salary
As previously mentioned, the employment outlook for those trained as a PTA is very good—with a growth rate of approximately 41% between the years of 2014 and 2024. This will add approximately 31,900 new jobs to this industry during that time period.
In regards to salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average income of a physical therapy assistant as of May 2015 was $55,170. The highest 10% in the field was earning more than $76,940.
***ATTENTION***
Middle and high school students can began to prepare now to ready themselves for training in the above fields as well as other area of the health care industry. The way you do that is by taking as many math and science ( general science, biology, physics, chemistry) courses as you can. Courses in english and language art are essential as well in that most of these professions will require you to communicate effectively with your clients as well as other health care professionals,
The question now is: Will you step up to the plate and do what is necessary to prepare yourself for entry into professions that show great potential for the future? It Is Up To You! The ball is in your court — you have to take it and run with it.
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