- 1). Take as many classes as you can in anatomy, physiology, human development, psychology and physics during high school to help build the foundation of knowledge you'll need to excel in your college classes.
- 2). Enter college and work toward your degree. Some colleges do provide associate's or bachelor's degrees in occupational therapy. An associate's degree will qualify you to act as an occupational therapy assistant but will not enable you to take the exam to become an occupational therapist. A bachelor's degree is designed for undergraduate study leading up to the master's program. Some universities will offer a combined bachelor's/master's degree program. If you don't major in occupational therapy for your undergraduate coursework, you can choose a related major, for example kinesiology or another health-related major.
- 3). Maintain a high GPA throughout the course of your undergraduate study as your grades will help determine whether an occupational therapy master's degree program will accept you as a student.
- 4). Seize any opportunity to volunteer in a hospital, occupational therapy office or other related setting. Volunteering will not only help you get into a competitive master's degree program, but it will also give you invaluable practical experience that you can't get from a classroom.
- 5). Graduate with your bachelor's degree and apply to a program that has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education. Look for a program that offers hands-on learning experiences with real patients, and find out how well recent graduates of the program perform on the certification exam.
- 6). Keep up with your grades and study carefully for the next two and half to three years to prepare yourself for the certification exam. Continue educating yourself outside of the classroom by volunteering or looking for a part-time job in a related field.
- 7). Complete a supervised internship working with real patients.
- 8). Sit for the occupational therapist registered (OTR) examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Once you pass this exam, you can put the initials O.T. after your name, and begin a rewarding career as an occupational therapist.
SHARE
