Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

I don't think you will find airfare that cheep. I went to see a friend of mine in Florida this summer and round trip airfare from Oregon to Florida was $890. That comes to $30,700 for two years. That's a lot of money I agree.

Accredited Weekend Programs

Florida
3, b
Barry University
11300 Northeast Second Avenue
Miami Shores, FL 33161-6695
Douglas M. Mitchell, M.S., OTR/L, Director
Occupational Therapy Program
(305) 899-3213 (program inquiries)
(Weekend program offered)
*Admission to the baccalaureate level is closed.
Program Information

Massachusetts
1, 4, a
Salem State College
352 Lafayette Street
Salem, MA 01970-5353
Jeramie Silveira, M.S., OTR/L, Chair
Occupational Therapy Program
(978) 542-6693 (program inquiries)
(Evening/weekend program offered)
Program Information

Minnesota
3, 4, b
College of St. Catherine
2004 Randolph Avenue (Mail #4092)
St. Paul, MN 55105-1794
Julie D. Bass Haugen, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, Program Director and Department Chair
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
(651) 690-6606 (program inquiries)
(Weekend program offered)
Program Information

New York
3, 4, b
Dominican College
470 Western Highway
Orangeburg, NY 10962-1299
Sandra F. Countee, Ph.D., OTR/L, Program Director and Associate Professor
Occupational Therapy Program
(845) 359-7800 x209 (program inquiries)
(Weekend program offered)
Program Information

3, 4, b
Mercy College
555 Broadway
Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522-1134
Joan Toglia, Ph.D., OTR, Director
Occupational Therapy Program
(914) 674-7815 or otprogram@mercy.edu (program inquiries)
(Weekend program offered)
Program Information

3, b
Utica College
Division of Health and Human Studies
1600 Burrstone Road
Utica, NY 13502-4892

Utica College
Paula D. Carey, M.S., OTR, Director and Associate Professor
Occupational Therapy Program
(315) 792-3006 (program inquiries)
(Weekend program offered)
Program Information

Ohio
University of Findlay
Thomas H. Dillon, Ed.D., OTR/L, Program Director
Occupational Therapy Program
(800) 472-9502 x6936 (program inquiries)
(Weekend program offered)
Program Information

Pennsylvania
College Misericordia
Ellen McLaughlin, Ed.D., OTR/L, Department Chair and Associate Professor
Occupational Therapy Program
(866) 262-6363 (program inquiries)
(Weekend program offered)

Philadelphia University
Catherine Verrier Piersol, M.S., OTR/L, Director
Occupational Therapy Program
(215) 951-2943 or e-mail admissions@philau.edu (program inquiries)
(Weekend program offered)
Tennessee
Belmont University
Lorry Liotta-Kleinfeld, Ed.D., OTR, BCP, Associate Dean and Interim Chair
(Weekend program offered)

University of Texas Pan-American
Angela E. Scoggin, Ph.D., OTR, FAOTA, Interim Chair
Occupational Therapy Program
(956) 381-2475 (program inquiries)
(Evening/weekend program offered

I don't think it was necessary to post all that as we can all read. There could be other program requirements that need to be meet before being admitted into one of these programs. I found that out the hard way two years ago.

I remember a COTA friend of mine who attended a weekender program for three years. She had to fly all the way from TX to PA every other weekend and it cost her an arm and a leg to fly. By the time she was done nobody liked her because she was so difficult to get along with.

I was just looking at the NBCOT web site and it said there is only one OTA program still open in Colorado. However, the school I went to closed it's program in 2001... Arapahoe Community College. Before PPS there was seven OTA programs. Check this web site out in your interested.

www.aota.org/Students/Schools/Closed/40553.aspx

I don't know why any man would want to work
in this feminist field. Men only make up twelve percent with women being the majority. I did some volunteer work in an OT department and by the time the day was over I wanted to scream. Why do women always worry that a man might walk one step in front of them. I thought men were bad but common people. I'm now a Registered
Physical Therapist and glad I chose it instead of Occupational Therapy.

Robert you are so right. I am a female and wish that I had a degree in a field with few women in it. Women are so nit picking, critical, and back stabbing. When I work with men for the most part they just want to do a job to make money and then forget about it. (not always, of course). I feel like my stomach is tied in knots all day having to deal with the crap. Men do not take all this stuff so seriously because they know it is just a job. I also doubt not many would put up with changing diapers, and dealing with dressing and feeding puree to patients. I guess I was just very stupid to have gone into this field and now it is a bit too late to change. From now on though I will only take a job that has at least some men working there.

I have to agree with all the people who some call negative people. This field has really turned it's back on COTAs and I don't think it will get any better. Go on, say I'm negative... but how else are you suppose to feel on a field that dumps fifteen patients a day on you and requires 95% productivity. There are no OTA programs here and only one OTR program. However, getting into that program is very very competitive. You use to never see any COTA openings in Oregon, but lately there has been a huge increase. Average pay here is $15-$18 an hour for an experienced COTA... new grads about $11.

Candice in Green Bay, WI said: I remember a COTA friend of mine who attended a weekender program for three years. She had to fly all the way from TX to PA every other weekend and it cost her an arm and a leg to fly. By the time she was done nobody liked her because she was so difficult to get along with.

This is how I got my OTR. I lived in Indiana and attended Findlay University in Ohio. I went there every other weekend but was lucky enough to get my internship here where I live. However, my two fieldwork assignments I had to do in Ohio... talk about challenging. I went there for three years and by the time I was finished I was totally burned out... never again.

Anyone looking for work as a COTA beware of these companies.

1. Hallmark... will work you to death,
only cares about their therapists not Assistant's, very high productivity requirement

2. Life Care Centers of America... Very high productivity and you will never get your full 40 hours.

3. Genises... Same as Hallmark but worse
Likes to play head games.

4. People First... Will slam you with a high patient caseload. Tracks everything you do all day and will write you up if you are not productive.

To me this field is getting worse everyday and I don't think many Assistant's find pleasure in it anymore.
I know I don't

Personally I think the whole field as a hole is going south for COTAs. I have been with my present company for about seven months now and the therapists get a lot more respect from corporate exec's. then assistants do. When regional and district managers come to our building they always talk and laugh with the therapists but hardly ever say anything to us assistants. If they do, it is usually to complain about something we did wrong... never praise.

I have to agree with you on Hallmark Rehabilitation. They have a very high turnover rate and hire a lot of foreign therapists. I worked for them about two months and that's about all I could handle. Also, they will work you to death if you let them. Productivity wise for an assistant is about 110% to 120%. If you miss a patient treatment you will get yelled at and threatened to get written up if it happens again.

Let me start off by saying I love what I do as a COTA, however, what I don't like is being treated like I am stupid. I work at a specialty hospital and all they let assistants do is grooming and hygiene and NDT techniques with spinal cord patients. This gets boring after a while. The therapists however, get to do aqua-therapy with the patients using Dolphins. The therapists don't feel assistants have the education to work with these people using these forms of modalities. I want to learn more about advanced therapies with these patients but am limited to what I can do because the system does not allow me to. I mean, why stay a COTA if you can't advance your learning capabilities or learn new skills.

By the way, I would never work in a SNF/LTC facility. There to depressing.

Wow I would love to work with dolphins. I never heard of OTs doing that. By the way I hate OT because grooming, hygience, toileting, dressing and upper body exercises are sooooooooo boring. And dirty. I feel like tearing my hair out.

Carla in Miami, FL said: Let me start off by saying I love what I do as a COTA, however, what I don't like is being treated like I am stupid. I work at a specialty hospital and all they let assistants do is grooming and hygiene and NDT techniques with spinal cord patients. This gets boring after a while. The therapists however, get to do aqua-therapy with the patients using Dolphins. The therapists don't feel assistants have the education to work with these people using these forms of modalities. I want to learn more about advanced therapies with these patients but am limited to what I can do because the system does not allow me to. I mean, why stay a COTA if you can't advance your learning capabilities or learn new skills.

Yep, same thing here. About the only thing a COTA can do is Basic ADL's, Neuroreeducation, and exercises. COTAs are not allowed to use any modalities like E-stim. In fact, that state is thinking about taking away heat/cold modalities away from COTAs. There also not allowed to work in Hand Therapy clinics due to all the advance modalities they use and direct supervision laws. What's next?

Are PTAs facing the same issues as Cota in terms of losing jobs etc. I have been looking around at both fields and seems I don't hear as much on PTA

ecj in Trenton, Michigan said: Are PTAs facing the same issues as Cota in terms of losing jobs etc. I have been looking around at both fields and seems I don't hear as much on PTA

Jobs are more abundant for PTA's because they can be utilized in more areas then COTA's (i.e. inpatient/outpatient, clinics, Sports Medicine, etc.). PTA's usually get about $2.00 an hour more, which has been standard for a long time. From what I here from PTA's is that after five verifiable years, a PTA can challenge the Physical Therapy national exam through the APTA . If they pass, they become Registered Physical Therapists and must give up their Assistant designation. Unfortunately, COTA's cannot challenge the OTR exam through the NBCOT. Once again COTA's get skunked.

I checked out this field two years ago and did a lot of research. Most the COTA's I talked to liked working with their patients, but when it came to working for the company and the therapists above them, they had nothing good to say. Disrespect, overly bossy, rude, and lack of praise to name a few, are what most Assistant's complained about. Working with the elderly can be difficult and stressful especially when they don't want to do anything and the company is pushing you to treat them.
I buddied with a COTA who was working with a patient with severe dementia once who would yell and hit, but the therapist did not care. When I asked the therapist why she did not intervene and treat the patient herself she said "Why would I want to work with an unruly patient like that, that's why we have COTA's".After that, I decided being a COTA was not for me.

that is sad what the OTR said... People don't remember there will always be those who "under" you so to speak. Being respectful and not demeaning to those who don't hold your status has benefits. First in just being a decent person and professional and also you never know how those assistants may at one time help you. I looked into RN like a lot of people because of $ but boy the horror stories of nurses eating their young. I am sure there are good natured and helpful nurses as well but seems they are so over worked and the medical/hospital culture just seems to accept this trial by fire and backstabbing. To me it's really unprofessional. People should be trying to work together for the betterment of the patients. Probably naivee but it's how I feel.

So field did you decide on as an alternative to COTA?

I am really concerned like other people here what the future holds not just for therapists, but for the whole health care system. I along with the rest of the therapists I work with, found out that the hospital where I work will be closing down at the end of December. There are reports of three other hospitals in PA that will be affected as well. I am off this Monday so I am going to apply for school next year and take a few classes and consider a career change, but it won't be in the medical field.

Tonya from Salinas, CA said: Anyone looking for work as a COTA beware of these companies.

1. Hallmark... will work you to death,
only cares about their therapists not Assistant's, very high productivity requirement

2. Life Care Centers of America... Very high productivity and you will never get your full 40 hours.

3. Genises... Same as Hallmark but worse
Likes to play head games.

4. People First... Will slam you with a high patient caseload. Tracks everything you do all day and will write you up if you are not productive.

To me this field is getting worse everyday and I don't think many Assistant's find pleasure in it anymore.
I know I don't

Don't know why anyone would want to work for Hallmark Rehab. They are one of the worse companies out there and are owned by a group of female stockbrokers and investors. They hire a lot of foreign therapists and travelers because no therapist in California wants to work for them. They will work you to death like Tonya said. I would put Life Care Centers right behind them.

I just left my job as a COTA Friday after graduating with a degree in Marketing. I will be marketing the latest computerized products for a large computer company starting October 1. After nine years of being worked to death with no guarantee in hours and low pay, I decided enough is enough. I am guaranteed 80K a year with good potential to reach 150K. I made 42K my last year as a COTA because I was constantly being sent home early. At least I now have job security and a real future ahead of me with a job that I love. All you wannabies do yourself a favor, and find something else to do.

Get your point. But it's prespective. 42 K to people living in the midwest, and for single Mom who makes under poverty level well that income isn't too bad. Maybe for California cost of living. Not all of us can foreseeably purse a 4 year degree due to financial situations. I am thinking PTA instead. Even with that I know I won't ever top 6 figure salary but at least I can feed the kids.

ecj in Trenton, Michigan said: Get your point. But it's prespective. 42 K to people living in the midwest, and for single Mom who makes under poverty level well that income isn't too bad. Maybe for California cost of living. Not all of us can foreseeably purse a 4 year degree due to financial situations. I am thinking PTA instead. Even with that I know I won't ever top 6 figure salary but at least I can feed the kids.

If you really want to be a COTA, then just go for it. You sound like you want people to feel sorry for you. I am a mother of two and I made it through college without working with assistants from local state and government agencies. There are many ways to afford college that most institutions don't even know about. Scholarships, and grants helped pay for my degree, and I am not a super brain or athlete. The money is there if you want it bad enough.

jasmine in Chula Vista, California said: Hi, I just got accepted to a 2 year ota program this fall in san diego. I'm not that familiar with the payscale, but my director told me it's between $20-$32/hr? can ota work overtime as well? I was also wondering if you really have to clean patients BM like a CNA? Can someone tell me your daily activities? thanks

In FL, new grads should be paid at least $25/hr in long-term care. Yes, lots of overtime is available. Yes, you will run into situations where you will have to clean patients like a CNA. Remember... you are being paid at least 2x what a CNA would make.
It's mostly a fun job. The frustrations are due to pressures to treat patients who refuse or are too sick to participate. Most nursing homes are for-profit. You are valuable to them if you are making them money. It's not always the best therapists who bring in the most money. Some therapists bill for time they have not spent with the patient. They are often rewarded for this. It's somewhat like 'don't ask/don't tell'. The managment will not want to know if you believe this is happening. It can be difficult to keep your head up. But the patients need therapy and they do benefit from it. I try to focus on the positives. The pay is good here in FL for just a 2 year degree. I've been a COTA for over 10 years and I am not burnt out.

Wow! I had been considering going back to school to become an Occupational Therapist, but after reading these posts I may have to think again!

I've been home for 10 years raising kids and I'm ready to go back to work. I have a Master of Arts in Teaching, but there are no teaching jobs in Michigan. (actually, there aren't many jobs in Michigan) I'm not excited about going back to the classroom anyways.

I thought that OT would be a good fit for me, but I'm not so sure after reading how physically demanding it is and how much BS one has to put up with. By the time I finish with school, I would be 43-44 years old. I want a career that I can enjoy until retirement. Maybe OT isn't it. Guess I'll keep looking.

I was watching the news tonight and they said that two dozen hospitals in the Los Angeles, and Orange County areas are facing closure and bankruptcy. If you have to go to the emergency room the usual wait time is eleven hours in one LA hospital... that's scary. Sadly, I work in one of those hospitals and hate to think I may have to look for a another job. I refuse to work in nursing homes as they are so depressing and they work you to death. Maybe I will be looking into a new career soon... who knows.

Gerry in Saint Augustine, Florida said: In FL, new grads should be paid at least $25/hr in long-term care. Yes, lots of overtime is available. Yes, you will run into situations where you will have to clean patients like a CNA. Remember... you are being paid at least 2x what a CNA would make.
It's mostly a fun job. The frustrations are due to pressures to treat patients who refuse or are too sick to participate. Most nursing homes are for-profit. You are valuable to them if you are making them money. It's not always the best therapists who bring in the most money. Some therapists bill for time they have not spent with the patient. They are often rewarded for this. It's somewhat like 'don't ask/don't tell'. The managment will not want to know if you believe this is happening. It can be difficult to keep your head up. But the patients need therapy and they do benefit from it. I try to focus on the positives. The pay is good here in FL for just a 2 year degree. I've been a COTA for over 10 years and I am not burnt out.

Yaaaa!, as long as you are committing Medicare fraud they are happy with you. Also, if you nag a patient to participate you just violated their patient right to refuse treatment. Nursing homes are nothing more than blood thirsty, money hungry prisons that could care less if their patients develop bed sores or die.

Bonnie-this is why I do not live in L.A. anymore. I do remember as a medical records adminstrator/technician that worked in La-la land in the 80's and 90's that this was also happening. A jillion facilities closed because DRG's and prospective payment killed these places. It may seem like it is worse now but it was pretty bad even then when I was there. Why don't you look at the school systems-they should hire COTA's and not just OTR's...I think people really have to think out of the box???

Michael

Michael in Santa Fe, New Mexico said: Bonnie-this is why I do not live in L.A. anymore. I do remember as a medical records adminstrator/technician that worked in La-la land in the 80's and 90's that this was also happening. A jillion facilities closed because DRG's and prospective payment killed these places. It may seem like it is worse now but it was pretty bad even then when I was there. Why don't you look at the school systems-they should hire COTA's and not just OTR's...I think people really have to think out of the box???

Michael

The schools here only pay $14 an hour and have you treat anywhere from 30 to 40 kids a day... no thanks. Hospitals are closing because lower income people don't have health insurance, higher national salaries for health care providers... whatever :p... due to the cost of living here, and lack of federal dollars to help troubled hospitals. Believe me, I treat a lot of patients who don't have health insurance because we are a non-profit hospital. I wish things were that easy... Thanks anyway

Wow that is so strange. I feel like I could write this myself. I also came to this board after an acquaintance went into COTA. She is still in school. I considered it also. I am in Michigan and worked at home the past 9 years raising kids and doing medical transcription. However, the bottom has definitely dropped out in that field. All the work is being outsourced overseas, mostly to India. Used to be able to get a decent Hospital or service job with bennies. Not making what other healthcare providers of course, did but you pretty good considering you did the work from your own home (upper 20s to low 30s wasn't bad for an at home job). I am now strongly considering PTA since so many horrible reviews on COTA. I had considered RN as well but the waitlists are terrible! Money is good though. I am also 40 and looking for a career I can enjoy until retirement.

ecj in Trenton, Michigan said: Wow that is so strange. I feel like I could write this myself. I also came to this board after an acquaintance went into COTA. She is still in school. I considered it also. I am in Michigan and worked at home the past 9 years raising kids and doing medical transcription. However, the bottom has definitely dropped out in that field. All the work is being outsourced overseas, mostly to India. Used to be able to get a decent Hospital or service job with bennies. Not making what other healthcare providers of course, did but you pretty good considering you did the work from your own home (upper 20s to low 30s wasn't bad for an at home job). I am now strongly considering PTA since so many horrible reviews on COTA. I had considered RN as well but the waitlists are terrible! Money is good though. I am also 40 and looking for a career I can enjoy until retirement.[/QUOTE

Being a PTA is a very physical demanding job. If you cannot lift 100 to 150 pounds
repeatedly, then this is not the filed for you. This is a job for younger, stronger people not for older people like us. I am 38 y/o and have taken a management job because I know my back would not hold out any longer if I continue to work as a staff therapist.

Well wouldn't it depend on the type of PTA work you are doing in terms of amounts lifted? I have several aquaitances - all in their 40s - who just love PTA and they aren't in bad shape but certainly not in stellar shape either. Not weight lifters. Just average middle aged women. RN is another field I considered, but there is also liftings and and injury that can occur in that field as well as long hours on your feet, etc. Any type of direct patient care field has that risk of injury in moving, ambulating patients etc. Unless you are in management as you are - then you avoid the lifting etc but no one starts in a field out in these positions. I am in a position where I need to get in and out of a 2 year degree pretty fast. I need to get into a field and start making $ so going for bachelors or masters for more desk type jobs isn't an option. Also I have a 70 credit hours already mostly in healthcare related or sciences.

You can become a certified professional coder by taking a "Boot Camp" for 5 days then passing a national exam. If you have had anatomy and physiology (2 semesters) and know your medical terminology-and you can put up around 1500.00-coders are in demand and it will not take 4 semesters of a 2-year degree. Worth looking into!

I had actually considered that as I am a medical transcriptionist right now. However, the coding field has some down sides as it is really difficult to break into without experience. Also as I have had a lot of experience with losing jobs due to outsourcing medical records overseas - and they can do the same with coding - I was looking for patient care related work where it cannot be outsourced. I started in transcription 9 years ago and made $16 per hour with benefits AND worked from home. But the field is going, going, gone. The outsourcing overseas is doing it in. Most hospital even if they don't go the overseas route they now use transcription services instead of their own staff (to avoid bennies I imagine). Services pay much less and the benefits (if they have them) are less. So now transcriptionist are struggling to make ends meet anymore. I work as a Independent contractor now and have no health benefits. Essentially the working poor. How said in what was once a viable career for a single Mom.

Yes coders are in demand but you need to have experience and they are also outsourable. I am simply gun shy in terms of medical records with the outsourcing trend. Believe me this was one of the first options I thought of because it was so closely related to what I do now.

Approach life from what really gets you juiced up-if you focus too much on reality which I am not saying reality is unimportant-its not. But if you get the certification-they will consider you. I dont feel that outsourcing means that they are getting data quality in terms of better reimbursement. It is actually insulting to outsource the coding function. On the other hand, if being a COTA intrinsically meets your needs-go for it!

I agree. They are not geting data quality by outsourcing. The product they receive is inferior - but they hire Americans to "edit" the outsourced work from overseas at a lesser rate. They still are undercutting what they paid an American worker full-time with bennies by using overseas transcriptions and a lesser paid American editor. I am not sure how they approach coders in this fashion. Unforunately the almightly buck matters more than quality in medical records these days. Regardless, still weighing options. There will always be naysayers and people who are negative into whatever field you chose. I guess you need to realize that and go with your gut and what you think you will enjoy most. But as far as reality - one has to make sure there is a job available if one is going to invest time and money into a field. Being a transcriptionist I know a lot of coders who are graduating and are NOT being considered until they have experience yet no one wants to give it to them. So they end up taking medical records clerk jobs or interships - which don't pay anything or very little. Most people with families and mortgages simply cannot go that avenue.

It depends on the facility-some are so desperate for coders that they will train people . I trained a medical record clerk to code and she turned out to be a great coder. And I have met people with an MD who could not get an American medical license who were lousy coders and lost reimbursement for a hospital. You cannot generalize. As far as OT is concerned-you do not have to be a genius to realize that the COTA's are going to be doing the "grunt" work and I really should not be saying that since I have been accepted to a COTA program. But I do have to say that I have been honestly disheartened to read so many of the "majority" comments that many have wanted to get out of the OTA field.

Well, the unexpected has happened. The company I work for will lose it's contract with the nursing home at the end of November. The new contract company has decided to go with two OTR's and get rid of all COTA's because they want someone who can do evals. This means I am going to have to find a new job around the holiday season. Most of the companies here won't hire someone so close to Christmas as the patient caseload usually starts dropping off. I'm just praying that I don't have to tell my kids there won't be any Christmas this year. Sometime's I wonder if making a career change would be in my best interest.

Michael in Santa Fe, New Mexico said: It depends on the facility-some are so desperate for coders that they will train people . I trained a medical record clerk to code and she turned out to be a great coder. And I have met people with an MD who could not get an American medical license who were lousy coders and lost reimbursement for a hospital. You cannot generalize. As far as OT is concerned-you do not have to be a genius to realize that the COTA's are going to be doing the "grunt" work and I really should not be saying that since I have been accepted to a COTA program. But I do have to say that I have been honestly disheartened to read so many of the "majority" comments that many have wanted to get out of the OTA field.

I think once you get in this field you will find out what it's true colors really are. I think you are in for a rude awakening.

After reading what everyone on this and other forums have to say about this field I think I will find something else to do. It seems a lot of assistants are being replaced by OTR's and job security is the biggest complaint. Companies are also hiring more foreign therapists to ease the shortage of American OT's and not utilizing COTA's. I've been looking into Dental Hygiene which I have heard nothing but positive things and getting into one of those programs is not as difficult an OTA program.

Shannon J in Greenville, North Carolina said: I thank you for your reply but it would be nice to hear some optimism. This forum has become a garbage can for people that seem down-in-the mouth about OT. It is disheartening especially for me--just starting out and wanting to do so much. I understand your stance and respect it. However, I have also spoken with and know several other healthcare professionals and I think it would be prudent to tell people that Medicare is not just targeting OT, PT, or SLP. Nursing is also under a productivity requirement now. So the PPS system will affect anyone directly involved in the healthcare field and unfortunately those that suffer the most aren't the providers of the care but the patients. I would hope that even through frustration with the system that patients are still given the care and respect they deserve. Thanks again for your insight.

Please somebody help me. I accidently stummbled upon this blog while researching for my OTA class. I just started the program and so far it has been an extremely NEGATIVE experience. The teachers, all OTR's are rude, hyper-critical and on the border of being abusive. I know that school is meant to challenge you but we have only been in the program 3 weeks and have not received any encouragement at all. Not one single positive word directed our way. Many of us feel that we are hated by our teachers. I am 32 years old and am on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I have always loved school but now I dread each and every moment of it. I really want to help others and I would go to great length if I knew that this career was worth it. I was shocked to learn that many COTA's are treated badly by OTR's--Is this normal for the OT culture??????? How do I know if this isn't just a few people complaining or if this is what I'll face for my entire career. Please anyone--I need honest advice about what to do.

serena black in Dayton, Ohio said: Please somebody help me. I accidently stummbled upon this blog while researching for my OTA class. I just started the program and so far it has been an extremely NEGATIVE experience. The teachers, all OTR's are rude, hyper-critical and on the border of being abusive. I know that school is meant to challenge you but we have only been in the program 3 weeks and have not received any encouragement at all. Not one single positive word directed our way. Many of us feel that we are hated by our teachers. I am 32 years old and am on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I have always loved school but now I dread each and every moment of it. I really want to help others and I would go to great length if I knew that this career was worth it. I was shocked to learn that many COTA's are treated badly by OTR's--Is this normal for the OT culture??????? How do I know if this isn't just a few people complaining or if this is what I'll face for my entire career. Please anyone--I need honest advice about what to do.

You will be facing this throughout your career. Even though you do not want to hear this it would be better to get out while you can and seek a better profession. It is just a cut-throat, dog-eat-dog career. I am sorry to say.

My daughter has just begun her COTA program in Ohio. She has been astonished by the degrading way her teachers are treating the students. Students are literally freaking out, shaking and crying when giving presentations. What is the purpose in treating students this way? Are the instructors trying to weed people out? After reading this blog, her future as a COTA appears bleak. I am trying to talk her out of it. But she feels she will be deserting her team members. What I have read here about lack of hours, respect and jobs that can take her into retirement, leaves me with a sinking feeling. But, of course, its not my decision to make.

If you want to continue in this field you might want to get use to it. Occupational Therapists have been this way for a long time. That is why this field has a high turn over. I would go and talk to your Dean of Students and see if this helps. If not, get together with your classmates and file a petition with the colleges Board of Directors. If that does not work, find yourself another school or career. I am looking into leaving this field now that the facility I work at will be replacing me at the end of November with an OTR. OT just keeps going south.

Debbie in El Reno, OK said: If you want to continue in this field you might want to get use to it. Occupational Therapists have been this way for a long time. That is why this field has a high turn over. I would go and talk to your Dean of Students and see if this helps. If not, get together with your classmates and file a petition with the colleges Board of Directors. If that does not work, find yourself another school or career. I am looking into leaving this field now that the facility I work at will be replacing me at the end of November with an OTR. OT just keeps going south.

I read in some money magazine that COTA was one of the top ten fastest growing fields now and in the future. There is so much conflicting info on this blog. I'm being told that COTA's here in Ohio start out making 45-50 thousand per yr. but on this blog everyone's saying they don't make $--what gives?

serena black in Dayton, Ohio said: I read in some money magazine that COTA was one of the top ten fastest growing fields now and in the future. There is so much conflicting info on this blog. I'm being told that COTA's here in Ohio start out making 45-50 thousand per yr. but on this blog everyone's saying they don't make $--what gives?

And you believe everything you read in magazines? There are websites and magazines that say COTA's make 80K a year, but that does not mean I believe them. Here in Ohio, expect to make around 35K your first year... anymore, and somebody is lying to you. However, you must remember that you have licensure fees and renewals, CEU's that you have to pay for, and other unexpected expenses. The only way to find out what the market is really like, is to ask people who are currently working in the field you are looking to get into. Jobs are plentiful here in Ohio, but getting a license is not easy and can take up to three months. Also, CEU's are expensive here and most companies only pay a small portion of it.
As the old saying goes, "don't believe everything you here or read".