General Preparation for PreOccupational Therapy
Preparation Overview
Academic Preparation
What you'll need:
- A bachelor’s degree
- Any major is appropriate, so study something you love!
- Completion of prerequisite classes
- Vary from school to school
- The most common classes are outlined below
Extracurricular Preparation
What you'll need:
- Experiences that develop and demonstrate skills in
- Communication
- Leadership
- Community service
- Research
- Familiarity with the profession
Extracurricular Preparation
- Make sure you have contact information for supervisors and physicians you work with or shadow in case you need a recommendation letter. Try to keep an open relationship with them after you discontinue activities.
- Keep a record of all hours of service and experiences. The PreHealth Planner can help with this.
- Writing reflections on each activity in a journal will be helpful when you write your personal statement.
Demonstration of Important Traits
What you'll need:
You can choose from many different extracurricular activities outside of class. The specifics of the some of them are less important than what you learn and the qualities you are able to develop and demonstrate through these activities. Two very important qualities for OTs that you should seek to demonstrate are:
- Maturity & Professionalism
OTs work with clients from a variety of backgrounds. It is important to demonstrate you can maturely interact with all clients with good interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstration of strong work ethic through various activities will show your professionalism as a future healthcare professional. - Creativity & Flexible Thinking
One of the OT’s roles is to come up with a solution for clients who have lost the ability to do things they used to do. It is important to have flexible thinking and come up with creative solutions. Try new activities and challenge yourself to demonstrate this ability.
Shadowing and Clinical Experience with Occupational Therapists
This should be one of your first experiences as a Pre-Occupational Therapy student. Observing Licensed Occupational Therapists in action, working in different environments, will help you understand the profession.
Shadowing will also help you get to know Occupational Therapists. This is important, as many programs require at least one recommendation letter from an Occupational Therapist. Many students find shadowing opportunities through volunteer experiences at medical facilities (UUOT suggests students shadow a minimum of 50 hours at least at two different settings).
Observe at least one OT long enough to get a strong recommendation letter. For UUOT, students taking OCTH 3000 (Intro to OT) at the U of U with a B grade or better will be able to waive 25 of the 50 observation hours, and will only be required to have contact with one setting other than the class.
Community Service
Because you are preparing for a humanitarian profession, it is important to have volunteer experiences that demonstrate a commitment to serving others in your community. It is suggested that this be ongoing throughout your college years prior to application for admission.
Leadership Experience
As an OT, you will be a leader and team member in many ways – with your patients, your staff, your colleagues, and in your community. Examples include offices held in organizations, committee work; leadership in church activities; coordinating a project; managing, training, supervising at work or in other activities; teaching experience of any kind; coaching; peer counseling or mentoring, etc.
Hobbies
Occupational therapy programs are interested in well-rounded students who know how to balance work with recreation. Recreation activities, including hobbies, athletics, and other pastimes, will help you relieve stress and return refreshed to your studies, and later work. Creative, hands on, hobbies are also an excellent way to demonstrate your creativity, which is an important quality in an OT.
PreOccupational Therapy Coursework
This guide is designed for applying to a range of occupational therapy programs. It is not a comprehensive list. Requirements may vary by school so applicants should look closely at what is required at the schools at which they are applying. The following list indicates the most commonly classes required or recommended by occupational therapy programs in the west and the top ten schools that University of Utah graduates attend. See a Preprofessional advisor for more information.
Students with Advance Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits in science or math should meet with a preprofessional advisor in order to discuss AP in relation to prerequisite classes. Those awarded hours may or may not be accepted to complete prerequisite coursework. Check each program’s requirements online.
Occupational therapy programs vary on their view of prerequisite classes taken at community colleges. Most will accept them. However, while some occupational therapy programs readily accept them, others will accept them but look on them less favorably. Students should be aware of this when planning their education and check with programs of interest early on. If a prerequisite has already been taken at a community college, taking a higher-level class at university can improve your application for those schools that prefer classes at a 4-year school.
There are several very good reasons for students to begin their college education at a Community College. Students are encouraged to consider their options thoughtfully and in consultation with their Academic Advisors, Financial Aid Counselors, etc.
- CLEP Credit & Correspondence Study—Credits may or may not be accepted as completed prerequisite coursework. Check each program’s requirements online.
- Online Courses—Depends on program. Ask programs you are considering applying to directly.
- Withdrawals— W’s should be used only for emergencies. W grades will not affect GPA but do count toward pace of completion. Speak to an Advisor for additional details.
- GPA— Most OT programs require minimum overall AND prerequisite GPA of 3.0. Competitive applicants for most programs have 3.5 or higher in both the overall and prerequisite GPA.
- At GovState, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0.
- Minimum Course Grade Requirement— Most programs set a minimum grade requirement for prerequisite courses of C or better.
- Grade Expiration— Many programs require certain prerequisite courses to be completed within 5 to 7 years of entering a OT program. Check each program’s requirements for more information.
- GovState does not have a time limit on coursework.
- Repeated Courses— OTCAS will include all of the grades if you repeat, but how each OT program views repeated courses varies.
- GovState will take the better grades only in prerequisite courses. However, many programs consider your performance in each class and the frequency of repeats. It is better to take a given course once and do well.
STEM Courses
Required by Most Schools
- Fundamentals of Biology
- Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II (with lab)
Do your research and verify what is required with each program you wish to apply to.
At GovState:
- Anatomy with lab (8); two semester sequence of 1000-level Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab (8) (BIOL 2200, 2201, 2210, 2211) OR one semester of 2000-level or higher with lab (4) such as Comparative Anatomy (BIOL 3360/3361) and one semester of Physiology (3) such as Human Physiology (BIOL 4444/4445)
Do your research and verify what is required with each program you wish to apply to.
Required by Most Schools
- College Algebra
- Trigonometry
- Statistics
Required by Most Schools
- One of the following: General Physics I (with lab), Kinesiology, or Biomechanics
Do your research and verify what is required with each program you wish to apply to.
Non-STEM Courses
- Two semesters of English Composition courses
At GovState:
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (9): an Abnormal Psychology course (PSYC 3430); a Developmental Psychology or Sociology/Anthropology/Lifespan course; and a General/Intro to Psychology course (e.g., PSYC 1101).
- Orientation to Occupational Therapy (2) (OCCT 2500)
- Medical Terminology (1) (HLSC 2400; OCCT 2400)
- 1 Abnormal Psychology course
- 1 Human Development course
- 1 Medical Terminology course
- 1 Cultural Anthropology course
- 1 Studio Art course
- 1 Sociology, Health Education or Gerontology course
- OCCT 2500: Orientation to Occupational Therapy (2 credits)
Preparing for Letters of Recommendation
Here are some helpful tips on how to prepare your letters of recommendation:
Types of Letters Required
Requirements for letters vary between schools, so research schools early and know what you need. Generally, you will need one letter from each of the following people. Plan ahead! Get to know people from these categories so they can write excellent letters for you. Most programs require 3 letters.
1. Occupational Therapists you shadowed or worked for/with
2. Academic (possibly a science professor)
3. Any supervisor (usually employment)
4. Other academic (possibly an Academic Advisor or another administrator)
Get to Know Your Professors!
How to Establish this Relationship
A key to a good letter is the establishment of a relationship between student and professor based on shared academic interests.
- Ask thoughtful questions and show genuine interest
- Delve deeper into concepts presented in lectures
- Share your academic and career goals
- Ask for recommendations for additional reading
- Inquire about their areas of interest and research
During the Semester
Tell professors at the beginning of the semester that you would like them to keep an eye on your performance in class. It will give them a longer observational window. Visit their offices regularly!
End of Semester
If you do well in your class, ask them if they would be willing to write you an excellent letter of recommendation when you are ready to apply.
Ask about Opportunities
After you have gotten to know professors, ask about further opportunities, e.g., teaching assistantships, individual research projects, etc.
Resources
Helpful Websites
- Coming Soon
Student Groups and Professional Organizations
- Coming Soon
Career Overview Section
- Coming Soon