Career in Occupational Therapy

What: Occupational Therapy is the study of human behaviour and performance in the everyday pursuit of human occupations. It focuses on helping individuals with mental or physical illness/disabilities to achieve the highest level of functioning and wellness possible in their daily lives. Occupational Therapy is an important medical field because it involves helping to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical or mental disabilities. Occupational therapists help people who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling their ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments. The therapist helps clients not only to improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also to compensate for permanent loss of function. They also help them develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills.

Occupational Therapists have very encouraging level of income. Fresh pass-outs can get a monthly salary of Rs 8,000-10,000. However, in private sector pay packages are quite higher, which may range from Rs 15,000 to 25,000 per month depending upon skill and experiences. Occupational Therapists working independently also can earn handsome amount, which can be something between 20,000 to 1 lac per month.

How: Occupational therapists work with individuals, families, groups and populations to facilitate health and well-being through engagement or re-engagement in occupation. Occupational therapists are becoming increasingly involved in addressing the impact of social and environmental factors that contribute to exclusion and occupational deprivation. Therapeutic use of self-care, work and play activities to increase independent function, enhances development, and prevents disability.

It may include adaptation of task or environment to achieve maximum   independence and to enhance quality of life. Occupational therapists focus on making independence a reality. While complete independence may not occur depending on the extent of the disability, occupational therapists will work with the patient or client to come up with strategies, techniques, or adaptations so that they can be as independent as possible. Occupational therapists use occupations to enable this. In the context of occupational therapy, occupation refers to meaningful activity.

Entry level course for Occupational Therapists is Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy (BOT). Basic eligibility for BOT course is 10+2 pass with PCB (physics, chemistry and biology). This is a 4-years course with 6 months of compulsory internship in various clinical setting.

Where: Job opportunities in occupational therapy are available in various sectors. They can work with other medical specialties in hospitals, polyclinics, rehabilitation centres, psychiatric institutions, special schools, community mental health centres, residential care facilities, adult day-care programs, sports teams etc. Jobs in occupational therapy can be achieved in industries and architectural areas for ergonomic consultations for the higher comprehensibility by the disabled. In schools, the occupational therapists evaluate the abilities of children and recommend the therapy. The therapists help the senior citizens to lead more active, independent and fruitfulness; lives.

Institutions:                                                                                                     

• Institute of Public Health & Hygiene, New Delhi
• M.C.H. College Of Occupational Therapy, Coimbatore
• All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mumbai
• Christian Medical College, Vellore
• College of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal
• Institute Of Physically Handicapped, New Delhi