The Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate of Applied Science degree program can prepare you for the opportunity to help improve the quality of a person’s life and ability to perform daily activities through rehabilitative exercises and activities. Working as part of a rehabilitation team and under the supervision of an occupational therapist, you will find occupational therapy assistants in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, home health care, early intervention, school systems, and psychiatric hospitals.
The goal of occupational therapy is to help clients return to every day activities such as work, play, leisure, and home activities. In order to accomplish this, occupational therapy assistants think creatively to help clients with disabilities.
Occupational therapy assistants work alongside and under the supervision of occupational therapists. They assist occupational therapy clients as they relearn and develop typical daily life skills like eating, getting dressed, working, driving, etc. Occupational therapy assistants can be found in a variety of settings and working with many different types of patients.
Some choose to work with the elderly in their homes, nursing homes, or clinics. Others work with children, helping them to expand their skills in accomplishing fundamental activities. Still others may decide to work with patients that have disabilities that challenge their ability to perform necessary tasks.
Students enrolled in the Ross Occupational Therapy Assistant program are required to successfully complete two different fieldwork components. The first fieldwork experience is a one week full time observation based experience in a psychosocial setting. This one week fieldwork is scheduled during the same month as Intervention in Mental Health allowing students to apply academic principles to real world settings. Once students have completed all academic courses, students are required to complete two 2-month full time fieldwork experiences.
This fieldwork experience allows students to follow and learn from experienced, well respected occupational therapy assistants and occupational therapists. Not only do students build necessary clinical skills, but more importantly gain valuable patient interaction skills. In summary, the four months of fieldwork allows students to apply academic principles to real patient care. The combination of the academic coursework and the fieldwork experience serve as an appropriate starting point for students to pass the certification exam allowing them to be practicing occupational therapy assistants.
Once a student successfully completes the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Ross, they are eligible to take the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) exam through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). In order to be able to work as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, graduates must take and successfully pass the exam.
In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Ross Medical Education Center is an awesome place to attend. The Veterinary Assisting program is great. The staff is so friendly and the instructors are great!
Whitney Beach Graduate Veterinary Assistant student at Erlanger, KY campus Graduation: January 11, 2011
I was tired of saying I was going to go back to school and never taking the initiative to follow through. Finally, I did it and signed up at Ross Medical Education Center. I always doubted myself, but my instructors and the staff never did. Going to Ross was not only the best decision for me, but also for my family. I am currently working as a Medical Assistant and love my Job. If you have dreams, go for them. Never give up on your tomorrow!
Jennifer Mccray Graduate Medical Assistant student at Kokomo, IN campus Graduation: December 29, 2017
Being a student at Ross has been an amazing experience. Between working with the staff and the classwork, I feel confident that I will leave this school prepared to excel in my career.
Hannah Watts Graduate Dental Assistant student at Granger, IN campus Graduation: April 23, 2019
My experience here at Ross has been nothing short of amazing! With the small class sizes, flexible hours, friendly staff, and hands-on activities, what more could you ask for? I chose the Dental course because a smile can brighten anyone's day! I've learned that dental is not all about teeth. You will also be taught the anatomy of the human body which is very interesting and my favorite Mod so far. My instructor ensures that we are comfortable with the material before moving on. Who knew that in just 9 short months you would be out working in the community doing what you love. Ross is a great school and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to fulfill their dream in the medical field. Ross offers many different courses like medical assistant, pharmacy tech, veterinarian, dental assistant, medical billing and coding, and much more. Come check us out!
Tanisha Shemwell Graduate Dental Assistant student at Owensboro, KY campus Graduation: April 23, 1201
I thought I had my whole life to go back to school and then I had kids. Everything came to a halt and I thought it was too late for me. One night I did some digging and came across Ross Medical Education Center. I applied and instantly knew this was my chance to go back to school. It wasn't too late, and now I have graduated! Best choice I've made in making a career for myself!
Abbigail Phebus Graduate Medical Assistant student at Lafayette, IN campus Graduation: December 18, 2018
