Occupational therapy assistant classes at Ross campuses in Hopkinsville, KY or Quad Cities.
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.
My experience at Ross is something I'll always remember. Not only did I earn my diploma in seven months, I met my best friend there! I love learning and working in fast paced environments and it fit perfectly for me. I learned everything I needed to know about being a medical assistant and the staff was so supportive and amazing! I will recommend Ross 10/10 times. Thank you everyone for your help and support!
Mara Huber Graduate Medical Assistant student at Ontario, OH campus Graduation: August 30, 2018
Ross allowed me the flexibility to continue to be a stay at home mom while going back to school. Bettering myself for my family was my main motivation.
Kailey Rahme Graduate Medical Assistant student at Lansing, MI campus Graduation: December 18, 2018
I love coming to Ross, because the teachers are great and the students create a bond. Since coming to Ross, my confidence has risen and I can't wait to start my externship.
Kylee Talmadge Graduate Medical Assistant student at Johnson City, TN campus Graduation: April 24, 2019
The education and the hands-on training I received at Ross was so much more than I ever expected. I feel so confident in my abilities for my career as a medical assistant. The staff and instructors are here to help you with anything that you need to succeed. They really do care about you and your goals in life. I recommend Ross to anyone wanting to make a positive change in their life.
Stephanie Mynatt Graduate Medical Assistant student at Muncie, IN campus Graduation: February 26, 2019
I began my journey of becoming a medical assistant at the age of 49 years young. I chose Ross in Portage and my instructors were polar opposites but they both had my success and best interest at heart. I am now a medical assistant at one of the major hospitals in the area, working in orthopedics. Ross helped me have a successful career because they trained me to be the best I could be. Thank you, Ross, for allowing me to be part of your family.
Kimberly Garner Graduate Medical Assistant student at Portage, MI campus Graduation: November 3, 2017
