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.
Instructor has me more interested in this class than any previous instructor in any college I've attended.
Kai Knudsen Graduate Veterinary Assistant student at New Baltimore, MI campus Graduation: June 12, 2019
Attending Ross Medical Education Center was the best decision I've ever made. In less than a year, I am graduated, certified, and working in my field! They give you all the resources and tools to succeed. I only wish I would have known about Ross sooner!
Bethany Morehead Graduate Medical Assistant student at Kokomo, IN campus Graduation: August 28, 2018
Ross is great. I love learning and being challenged and Ross does both of those things. Going to Ross was the smartest thing I did.
Melissa Day Graduate Veterinary Assistant student at Canton, MI campus Graduation: June 12, 2019
My name is Chana Ware. I attended Ross Medical In Portage, MI. Ross is an awesome school to attend. They have great instructors, as well as a great staff. They were very helpful and inspirational. I would not have made it without the staff at Ross. And now because of all of the support that I received from them, I can say that I have a great career as a Registered Medical Assistant.
Chana Ware Graduate Medical Assistant student at Portage, MI campus Graduation: November 27, 2018
I chose Ross Medical Education Center for schooling because I was looking for a great place to learn and start a fantastic career path. Before attending Ross, I was not sure which medical career path I wanted to enroll in. I toured the school and the administrative staff told me a little bit about each class offered. I decided to join the Dental Assistant program. Throughout the course, Ross Medical Education Center went above and beyond to make sure each student had everything they needed in order to be successful. My learning experience at Ross was exceptional! I learned so much more than I had anticipated. Ross is very hands-on and allows students to practice clinically in school and practice during externship at a medical office. I really enjoy that the school gives students the opportunity and benefit of learning "on-site" and being a part of a co-worker team. While I was on externship, I gained working confidence and efficiency on the things I was taught in school. I was able to get my radiology certification while on externship and I am now able to take x-rays on patients when needed. I've also been able to assist the dentist on procedures, sterilize instruments, set up trays and operatories. Overall, I think Ross Medical Education Center was a great school choice! I could not ask for a better school to help me prepare and start a great career! I would recommend Ross schools to anyone wanting to start a career in the medical field.
Paige White Current Dental Assistant student at Brighton, MI campus Graduation: November 25, 2019
