A few days ago
Anonymous

which career do you think would be better for me: social work vs occupational therapy ?

which carer do you thnink would be better out of OT or social work?

– i like biology but HATE physics and chemistry

– im really good at english

– i want to help people

– there is a shortage of OTs in my area

– i would rather help people on a one-on-one basis

please give me your ideas, this would be much appreciated 🙂

oh and also if you are an OT or social worker (or know someone who is) who do you/they think of this career? are they happy with it?

Top 2 Answers
A few days ago
semantic_spaces

Favorite Answer

Occupational Therapy is an art & a science.

Helps enable people to perform everyday activities, a lot that we take for granted, such as putting on our socks or taking a shower. OTs help people lead independent lives, which is very rewarding. You can work in: Hospitals, Hospice Care, Outpatient Clinics, Rehab Clinics, Mental Health, Community Centers, Rural Health, Schools….etc. Types of patients/dx you might see: Autism, Amputation, Disfigurement, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Quadrapalygic, Cardiac issues, Dementia…the list goes on. There is a shortage of OTs nation wide, and this will increase as the baby boomers age.

The best thing I can suggest, and I absolutely suggest it, is go job shadow with an OT to see exactly what they do. I am job shadowing with 3 OTs right now, and there is far more to it than I had first thought. I have to have 30 hours of observations before I can get accepted into the OT program.

My mom on the other hand, loves her job too. She works in ICU & on the neuro floor at a hospital. My mom is very dedicated to her work, and usually puts in about a 10+ hour day. She has to see a lot, and deal with/make decisions for people. The pay for an OT will be higher, and you will be a practioner. In social work, my mom sets up transfers for people, hotlines people who she thinks are neglecting/abusing their kids, and she works closely with the healthcare team. She rotates with other social workers to be “on call” over the weekends/nights. (Does not mean you would be at another health setting).

I really think you should go job shadow with both OT and Social Work to see which you could see yourself doing. They both are one-on-one, but OTs are hands on. Good luck with your decision!

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A few days ago
debi jean
To me it sounds like you already know your answer,being OT.I have a friend that was a social worker,and in the end, found it to be rather sensitive.He dropped out of the field because everything was based upon bilking the patients insurance,and there was only a certain amount of time that you could talk.He found alot of injustice in the system,you may have a different experience…..however I think you want to be an OT!!!!!!
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