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Is it better to take a Clinical Research Job in Occupational Therapy?

By Susan - Thursday 9 Apr 11:00 am

When opting to go into the employ of occupational therapy, there are a vast number of choices you can make as to which arena you’d like to work in. All of these positions and the knowledge backing them up are explored by people with a clinical research job in occupational therapy. Clinical research is an integral part of occupational therapy and provides an informative platform for occupational therapists to work from.

Clinical research jobs in occupational therapy are the basis for the practice of occupational therapy and its success with the vastly different patients, cases and disabilities that walk through the door. It is basically the collection of information for treatment purposes, the valuation of this treatment and the improvement of such. Without clinical research jobs in occupational therapy, there would be no foundation for therapists to base their studies and treatments on. Clinical research jobs in occupational therapy continually update therapists and medical sources with their most recent findings with regards to occupational therapy treatment, and what works and what doesn’t.

Clinical research jobs in occupational therapy are responsible for updating findings with current research and treatment methods. Finding innovative new ways to improve occupational therapy treatments is always of primary importance for clinical researchers. Other significant duties carried out by clinical research jobs in occupational therapy include:

  • Full assessments of the results obtained from drug trials and tests
  • Measuring the results obtained in patients through continued occupational therapy treatments of varying degrees
  • Recognizing fine and gross motor patterns and responses according to specific tests and treatments
  • Implementing and putting testing in place for new treatment methods

Opting to follow the path of clinical research jobs in occupational therapy usually requires that you already have your degree in occupational therapy. It is offered as an advanced module of study. It can take from up to 8 weeks to complete the studies for clinical research jobs in occupational therapy. They are offered through private institutions as well as through Universities and local colleges.

There are clinical research jobs in occupational therapy at almost all medical institutions and occupational therapy centres. A lot of medical institutions outsource clinical research jobs in occupational therapy, so you can find a plethora of job availability through online portals or medical recruitments agencies. Jobs might be offered through your study centres.

Certain prerequisites need to be in place before considering clinical research jobs in occupational therapy. You will need to have studied or be studying occupational therapy and have your masters or doctorate degree. The clinical research advanced segment can be incorporated into your occupational therapy studies. Added to this is the basics abilities to manage numerous priorities is a plus as is having a basic knowledge of data capturing.

With such a vital need for clinical research jobs in occupational therapy and the fact that senior position salaries are competitive and almost in line with occupational therapists, there are very positive reasons as to why you should elect to take a clinical research job in occupational therapy.

Posted in: Job Search, Therapy Jobs

9 Best Occupational Therapy Job Companies to Work For

By Brad - Thursday 24 Jul 12:41 pm

Choosing a career is one thing. Once qualified, the next hurdle you are faced with is deciding which company you want to work for and where to apply to. Occupational therapy jobs are readily available in all sectors of the health and medical industry, from hospitals in the public sector, to privately owned therapy centres, and well into the business sector too. If you have had experience working previous Occupational therapy jobs, then employers might even come looking for you!

Here is a guide to some of the medical centres and hospitals that offer the top occupational therapy jobs in America. They have become renowned through the years as the most sought after companies to work for with regards to occupational therapy jobs. Listed in no particular order:

  • Tri-State Hand and Occupational Therapy, Inc. located in Cumberland, MD
  • Communicative Health Care Associates Inc, to be found in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre, a non-profit hospital and research centre in Ohio
  • Burger Rehabilitation Systems Inc, that have many clinics situated in the greater Sacramento area, Northern California
  • Wee Care Therapy, Ltd, Dyer, Indiana
  • The Children’s Hospital in Aurora, Colorado

Not only medical institutions and clinics offer exemplary employment opportunities. There are many corporate groups that have in house wellness programs and thus have available occupational therapy jobs. These businesses forward commendable and competitive employment packages to their staff and are a worthwhile direction to look in.

Some of the more well known names in this field are:

  • Google – The World’s Largest Search Engine Company
  • Microsoft – Home of the world’s most widely used computer software
  • Sears – Infamous Chain of Retail Stores
  • Siemens – Innovators in electronics
  • Intel – Advanced Computing components manufacturers
  • Dell – High end Computer Manufacturers
  • Deloitte – World famous Accountancy Firms
  • Citigroup – International Banks
  • Bank of America

Occupational therapy jobs are becoming a more recognised addition in many companies due to the fast growing wellness factor in the corporate world. The raised productivity levels that go hand in hand with wellness programs are creating a larger awareness towards the health of employees. This in turn is creating vast job opportunities for occupational therapists in the corporate world.

Posted in: Therapy Jobs

Occupational Therapy Jobs in the Public Sector vs Private Sector

By Brad - Thursday 10 Jul 11:49 am

 

Occupational therapy jobs have an added advantage over many other employment choices, in that there are equal opportunities available within both the public sector and the private sector. You can find occupational therapy jobs in any hospital, wellness centre, clinic or medical institution, but also within corporate companies, private businesses, home based businesses and within government.

 

Everything outside of the government is considered private sector, therefore all the hospitals and clinics that fall under government care and funding are regarded as public sector.

 

The choice to make here is private or public sector? What is the difference between occupational therapy jobs in the private sector as opposed to the public sector?

 

There are a few details worth mentioning that could make your decision making slightly easier.

 

  • Applying for occupational therapy jobs in the private sector is a case of you researching available jobs and selecting the ones you would like to apply to. You would then send off your resume to the prospective employers and hope for an interview to take it further
  • Applying for occupational therapy jobs in the public sector involves completion of an application form, submission of all relevant details, for example: Your ID, driver’s license, recommendations from previous employers, copies of all certifications etc. After submission, an extensive background check is completed and then you wait to hear if your application has been approved
  • Within the private sector, you would go for an interview with your intended future employer
  • In the public sector, you would sit before a panel of people within the Health Department for your interview
  • Once you have been accepted in the private sector, you would start working for the company in question
  • Within the public sector, you would only then be given your listing of available jobs and make your choice from there

 

With regards to actual working environments within both sectors, occupational therapy jobs within the privately owned companies generally pay their employees a little more than public sector institutions do. Plus there is more room to grow and progress within private sector businesses, whereas the setup with public sector health employment is slightly more rigid with less leeway.

 

On the plus side for public sector, you have the added and maybe most important benefit of job security. In privately owned businesses, if profit margins are becoming too narrow, there is a chance that you could lose your job in order for the company you work for to cut costs.

Posted in: Therapy Jobs

Educational Requirements and types of Occupational Therapy Jobs

By Brad - Monday 7 Jul 2:28 pm

 

To be able to study Occupational Therapy, there are certain requirements that each prospective student should be able to meet.

 

The University or College you are enrolling in will determine the exact specifications you need to follow. It is highly recommended that you have a strong scientific and biological background, and some Universities will specify Mathematics to be compulsory. You will need to have done some, or in a number of cases, all of the following courses:

 

  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Statistics
  • Psychology
  • Biology

 

These subjects will all give a solid grounding when entering the vast and competitive workplace of Occupational Therapy Jobs.

 

There are also a small range of health requirements that need to be adhered to with most Universities. Obviously a person working within the industry of health and medicine must come across as a role model for their clients. This is the reasoning behind the following possible health requirements.

 

  • Vaccinations – most faculties recommend having an up to date vaccination record before initiating studies
  • Certain Blood Tests
  • Skin Tests

 

There are many different forms of Occupational Therapy Jobs. Once qualified, you can specialise in a chosen domain that suits your personal inclination and interests. Some of the choices you have are:

 

  • Rehabilitative Occupational Therapy Jobs. Treating patients after accidents or injury, which is one of the more widespread choices
  • Another vast percentage specialise in Occupational Therapy jobs working with children. This form of OT includes Play Occupational Therapy, which incorporates playtime into teaching a child to sit properly or to teach them to use lazy muscles again
  • Specialising in disabilities, for example: autism, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy etc. By encouraging an improvement in fine and gross motor co-ordination and muscular stimulation
  • Occupational Therapy Jobs for clients following surgical procedures, for example: After hip or any joint replacement surgery
  • Hand Occupational Therapists, specialising in hands alone
  • Another popular direction for Occupational Therapists to follow is into the workplace where they encourage wellness, the correct postural positions to sit in and healthy habits amongst colleagues. This serves well in schools too.
  • Working with the older generation, stimulating movement amongst the more sedentary groups of people is also a popular avenue for Occupational Therapists.

 

Occupational Therapy Jobs are varied and can be moulded to fit in with many different work areas.

Posted in: Therapy Jobs