<p>Also, something else to check…many programs in the allied health fields do NOT accept students into the specific major as incoming freshmen. The students enroll, and then have to apply for admission to the allied health program for their soph year. There is a minimum GPA requirement and some courses needed for this. And there is no guarantee at these types of schools that a student will get accepted. You might want to look for programs that offer admission directly to the allied health career that your son is looking for. </p>
<p>DPT (I believe that stands for Doctor of Physical Therapy)…ok…not the same as a doctorate but still a highly competitive advanced degree program that takes three years beyond the bachelors.</p>
<p>FallGirl-
Sorry that laboratory science didn’t agree with you as a career.
I’m curious what drove you away from the field.<br>
I’ve been a Med Tech for over 30 yrs in Microbiology and found it challenging and rewarding. NOT a dull moment.</p>
<p>Oh, and I guess I’m a Medical Laboratory Scientist now according to ASCP.</p>
<p>musicmom- I’m happy that you have enjoyed your career.</p>
<p>My experience was in hospitals/private labs which were very understaffed and the stress was through the roof. We were disrespected by the other medical professionals while our management were too busy trying to stay on the good side of the pathologists to support us. My co-workers and I were thrown under the bus anytime things went wrong as we were easy targets. I didn’t like working nights, evenings and 2 out of 3 weekends and holidays. After 5 years of experience I made less than the starting teachers salary in my area (and we know that they aren’t making much). Many of the people I worked with are now accountants, engineers, computer scientists, teachers, lawyers and doctors.</p>
<p>FallGirl, thanks for sharing. I think many others in the field would echo your experience and that’s too bad. The stress is undeniable, I agree.</p>
<p>Luckily, the salaries and conditions in my hospital lab are better than you had.
I’ve had opportunities to participate on committees with physicians and pharmacists, develop LIS databases, teach in our MLS internship program. Never been thrown under the bus.</p>
<p>Sure hope that there will be lab professionals to help with my care as I continue to fall apart!</p>
<p>This is interesting to read. My daughter will be starting her 3rd year at Cal Poly SLO as a Kinesiology major with an Individualized Course Study concentration on OT. So, she’s on track with the pre-reqs ready to graduate in 2014 after applying to OT grad programs. So, will she still be eligible to get a Master’s or will she need to go an additional year for a Doctor in OT? (or whatever it will be called.) One of her professors told a group of us during open house that he felt it was wrong to mandate a DPT or the equivalent in OT when he thinks the job can be performed just as well with a Master’s. Heck, our neighbor only has a Bachelor’s in OT from over 20 years ago before they changed it to a Master’s, and she’s an excellent OT. This professor just felt it was a way for the schools to make more money and assign a certain"prestige" to the title of PT and OT.</p>
<p>2Leashes: As far as I know, 2016 is a target date, but not set in stone so your daughter should be fine in 2014 with a masters degree. The doctorate program in OT is called OTD (Occupational Therapy Doctorate) and is three years versus the two year MOT or MSOT programs. Unless your daughter wants to teach, there is absolutely no reason to get the OTD degree; there is no difference in pay for a practicing OT with either a MOT, MSOT, or OTD degree (OTD degree is needed for academia, not for a practicing OT). If/when the change takes place requiring OT’s to have an OTD degree in order to be licensed, current MOT’s and MSOT’s will be grandfathered in. At my daughter’s grad school (WasH U at St. Louis), currently all prospective OT students take the same core curriculum the first year and can apply to change to either program (MSOT or OTD) in the fall of their sophomore year.</p>
<p>2Leashes, I am a PT from the entry level bachelors days over 30 years ago. When I was in school the conversation had already started about an entry level Masters. That seemed completely reasonable because of the intensity of our program that really did feel crunched. I don’t understand the change from an MS to a doctorate particularly when in some facilities is is a toss of the dice whether a patient will be treated by a Therapist with a doctorate or an assistant with an associates degree.</p>
<p>Thanks, Southmom. She will actually have her Bachelor’s in 2014. If she goes right to grad school I hope she’ll graduate with a Master’s in 2016. She’s talking about doing an internship/volunteering overseas in OT before starting grad school, but who knows! I just hope she goes right into it from undegrad. </p>
<p>Okay, I remember it was OTD now. And, yes, for academia. Hopefully, an MOT or MSOT will be all that is needed by the time my daughter is out of grad school.</p>
<p>I know that we are not allowed to post links to other sites here, but wanted to tell you to google Student Doctor Network and you’ll find a forum about all health fields. Go to the OT sub forum - it is a WEALTH of information about applying to OT schools, changes coming in the OT field, etc… It is a message board similar to College Confidential, but all geared towards potential OT students - really good info.</p>