Karen Dobyns is a relatively new licensed occupational therapist who works for a school district in California. Before that, she spent a year practicing in the rural Deep South. Like many other occupational therapists, Dobyns loves her work and is happy to share with others how she got to where she is now in her career. Her job requires her to show up to a different school in the district each day of the week to work with children, honing their visual-motor or sensory-motor skills, visual perception or handwriting, depending on the needs of the child. Aside from working in the field, Dobyns also maintains a blog, Belong, OT, where she has chronicled her journey through school to become an occupational therapist, her job search after finishing school, as well as what life is like on the job. The blog is very useful for those who want an insider's look into what the process of becoming an OT is like.

Why did you decide to pursue this career field?
I chose to pursue occupational therapy because it was a health care profession that allowed me to work in a variety of settings while A) not having to go to medical school for 50 years, and B) not being responsible for life-or-death decisions. It allowed me to work with any age group and in very flexible ways, plus it is a very strong profession with a lot of growth projected.

What type of preparation did you do to get into this field?
To get into occupational therapy, you will have to look at prerequisites at each individual graduate school (you have to get at least a master's or a clinical doctorate), but most require at least three years of undergrad, and some require a college degree. The college degree can typically be in any area, however, it is probably easiest if it's a science- or psychology-based degree, because there are a lot of specific requisites in the areas of chemistry, physics, biology, psychology, human development, etc. In terms of work experience, you will have to do quite a bit of observation and shadowing of occupational therapists before you can apply to graduate school. However, once you graduate from OT school, you can go straight into the field (well, once you pass your boards and have your state license, that is!)

What types of classes and projects did you have to do?
A lot of science-based classes. We took gross anatomy and physiology (where we spent an entire semester with a cadaver!), as well as neuroscience and pathology. Also a lot of classes that had to do with "occupation" as it relates to OT—in this case, occupation refers to meaningful daily life activities, those that occupy your time, not so much vocation. We looked all across the life span. In terms of projects it will vary greatly. It could be anything from writing dissertations to research projects, to going into community outreach—many, many possibilities.

How did your education help you in your career?
My education was 100 percent necessary to get into this career—you have to have that undergraduate and then at least the master's degree to get into it, so there is no way around it. Having a strong educational background really helps you as graduate school is not easy, so strong academic skills are important.

What was your career path like in this field? 
I am an occupational therapist, so I just got a job when I graduated and had my license. It's possible to advance and become a manager of rehabilitation services or to work in other areas, and obviously to get your Ph.D. and work as faculty.

What types of skills is someone required to have to work in your position?
Well, it somewhat depends on what you go into as an occupational therapist. There are so many options. For example, I am now working in a school district, so I'm going to have to brush up on my knowledge and understanding of federal mandates in the schools, handwriting, sensory motor processing, etc. If I worked in an acute care hospital, I would need to have skills related to treatment with diagnoses such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, various diseases, etc. You learn foundational skills in OT school and then specialize later if you decide you want to. Basic skills include having strong "people" skills, flexibility and good communication.

What do you do on a typical workday?
Now that I am in the school district, a typical day starts at 7:30 a.m. where I prepare for my day, a different school each day. By 8:15 a.m. or so, I may be seeing students (either going into their classroom to work there, or pulling them out if necessary to treat in another area), and I will see students throughout the day. We may be working on their visual-motor skills, or visual perception, or sensory-motor issues, or handwriting, or anything else that has an educational impact and affects how they get through their day. I will also be consulting with teachers, the special education team and parents and doing paperwork related to the student's goals and needs. But it would be very different if you were in a rehab hospital, or a private outpatient clinic, for example. Or if you have a massive caseload versus a smaller caseload in the school system, your day will be rearranged differently. So you can't really generalize a typical day. If you are interested in the field, go explore many different placements and locations and many different OTs before you make a decision.

Do you plan to advance to another position within your career field?
I think I will be happy to be a school-based OT for a long time. If I were to advance, I would want to get a Ph.D. and perhaps write books or articles about OT, geared at mainstream publications. I could possibly go the faculty route as well. But I may very well stay an OT and just an OT forever!

What type of person do you think is best suited for a job in your field?
Someone who is flexible, open-minded, compassionate, loves health care, has a strong academic background, good communications skills, works well in interdisciplinary teams, enjoys spending time with diverse people and loves creativity!

Do you have any advice for those who are looking to launch a career in your field?
I recommend you shadow/observe as many occupational therapists and locations as you can. The more exposure you get to all the diversity, the better prepared (and the more networked) you will be when you start OT school. Try to excel academically, but also show that you are well rounded in extracurricular activities. Ideally you would be volunteering and/or working in an area closely matched to the field of OT. Mostly, just keep your eyes and mind open and research as much as you can.