Occupational Therapy
By Sybil Maimin

“I have so much fun and satisfaction on my job that sometimes, at the end of the day, I can’t believe I’m being paid to do it.” This enthusiastic affirmation of her career choice comes from Trish Pelc, OTR (Occupational Therapist Registered), a vivacious young woman born and trained in Canada, who now works at the Hand Therapy Service of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. She discovered the field of occupational therapy (OT) while in high school when she worked as a volunteer at a multi-care nursing home. At the University of Toronto, where she received a BS after completing the four-year OT program, she was drawn to the specialty of hand therapy when she realized, during a hospital internship, that it involves a high degree of creativity and improvisation. She always loved arts, crafts, and making things and recognized a natural fit with the specialty. She honed her skills during a six-month fellowship at the Philadelphia Hand Center. The OT field is very broad, however, and many concentrations are possible, including: neurological, mental and physical disabilities, ergonomics, pediatric and developmental problems, rheumatology and research.

Occupational therapists “get people back to activities of daily living.” This involves looking at a problem that limits functioning and figuring out how to reacquire needed skills. For example, a patient with an injured hand might be unable to pull a zipper or use a pen, functions necessary in his or her life. The OT will break down the activity and rebuild and strengthen necessary muscles, little by little. She may fabricate a splint or mold a cast using moist heat and thermoplastic material. Appropriate exercises with equipment such as objects to squeeze, turn, push, and pull are employed. It is important that the patient not be limited by a particular apparatus; techniques and tricks to replicate equipment at home, where exercises must be continued, are devised by the therapist. She is “always on a discovery mode,” quipped Pelc, relishing the creative side of her job. She must come up with and teach strategies for doing particular tasks and give psychological support. She must educate her patients about what happened to them, their current condition, and what to expect. Her greatest satisfaction and one of the perks of the field is seeing people get better, generally a realistic expectation.

Therapists can work in hospital settings where advantages include educational opportunities, interaction with surgeons, broad support staff, and research options. Private or group practice are alternatives which can be more lucrative (hospital therapists can expect about $40,000 to start with advanced salaries in the high $60’s). Training in the United States usually involves a 2-year master’s program. Before practicing, therapists must pass an exam given by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and obtain a license from the state in which they plan to work. The field is growing dramatically and the job market is excellent. More information can be obtained from the American Occupational Therapy Association (www.aota.org).#

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