Which Healthcare Career is Right for You: OT vs PT

While both kinds of healthcare professionals share a passion for helping others, physical therapists and occupational therapists lead vastly different careers, each with their own specific challenges and clients.

Explore OT and PT admissions requirements and consider taking a tour of Pacific’s College of Health Professions campus in Hillsboro. 

For those enthusiastic about helping others, careers in physical and occupational therapy provide endless opportunities to practice compassionate, sensitive healthcare on a daily basis.

While the foundations of health science apply to both professions, the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy is large, which can make it difficult to choose between the two.

Rest assured, however, that both careers combine thoughtful problem solving, sympathetic care, intimate patient relationships, and a competitive salary, all of which lead to a high level of job satisfaction. 

Occupational therapy vs physical therapy: which should you choose? Let’s explore.

PHYSICAL THERAPY ADMISSIONS

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ADMISSIONS

Why Choose a Career in Physical or Occupational Therapy?

When considering any healthcare career, it’s important first to determine what kind of relationship you’d like to have with patients.

A career in physical therapy or occupational therapy entails daily, one-on-one interactions with those seeking help. 

In some instances PTs and OTs can form working partnerships with their patients, assisting them with acute injury or chronic disability.

But desiring close personal connections with patients isn’t the only reason to choose a career in occupational therapy or physical therapy. Other traits well suited to OT and PT include:

• A passion for problem solving. Every patient has different needs they want addressed and goals they want met through treatment. PTs and OTs work with these patients to develop flexible plans that utilize cutting-edge technology.

• Strong interpersonal skills. Recovery and skill-building take a lot of mental toughness, and therapists who can meet their patients on an emotional level can make the biggest impact.

• An interest in fostering independence. Both physical and occupational therapy are goal-oriented, with therapists assisting their patients in acquiring new or adapted skills to help them live more independent lives.

How are PT and OT careers similar?

Careers in OT and PT have a lot in common, such as foundational knowledge in medical science, kinesiology, and psychology, along with thorough clinical training.

Both careers require three years of graduate education, followed by a licensing exam. 

After school, PT and OT grads can pursue optional residencies, fellowships, and other continuing education pathways. 

Physical and occupational therapists also work in many of the same settings. 

Whether assisting recent trauma patients in hospitals, working with the elderly in assisted living environments, or performing outpatient care in private clinics, PTs and OTs have many shared spaces to collaborate. 

Regardless of which path you choose, both careers allow for advancement, challenge, and, most importantly, direct and empathetic care.  

What is the difference between PT and OT?

What distinguishes physical and occupational therapy careers is not primarily the methods and techniques used in practice, but rather the kinds of patients each therapist assists. 

Physical therapists work with anyone who wants to recover mobility loss resulting from trauma. 

While this means that PTs can provide care for everyone from toddlers to the elderly, the goals of treatment are rooted in restoring ability through motion.

Occupational therapists, on the other hand, administer treatment with more broad results in mind. 

Addressing mental, emotional, and physical impediments, OTs help those in need adapt certain disabilities or handicaps to better serve day-to-day functions such as eating, bathing, or decision making.

Occupational Therapist vs Physical Therapist: Finding Which Suits You

Deciding between pursuing a career in physical therapy vs a career in occupational therapy can seem daunting. Which should you choose?

Inquire online to speak to an expert admissions counselor and get your questions about occupational therapy school and physical therapy school answered today. 

HOW TO BECOME A PT

HOW TO BECOME AN OT