7 Success Strategies for Aspiring Physiotherapist/Occupational Therapist Assistants

As you strive to make a difference in your career and set your sights on helping others heal and thrive in their lives, you may be considering a physiotherapist assistant program or occupational therapy assistant programs. What you’ll glean in your physio courses, from industry-expert instructors will create a powerful foundation, but there’s more to know to gain the competitive edge when it comes to landing your dream job.

From a boost in your coarse-load capacity and efficiency in the clinic to improving your study-stamina and prepping you for a thriving career, these insights will set the stage for the wow-factor in your professional pursuits and, incidentally, in your personal life as well.

7 Essential Success Strategies for Aspiring PTAs/OTAs

1. Master the Art of Organization and Preparation

From the get-go of your occupational/physical therapy courses you want to hit the ground running with those organizational skills. When your classes are posted, create that big-picture calendar; list all your assignments, quizzes, exams and any other activities of priority for both school and your personal life. Buy notebooks for each course and keep your notes up to date for every class. If you miss, get the notes from a colleague right away. The information you learn in your physical therapy assistant/occupational therapy assistant classes at the beginning, is the foundation for what you’ll learn later, so set yourself up for success right away.

Prepare for the school year and each class day to day, week to week. Staying on top of your workload, and responsibilities at home, will ensure you never fall behind and are proactively embracing and applying the material. This means quizzes and assignments are a buzz and opportunity to show what you know, rather than a wild catch up and massive stress. Read the materials you can in advance. Get excited about the content. Recognize that you don’t “have to go to college”, you “get to go to college”. Realizing that this is a massive opportunity and a thrilling time in your life can be the boost you need to work ahead and stay ahead with enthusiasm. When in doubt, imagine your new life as a PTA/OTA and know it will undoubtedly all be worth it!

2. When in Doubt Reach Out

Honestly, at Anderson College we really are here to ensure you succeed. We are a family and fundamentally believe that family members support each other. Your expert-instructors have been where you are; your colleagues are in it with you. You are not alone, and our team is just a question, a meeting, a strategy session away. If you are feeling behind, if you want to know how to get a head, if you want to learn strategies for studying more efficiently, if you want to know how to prep for and nail that interview, connect. From your instructors and administrative team to our career services staff, you’ve got myriad resources at your call, so connect, from the outset and often. You’ve got this and we’ve got you!

3. Lean On and Glean From Your Peers

Not only is your leadership team here for you, but you are a part of small classes that lend themselves to creating a close-knit team to lean on as you learn together. Connect with study partners and subgroups and set up times to go over the material together, study for quizzes and exams together; test each other and support each other. If you can explain a concept to someone else, you’ve nailed it. If you need practice with a technique, take the extra time with a partner. You want to stretch your wings with all the knowledge and skills you’re gaining from your classes and clinics during your college days so that when the time comes to fly, you soar in your practicum and your career.

4. Practice Holds Powerful Purpose

One of the fabulous aspects of studying at Anderson College is all the hands-on, practical training you receive. Gaining knowledge from a resource, a textbook, even an experienced practitioner of an instructor, is awesome. But taking all those skills out for a spin yourself is the best! You’ll have access to simulated rehabilitation rooms with access to our TENS and EMS machines. You’ll perform various treatments and engage in mock therapy sessions. And after all that college practice, you’ll then apply it to life, offsite in a job practicum with potential employers. Our job is to ensure you’re skilled, confident and in demand when you graduate. Your job is to apply what you’re learning every step along the way and to …

5. Enjoy the Ride

This career draws to it those who truly want to make a difference in the lives of others, in their health, their mobility and ability to connect and move through the world, and in their well-being. These PTA/OTA courses test your limits, fill you with knowledge about the human body and how to support clients who are at a low point in their lives. This takes stamina, passion and dedication. But becoming part of a core group of people who share your vision for a fabulously rewarding career is an incredible gift. You will learn copious amounts of information but even still it won’t be as much as you will learn about yourself. It will all blow by in a flash, so every once in a while, on the easy days and when you’re in the thick of it, pause, look around, breathe it all in, keep your “why” of it all top of mind and enjoy these incredible moments in your life. You will not pass this way again.

6. Be a Goldfish

The popular show Ted Lasso brought this gem of an analogy to the surface. “You know what the happiest animal on earth is? A goldfish. Know why? It’s got a 10 second memory.”

During your time in college, you will juggle a lot, you will have high fives, and some lows, you’ll ace a test and falter on another, there will be early mornings and late nights, you will celebrate (we hope often) and there may even be a few justifiable tears. But we have to remember, in every moment of our stiving lives, anything worth having is worth working for.

And in it all … be a goldfish. Or rather, be a goldfish that holds fast to all the good bits and lets the rest goooooo.

7. From Internship to Infinity and Beyond

You’ll have this grand opportunity to take all you learned and leverage it for your future success. As you step into your placement, be determined to apply what you know, ask a zillion questions, makes contact with decision makers, serve well, learn lots and make a name for yourself that will either lead to a job offer with your practicum location or a letter of reference that will glow and land you the next opportunity. Up up up and away!!

What a thrilling experience you’ve either embarked on or are considering. These strategies, when applied with verve, will give you a head start and a spectacular chance to shine and enjoy the process all along the way.

Still exploring options for physiotherapy courses in Ontario, or how to be a physiotherapist assistant and occupational therapy assistant? To see if this career is a fit for you, take the “Anderson College Medical Professional Career Discovery Quiz”.

But if you’re ready to launch your Physiotherapist & Occupational Therapist Assistant career, we’re here to help you navigate your way. Book a virtual appointment with an Admissions Advisor today and let’s get started together.

Quick Links to Fuel Your Success!

We want to make sure you have what you need to succeed! Check out these reference links:

• Physiotherapist & Occupational Therapist Assistant Course & Program (andersoncollege.com)
• Specifics on Anderson’s PTA/OTA Program for Students – an Expert Interview
• Powerful Benefits of Physical Therapy – 10 Conditions It Can Treat
• Your Career Options as Physiotherapist/Occupational Therapist Assistant Grads