Natasha Smet, OTD, highlights the shared qualities that set students up for success in occupational therapy careers.
by Isabel Nelson
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Occupational therapy can be a great fit for those who demonstrate empathy, flexibility, good communication skills, and a curiosity for learning.
- An occupational therapy career is ideal for students with a drive to help people emotionally as well as physically.
- The new Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at UWS will help students of any background succeed in training for a career in OT.
What kind of people make good occupational therapists? For Natasha Smet, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, associate professor and academic fieldwork coordinator of University of Western States’ new Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, the seeds to her career path were sown in an unlikely place. “When I was in high school, a classmate said to me, ‘You should be an occupational therapist.’ I said, ‘I have no idea what that is.’” When the classmate explained it was a nod to Dr. Smet’s creative side as well as her passion for science, she took the compliment and filed the notion of OT away.
Years later, she pursued that notion, leading her to a fulfilling career in therapy and education. Now, she develops tools for inclusive education that welcomes the “beautiful differences” she sees in her students. In fact, there are many traits of a good occupational therapist that Dr. Smet sees in common in students who go on to success in that career.
If you want to learn more about how to become an occupational therapist, Dr. Smet shares inside knowledge about the signs you should become an occupational therapist.
1. Flexibility and Adaptability Make You a Strong Fit for Occupational Therapy
OT students “have to roll with things” because the field demands adaptability across diverse patients and settings.
“One of the things I think any occupational therapy student has to have is flexibility and adaptability,” Dr. Smet says. “I think that is really important. You have to roll with things.” Since the field encompasses so many settings and therapies and a diverse array of patient needs, both an OT education and the career itself call for students and practitioners to adapt to a multitude of situations.
Dr. Smet advises prospective students wondering about how to become an occupational therapist to research the field before jumping in, as those with a limited understanding of its breadth may be surprised to learn what the job entails. “They’re like, ‘What do you mean I’m going to have to wipe a person’s bottom?’” she says, “but it takes a person with an incredible ability, heart, and mind to be an occupational therapist.”
2. Curiosity and Love of Learning Are Signs You’ll Thrive as an OT
Trained as generalists, occupational therapists can “level up” their skills and pursue new settings to expand their knowledge, Dr. Smet says.
The existence of subspecialties within occupational therapy may appeal to those who are passionate about continuing their education after graduation or who like to follow new interests. Occupational therapists are trained as generalists, meaning there are opportunities to work in other areas of practice.
Dr. Smet says that, as a person who likes to keep her brain occupied, those possibilities were very exciting: “I knew that if I didn’t want to stay within one area of practice, I could change, level up my skills and change my practice setting or change my area of practice.” In a field as varied as occupational therapy, in which a student might even work with horses or dogs as therapeutic tools, a student with a curious mind and a passion for learning would likely be a good fit.
3. Enjoying Science but Not Math Doesn’t Rule Out an Occupational Therapy Career
Occupational therapy can be a “perfect fit” for science lovers who don’t necessarily excel at or enjoy math.
The health care industry can be daunting for students who found math challenging in their earlier education. Dr. Smet says occupational therapy is often a good fit for such students, and she speaks from personal experience. Although she enjoyed the biological sciences, she was intimidated by chemistry and math. “I started college a lot later than most people do because of my own fears and my self-limiting beliefs,” Dr. Smet says, “but that’s why occupational therapy was a perfect fit for me. I find it’s a profession that captures everybody for whom math and science wasn’t their strength or their perceived strength.”
Dr. Smet also believes that good educators can make those subjects more accessible to neurodivergent people too. “There’s so many talented neurodivergent people in this profession, and they go on to receive Ph.D.s in occupational therapy and other disciplines, even though they were told they weren’t good at math or science. They just hadn’t met the right educators or found their people yet.”
4. Seeking Community and Mentorship Is a Trait of Good Occupational Therapists
Dr. Smet says occupational therapy graduates often become proud colleagues with lifelong connections.
If your dream job involves networking and mentorship, you have one of the key traits of a good occupational therapist. “In this profession, we welcome you into a professional community,” Dr. Smet says. “We look forward to having you as our future colleague because we want to see you at professional conferences.”
Dr. Smet says that one of the great joys of educating in the field of occupational therapy is taking her students not just to the finish line but beyond it. “We want to be the types of people that say, ‘That was one of our graduates, and we’re so proud that they’re one of our colleagues.’” Dr. Smet says the desire to work with future students is reflected in the work that has been put into building the new OTD program. “We’re excited to welcome this new cohort joining the best profession.”
5. Empathy and Communication Skills Define Successful Occupational Therapists
Empathy is a core trait of a good occupational therapist. “You’ve got to put your heart into what you do,” Dr. Smet says.
One of the qualities Dr. Smet finds crucial in occupational therapists and OT students is empathy. “It’s very rare to find a learner coming into an occupational therapy program who doesn’t already come in wanting to be a helper,” she says. Students who don’t prioritize empathy or whose focus is only financial gain, Dr. Smet says, don’t suit the role well. “The people who think they’re coming in to make the big bucks, they don’t last very long. We can usually see those players pretty quickly and early on.” Dr. Smet says OT is a job that she puts her whole heart into, as a practitioner and an educator, and that successful occupational therapists do the same.
Dr. Smet adds that it’s also important for any health care provider to have good communication skills but that some parts of the role of an occupational therapist, particularly treating patients with specific needs or limitations, require high-level communication skills: “You have to be adaptable with your communication skills and your style, because you have to be able to communicate at varying levels to meet a patient and a client where they’re at.”
6. Creative Problem-Solvers Often Excel in Occupational Therapy Careers
Calling OTs “solution architects,” Dr. Smet highlights the blend of compassion, science, and creativity that defines the profession.
If a student enjoys using creative solutions or out-of-the-box thinking to solve problems, that might indicate they would be a good fit for occupational therapy. Dr. Smet describes herself and other OTs as “solution architects” because of their creative approaches to critical problem solving and providing care that best suits patients’ unique needs.
“Occupational therapy is a blend of compassion, science, creativity, and culture,” Dr. Smet says. “You have to have a lot of different skills to be a well-rounded occupational therapist. You have to have a good critical-thinking brain.”
7. Passion for Mental Health Care Is a Key Trait for Occupational Therapists
Occupational therapy careers go beyond physical healing. “Everything we do has a mental health component,” Dr. Smet says.
According to Dr. Smet, there’s a common misconception that occupational therapy is about treating only the hands or the upper body. OT is much more about working with the whole body, and that includes the mind. Dr. Smet says, “If you talk to a hand therapist, like our program director, Dr. Michele Tilstra, she will tell you: 90% of her job as a hand therapist is mental health, because you do most of your work talking to the person.”
“Body dysmorphia after injuries, emotional regulation in child patients, everything we do has a mental health component,” Dr. Smet says. If a career in health care appeals to you, and you value a whole-person approach to healing, occupational therapy might be an ideal career path for you to pursue.
Start Your Occupational Therapy Career With the UWS Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program
Ready to take the next step? Start your application today by completing the form below to connect with our admissions team. Discover how the UWS OTD program can help you achieve your goals.
If you’ve been wondering how to become an occupational therapist or searching for the best graduate programs for occupational therapy, the new Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program at University of Western States is built to help you succeed.
In just two years, this hybrid program prepares you with the knowledge, clinical experience, and professional support network to launch your career as an occupational therapist. Pending accreditation, graduates will also be eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Certification Exam.
Ready to take the next step? Start your application today by completing the form below to connect with our admissions team. Discover how the UWS OTD program can help you achieve your goals.