Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant Program Offers Learning in Mock and Real Life Settings

Did you know that for certain careers you can train in one program but be prepared for multiple roles? This ensures that you have more opportunities and more of a chance at snagging the job of your dreams.

At Centennial College, the physiotherapy and occupational therapy program — Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant — trains students in just two years for these two positions.

Training is a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical application at Centennial College’s Morningside Campus. The important thing to note about this campus is that it is home to classrooms that mimic real world settings. In these classrooms, students have access to tools that they would use in the field as well as dummies that serve as “patients” so that students can begin to feel comfortable with the hands-on aspects of their future careers. To compound training, students attend placements during the third and fourth semesters that challenge them to apply their skills and build their networks.

In regards to subjects covered, this program focuses on offering students knowledge that allows them to work with clients in need of assistance to perform self-care, promote movement, improve function and participate in leisure activities. Also examined are respect and caring for the uniqueness of individuals, effective communication, critical thinking and decision-making. Specific courses within this offering include: Anatomy and Physiology, Normal Function and Movement, Issues in Health Aging, Conditions Impacting Function, Establishing Therapeutic Communication, Human Lifespan Development, Mental Health Concepts and Techniques, and more.

Upon completion of this occupational therapist/ physiotherapist program, students may launch careers as Occupational Therapist Assistants who work with occupational therapists to develop a treatment regimen for the patient and then assist with things like teaching a patient who, for example, lost his or her motor skills in an accident, to eat, dress, tidy up. They may also bring them to and from the occupational therapy facility. Sometimes they may teach patients to use special equipment to ease certain daily activities. These professionals must observe and write down the details of the patients’ progress and report back to the therapists. Occupational therapy assistants may find work in hospitals, senior homes, physician clinics, occupational workshops, and special schools.

Physiotherapist assistants, on the other hand, work in clinics, rehab centers, offices, outpatient centers, education centers, research centers, extended care facilities, schools, sport training facilities, industrial places, and hospitals. Their job revolves around supervising patients while they follow a treatment plan prescribed to them by a physiotherapist. They help provide services that improve a patient’s mobility and reduce their pain, preventing them from further injuries and limiting deterioration of the condition. These professionals must also observe and write down the details of the patients’ progress and report back to the therapists.