April is Occupational Therapy Month, and at Laredo Community College, a group of students is raising awareness about the benefits of pursuing a higher education for this rewarding health career.
Terri Gonzalez, coordinator of the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program at LCC, said that OTA students are busy all month tending to their studies and spearheading different activities to promote this career to other students and the community.
Offering a presentation on student backpack awareness to their classmates is one way the OTA students are promoting this health career.
The backpack safety presentation, which will encourage students to “pack it light and wear it right,” will be on Tuesday, April 11 at 11:30 a.m. in the Kazen College Center. All students are encouraged to attend. Door prizes will be given away.
Other activities throughout the month include classroom presentations for high school and college students, and an appreciation dinner for the students’ clinical instructors.
Additionally, students will be touting the rewards of OTA careers to the community via the local news media.
Occupational therapy involves rehabilitative treatment for people of all ages who, because of physical, developmental, social or emotional problems, need specialized assistance to lead independent, productive and satisfying lives.
These healthcare professionals also provide skilled treatment to persons with substance abuse problems or eating disorders, people with burns, spinal cord injuries or amputations and persons with broken bones or other injuries resulting from falls or accidents.
Established in 1997, the two-year OTA career training program at LCC leads toward an Associate in Applied Science Degree upon completing the degree requirements.
Students interested in continuing their education as occupational therapists are able to transition to the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and acquire an entry-level master’s degree in occupational therapy.
Applications for fall 2006 admission to the OTA program at LCC are due by Thursday, June 8.
To download an application online or for more information about the OTA program, go to www.laredo.edu/healthsciences or call Gonzalez at 721-5460.
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