Requirements before joining the course for occupational therapist...

MBBS as in a medicine degree? No. Once you have done your A levels, you apply to universities that offer Occupational Therapy as a degree, and then go through their application process. The UCAS deadline will be sometime in January - usually around the 15th. In terms of shadowing, usually the answer is yes. It's not impossible to get to interview without this, but it will certainly strengthen your application, and some universities will stipulate you have to have it or your application will go in the bin. This is something you need to get started with ASAP as it can sometimes be very difficult to arrange this within NHS trusts. To give you an idea, my large London trust takes 1 potential Physio and 1 potential Occupational Therapist a month for work experience / shadowing, and we get a lot of applications.

If you draw a blank in your efforts, then think outside of the box a bit. You could approach the private sector to see if they employ OT's, and see if you can arrange to spend time there. You could see if you can talk informally to an OT so that at least you have an idea of the scope of profession. I'd also suggest that if you live close to a large hospital, go there in person and head to the therapies department. If you speak to someone in person, they are more likely to be of help rather than you sending a letter that can get lost / put to the back of a large pile.

MBBS as in a medicine degree? No. Once you have done your A levels, you apply to universities that offer Occupational Therapy as a degree, and then go through their application process. The UCAS deadline will be sometime in January - usually around the 15th. In terms of shadowing, usually the answer is yes. It's not impossible to get to interview without this, but it will certainly strengthen your application, and some universities will stipulate you have to have it or your application will go in the bin. This is something you need to get started with ASAP as it can sometimes be very difficult to arrange this within NHS trusts. To give you an idea, my large London trust takes 1 potential Physio and 1 potential Occupational Therapist a month for work experience / shadowing, and we get a lot of applications.

If you draw a blank in your efforts, then think outside of the box a bit. You could approach the private sector to see if they employ OT's, and see if you can arrange to spend time there. You could see if you can talk informally to an OT so that at least you have an idea of the scope of profession. I'd also suggest that if you live close to a large hospital, go there in person and head to the therapies department. If you speak to someone in person, they are more likely to be of help rather than you sending a letter that can get lost / put to the back of a large pile.

I was also wondering if psychology was mandatory in A levels for the course ...I've taken biology, chemistry and physics...