Occupational Therapy 2021 applicants

I'm a mature student applying to Derby University. I'm 42 with a family and I'm really hoping that I get accepted. I feel like it's my last chance. Fingers and toes crossed Good luck to everyone.

I'm a mature student applying to Derby University on the MSc Pre Registration course. I'm 42 with a family and I'm really hoping that I get accepted. I feel like it's my last chance. Fingers and toes crossed Good luck to everyone.

I'm 34 with a family. Applied to Derby and Sheffield hallam. I have everything crossed for being offered a place at one of those 2.

I’m 42 with a family too. What made you want to train/retrain as an OT?

I acted as a carer for a family member and came into contact with many HCP's along the way, including mental health and OT's. I decided I wanted to learn more about Health and Social Care so did a degree as a mature student - I loved it. I feel no personal satisfaction in the work I currently do and I'm drawn towards OT as I feel that you are working with people who are maybe facing the biggest challenge of their life. They may have had their independence stripped away from them and as an OT it's your job to problem solve and help to claw some of that independence back. This really appeals to me and I know I would get a lot of satisfaction in feeling that I'm helping people. I'm also moving from down South and near a university (Derby) that does this course. It feels like now or never to be honest. I just hope I get accepted. If I do, I intend to give it my all.

What about you BillStickers?

Thanks for sharing, sounds like a perfect move for you.

Over the last couple of years I’ve been feeling really ‘stuck’ in my career - I love bits of it but hate other bits, and had no desire to progress any higher in it. So I started exploring the things I love doing and am good at (working directly with people, supporting and enabling people to fulfil their potential, creative problem solving) and then looked at jobs and careers that might give me more of that. I was leaning towards nursing - probably mental health nursing, but then a hospital doctor I know suggested OT and as I looked into it and found out more I was really struck by the variety of clients and settings, the creative approaches, the team work, the holistic nature and the opportunity to really make a difference.

Plus OTs seem like a really happy motivated bunch (the ones I’ve spoken to anyway) and have been really encouraging and supportive about people joining the profession, which isn’t always the case with some other fields.

Best of luck with your application!

Are you applying to do the Msc too or the Bsc?

Can someone who is a parent and studies/studied an Occupational Therapy Degree - preferably MSC offer me some help. (The MSC is 2 years)

I am looking for Sep 2021 entry and I am currently 22 years old, having just graduated from History BA. The course at Brunel is 2 years long and I was looking to get pregnant midway through my first year (as I have always said I have wanted to be a young mother)

Can anyone advise me on how they found the course as parents - was it manageable, or do universities allow you to suspend final year of MSC until you are fit to join again? Because I can imagine you can't do placements while you are heavily pregnant.

I'm scared that if I graduate and I don't work for a few years (until my children are 4/5) they are going to ask about my gaps in employment. Or do places like NHS do not mind?

I just want to get my Masters out of the way - as I know that, after kids it becomes really tough to undertake both roles of a student and mother.

However, I am also concerned of being not accepted to jobs, should I look for employment after many years of graduation.

This is a career path I really want to take but I do not want to sacrifice my future children's prime years by putting them up for nursery/nanny as soon as they're born.

Any advice / experience would help greatly!

Hi! Has anyone recieved any interview invitation from Essex, Southampton, Coventry or LSBU (BSc)?

Hi all!

I'm a mature student - career changing and got two previous degrees in other fields.

I've applied to Essex, Brunel, St George's, LSBU and Bedfordshire (BSc) - have so far got an unconditional offer from Bedfordshire and have interviews coming up for St George's and LSBU

I've also applied to Essex, Brunel and LSBU for MSc and got interviews coming up for Essex and Brunel.

Would be nice to chat to fellow OT applicants

I'm about to do the MSc in OT so I can't advise you on whether you can defer a year but as you say, I would imagine that it is far from ideal to do placements while heavily pregnant. I think I would ask myself who appropriate it is to secure a place knowing that you will be getting pregnant halfway through this course. As a 43-year-old Mum, I would say that you have plenty of time to be a 'young' mum. Even if you left it another six years you would still be a young Mum; the average age to have children is 31 in the UK. I know I matured a lot during my twenties and my outlook wasn't the same at 22 as it was at 30. If you have just finished a BA in History then you won't have any significant work experience under your belt yet. Maybe it would be a good idea to defer getting pregnant until you have completed the course and got a couple of years of experience under your belt. You'd still only be 26 years old and thus a young Mum.

My children are 13 and 9 and even when they first started school, it was very difficult to hold down a full-time job. Sometimes they would be sick and need me to stay home(use a day's annual leave), there are long summer holidays to cover, etc. I ended up working 25 hours a week so that I didn't need too much after school/holiday care. Fortunately, I spent my twenties getting work experience that made it possible to work these hours and still earn a decent salary. Once you have children, your choices and options reduce significantly. I've been stuck doing a job that I don't particularly like because a)It is flexible around my children so I've had to put up with it b) until now I've not been in a position where I could stop working and retrain.

If I was in your position, or a parent advising my daughter I would say do the masters, get at least two years experience, and then consider motherhood. You would probably have far more opportunities to pick up your career, perhaps only working part-time if you've already got that experience under your belt. You don't get a second chance of those child-free years to set the foundations of a career.
Best of luck to you. I hope all your plans work out x

Thank you for a thought provoking answer.

I think I could possibly take up the masters, however working additional 2 years wouldn't be a viable approach for myself. As for working hours, I wouldn't really need to worry about working full-time whether it be now or after having kids as my husband is the main caretaker of the house - so working part time as a OT would be perfect. It's just a matter of securing the masters and having a career security and doing a career a thoroughly enjoy. I understand average age in the UK may be 31, but when you have aspirations with your husband in being parents quite young it makes it difficult.

Maybe I can take maternity leave, for second year - should situations arise and then come back for finishing of the masters. I'm still not sure. Before the application deadline, I was also thinking of getting some experience and doing a A&P Level ITEC as I saw they prefer a science profile/health related background.

Thanks again x

I had my MSc interview today for Essex!

Applied to Derby and Sheffield Hallam. So far, have an interview for Derby come through today.

Hello @hipkiss911997, It's great to hear you have applied to Sheffield Hallam! Fingers crossed for you, if you have any questions please let us know!
- Rachel