Choosing an Undergraduate Degree

When I first started looking into graduate school for occupational therapy, I wanted to choose the best undergraduate degree.  The local universities do not provide a bachelors in occupational therapy and so I looked into the recommended majors.  I found a few different suggested majors including: Human Development and Family Studies, Health and Exercise Science, Social Work, Psychology, and Biology.

I believe these majors  can be grouped into two categories, physical sciences and the social sciences.  The ideal majors in my mind are those that are going to prepare you for your career.  If you think you want to work in rehabilitation, maybe biology or health and exercise science.  If you think you would like to work more in the social side of occupational therapy (e.g. with teenagers or in mental health) a degree in human development and family studies, psychology, or social work.  The different settings may lend themselves to different majors.  An analysis of what you think you would like to do may help in choosing the major.  Another perspective is purely a practical one, choose a major you can excel at.  Acceptance into graduate school for occupational therapy is very competitive and your GPA is perhaps the most important factor.  It is important that you choose a major that will interest you and keep you motivated.

I chose health care administration.  It may seem like an odd choice, but I feel like it provided me with a unique perspective on the world in which occupational therapists work.  Today's occupational therapists must work within the framework of insurances, both private and government.  He or she must work around and through the prism that is health care law and regulations.  I believe that my undergraduate degree has introduced me to a different side of my future career and gives me a unique perspective as I enter graduate school. I also chose administration because at some point I want to have my own practice as well as possibly be a director of a rehab department.   I believe that my degree has prepared me to take a leadership role in the field.

In the end, the choosing of an undergraduate major need not be a scary prospect.  Choose a major that you will be interested in and that will keep you motivated.  Choosing a major is an important decision but there is no reason to not enjoy the process.  Have fun! In the end that will be what keeps you motivated throughout undergraduate and graduate school.  You are going through all of this so that you can have a rewarding career.  To steal an old slogan from the Navy, "It's not a job, it's an adventure".