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Any Male Occupational Therapists out there?

Just wondering what makes a guy enter a career in Occupational Therapy. Most of th OT’s I know are women but there are a few men who are in this field also

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Answer #1

Hi Azir ,well the men I know who have chosen occupational therapy as a career have been raised from childhood with people in their family who suffer from autism, cerebral palsy or other learning difficulties, and the compassion they have for their loved ones reaches out to others , able to apply their understanding & knowledge and patience doing what they know best, It’s not just a job as you know, as It can be very challenging and exhausting physically and mentally, and what keeps them going is compassion, learned from first hand experience, I looked after my mother leading up to her death from cancer, and when I became a carer I’d ensure patients were recieving the same level of care and respect as they would, were they my own mother, its what their relatives would expect. Franklyn.

Answer #2

But whatabout those OT’s who are specialized in pediatrics? My son is currently undergoing a 3-4 times a week occupational therapy and one of his therapist is a male. I haven’t got any chance to ask him ‘why in the field of OT?’, because most of the time when we chat it more of regarding my son’t progress or feedbacks during his session with him. it’s just quite intriguing to know since most of their patients have sensory issues and delayed due to disorders such as autism.some claim it’s a rewarding career but it must take a lot of patience to help and teach these kids so that they will function much better.

Answer #3

One of the main drawbacks of being a male careworker is that many of the older generation of women patients feel uncomfortable being attended to by men, especially when it comes to personal care, older men have little or no say about who attends to them , but ladies require a more modesty approach by female carers, regardless of a males qualifications & experience, at the end of the day its up to the patients who they prefer, so its quite disheartening to know that however much you want to care they wont let you. Franklyn.

Answer #4

Thanks Franklyn, I really appreciate your answers. Coming from the point of view of a careworker himself, your response is really helpful. Just continue to do good and care for others..=)