Applying to study occupational therapy in the UK: a comprehensive guide

Occupational therapy (OT) is a very interesting course, which comes under the umbrella of Allied Health Professions. It tends to be one of the lesser-known healthcare professions – unlike physiotherapy, students often have little direct or indirect experience of occupational therapy.

OT is a competitive course in the UK, so in-depth research and preparation is necessary to enable international students to be successful. The website Supporting Students into Occupational Therapy provides useful information for counsellors.

What is occupational therapy?

The Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) offers a helpful definition: “Occupational therapy helps you live your best life at home, at work – and everywhere else. It’s about being able to do the things you want and have to do. That could mean helping you overcome challenges learning at school, going to work, playing sport or simply doing the dishes…

“It’s also a science-based, health and social care profession that’s regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).”  

A good starting point is to guide students to find out more about the day-to day life of an OT. If they find this interesting, they can research more about the profession, the career paths and options in their own country.

It is imperative to check if a university programme is accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, to ensure that it meets the educational quality standards set by the UK professional body, in addition to those of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists.

Occupational therapy: is it right for your students?

There is excellent guidance on how to choose a university course and what students should look for on the RCOT website. Most universities want to see work experience with an occupational therapist and reflections on what students have learned from this experience.

As healthcare professions are very demanding, if students have not researched the details of what is required – in terms of the contact hours of the course, the expectations regarding placements and the interaction with patients, which can be stressful – it can lead them to drop out of their studies.

Another key factor to emphasise is the importance of lifelong learning. Changes in treatment methods, as well as advances in technology, result in frequent updates, so continued professional development is mandatory. By giving the students pointers for research, a counsellor can help to ensure that their students build an awareness of the profession and have realistic expectations of it.

Building a strong personal statement

Start by brainstorming and mapping out ideas. Points to consider:

Students will need a detailed understanding of the role of an OT, the scope of the profession and how an OT might fit into a multidisciplinary team.

Show the universities how students have gained depth of experience, perhaps through volunteering or work experience and shadowing, or even by talking to a variety of people in different settings. It is also good to show how they have also furthered their understanding of the NHS core values and, if possible, where they have put these values into practice.

Soft skills are paramount, because an OT helps people, and empowers people to help themselves. The scope of the work extends also to mental health issues such as depression and dementia, and the job is very practical, so creativity and problem-solving are essential.

Students need to be caring and empathetic and genuinely want to help people to help themselves. OTs often deal with refugees and homeless people, as well as working to rehabilitate hospital patients after operations, and adapting people’s homes to their needs. Admissions tutors point out the importance of doing any form of voluntary work before applying, and strongly suggest that students experience speaking to a diverse range of people.

Students can also discuss interesting articles, blogs, videos or podcasts they have engaged with.

Good part-time jobs for potential OTs are shop work and bar or coffee-shop work, because they involve interacting with lots of people.

As OTs are often employed by the NHS, and students will work on placements as part of their course, students should consider how their personal values and attitudes are aligned with the NHS Constitution.

Preparing for interview

Interviews are required for OT courses at all UK universities. Here are some useful tips for your students: 

Learn more about the OT profession, so you are confident talking about it. The profession itself involves working in both health and social care, and it is useful to read more about working in health.

Study the HCPC guidance on conduct and ethics for students.

Consider key questions, such as: what is occupational therapy and what does it mean to you?

Reflect on personal experiences of friends or family who have faced any types of disorders or disabilities. 

You may be asked to watch a video and discuss it afterwards, or you may be given a scenario to work on in a group.

Think about your work experience: what you gained from it and how it has helped you to prepare for an OT course.

You may have a role-play activity involving a patient. Often, you will be tested on your communication skills and graded on how you approach the patient.

Research the university, the course and the placement opportunities, so you can talk about all of these, along with your motivation for entering the profession.

Be able to talk about specific clubs and societies you would like to join. Universities like to see how students will get involved in life beyond their course. It is also vital for health professionals to participate in other activities in order to relieve stress.

You should weave your knowledge about the OT profession and the NHS values into your answers. You should be prepared to answer questions on the challenges of the profession, some ethical issues, your personal strengths and weaknesses, how you deal with failure, how you cope with stress, your ability to reflect and listen to feedback, the positive and negative aspects of the NHS, your work or shadowing experience, as well as about the specific university and course.

How can counsellors help?

Start early!

Arrange a series of mock interviews tailored to the specific university. Arrange practice sessions with different members of staff the students don’t know well, so they get used to talking about their interests with a range of people.

For group scenarios, ask other students to help out, and assign them different characters to see how your student copes with a student who dominates the conversation or someone who says nothing. Discuss strategies for dealing with these group scenarios in your feedback.

Ensure that students are given positive and constructive feedback, so they can build their confidence and their interview skills.

If students are not native speakers, help them structure their answers in English and advise them on expressions to use (or avoid).