Occupational Therapists as Academicians: Myths versus Facts (Chapter 6 of Occupational Therapy in the Philippines)

At some point, it’s natural for any occupational therapy (OT) clinician to wonder about shifting to a non-clinical role. There could be a variety of valid reasons for this. Perhaps the clinician would like to have more diverse work experiences. Some therapists would also like to explore job positions that can provide sources of income that are more stable than what we get from freelancing as clinicians. Moreover, the OT practitioner might be in a place wherein getting paid for every therapy session is taking time away from family. Unfortunately, it might be difficult for therapists to break into a role that is both fulfilling and financially rewarding outside of clinical work. 

Becoming an OT educator can be one of the most viable non-clinical paths that occupational therapists can consider, assuming that they won’t become clinical supervisors, who are also academicians. The academe brings prestige and it expands one’s professional network. It can provide a relatively stable source of income for full-time faculty. Most importantly, the academe is where we mold the next generation of therapists.

So is being an OT educator right for you? In this article of the blog series, From Pages to Practice, let’s bust a few myths of what it’s like to be in the academe based on Michael Sy, Roi Charles Pineda, and Caroline Fischl’s, Occupational Therapy in the Philippines: Theory, Practice, and Stories. 

MYTH # 1: The academe is the place to be if you suck at being a clinician.

FACT: You will actually meet some of the best clinicians in the academe! Colleges love to hire them because they excel at bridging theory to clinical practice. Moreover, they know how to strengthen the resolve of undergraduate OT students to prepare them for the realities of professional life.

MYTH # 2: All good OT clinicians make good OT educators.

FACT: Just because you’re effective at handling patients does not mean that you’ll be good at teaching OT students. Being an OT educator will still require a different skill set. Although it’s crucial for OT academicians to know how to effectively manage patients, they should also have an in-depth knowledge of the academic content that OT students must learn, both in undergrad and in graduate school. They should be adept at using different teaching strategies and technologies to establish the OT students’ ethical and scientific foundations for their future practice. 

MYTH # 3: OT academicians only teach students.

FACT: OTs in the academe have many responsibilities on top of teaching students. They also do research and publish their findings. They organize events. They initiate socio-civic programs. Moreover, the administrative tasks expected of them can be very overwhelming. 

MYTH # 4: OT educators have lots of free time.

FACT: Although the full-time faculty still get paid even when they have summers and holidays off, they have a lot of take-home work that might involve checking test papers, giving feedback to interns’ patient reports, completing administrative paperwork, and developing teaching-learning materials for their courses. 

MYTH # 5: The work in the academe is boring compared to clinical work.

FACT: The academe is actually very dynamic! Because higher education institutions are the gateway to the most groundbreaking scientific findings and approaches, becoming an OT educator will put you at the forefront of the most significant changes in the field. Most importantly, the academe provides great opportunities to create a high impact by training current practitioners and the next generation of healthcare workers. It will allow you to replicate yourself as a therapist so that your strengths in the particular role that you now have (e.g., clinician, administrator, etc.) will be passed on to several students who will live out the valuable lessons that they learned from you.

Becoming an OT academician is neither a fallback option for failed clinicians nor a source of easy money. It is a calling! It’s challenging in ways that clinical work is not, but educating OT students will be one of the most fulfilling roles that you will ever have. As a lecturer at the University of the Philippines - College of Allied Medical Professions, I can attest to that! 

REFERENCE:

Sy, M., De Vera-Fevidal, C.K., & Grageda, M.E. (2025). Becoming a Filipino occupational therapy educator. In M. Sy, R.C. Pineda, & C. Fischl (Eds.), Occupational Therapy in the Philippines: Theory, Practice, and Stories (pp. 80-94). Routledge.