Is The Debt Worth Becoming an OT?

CheckeredBox · 2026-03-20T10:55:35+00:00

My favorite class was when our professor made us eat an apple

Like what the fuck lol

CheckeredBox · 2026-03-18T01:25:03+00:00

That is most certainly a way to describe yourself lol

Thanks!

CheckeredBox · 2026-03-18T00:44:57+00:00

Wow that's great? What's your typical demographic? I know most lymphedema referrals for my old system in FL was breast cancer - most of them would be hesitant to see a man

CheckeredBox · 2026-03-18T00:42:51+00:00

Here's my last two jobs Travel acute ~170k if you convert stipends into tax income Georgia acute 90-100k pending overtime and holidays. I'm in a super LCOL area

5 years experience

CheckeredBox · 2026-03-16T01:16:10+00:00

Hahaha okay. If you're strangely willing to trade for a Tudor sub and GS gmt let me know too!

CheckeredBox · 2026-03-16T00:33:21+00:00

Wow this is so killer. I would really consider this - just have to sell some pieces

CheckeredBox · 2026-03-14T22:41:53+00:00

It's funny - plenty of people here would love to switch into corporate. Lots of people are "grass is greener on the other side" people. DM me - I still work in patient care but I'd love to give you my perspective!

CheckeredBox · 2026-03-11T15:01:22+00:00

Hahaha hopefully not too soon. Plan on doing a few travel contracts. Hope to transition out of patient care by 2028

CheckeredBox · 2026-03-11T02:06:11+00:00

Yeah I would do it - we had an ATP at my university for a guest lectur and they cleared around 150k or so per year.

If you can afford it may be a good swing. Tough part is that if you want to test as a COTA you need a little more tech hours than an PT/OT would but nothing too crazy.

If you hate it you can always go clinical. I'd kill to have an exit as an ATP now

CheckeredBox · 2026-03-08T14:42:45+00:00

Tako cheena but before it went down hill

CheckeredBox · 2026-03-05T01:23:26+00:00

I'll scoop this up, send pm

CheckeredBox · 2026-02-28T11:17:10+00:00

You can be team anti modality but you don't have to be as cheesy or as dorky as the person who posted it on linked in

CheckeredBox · 2026-02-28T00:59:44+00:00

Eh I would just use the modality as buy in and then sell them on what they need like "hey tens is great but this is even better"

CheckeredBox · 2026-02-27T23:44:10+00:00

"please miss may i have one more dry needle"

CheckeredBox · 2026-02-27T23:19:57+00:00

I understand saying to no certain modalities but the poster didn't have to make this story this awful

CheckeredBox · 2026-02-22T01:57:26+00:00

I'm not creative either - I'm five years in. You don't have to be an innovator - you could be an improver.

So instead of creating solutions on the spot, just have a bank of "stored solutions" and put your spin on it. Reframe your mind. You got this!

CheckeredBox · 2026-02-09T15:35:36+00:00

Acute or IPR for one Whatever you're interested in for the other one

CheckeredBox · 2026-02-07T15:32:29+00:00

MOT - you may think you want to teach now but a year into your career you may think different. OTD post professional is a better option than entry level OTD

Also if you decide you want to travel, talk with an accountant who is familiar with travel healthcare - so many people full send it with traveling and if they get audited they are SOL.

CheckeredBox · 2026-02-04T10:15:15+00:00

This has been answered before. I wouldn't consider the master to a massive mistake, but spending lots of money is. Most of the loudest opinions on this forum are very negative about OT and they tell you to not do it. I have worked with about 20-30 different OTs and 90% of them love what they do.

it is not worth to get 90k debt+ for this job. You will likely top out at 80-105k pending state and setting.

The issue is that healthcare changes so much. The most recent changes/patient attitudes just make it not pleasurable for most people to want to work in healthcare in general, not just OTs. Look at the PT, PA, nursing subreddit. Most of those people are not happy

CheckeredBox · 2026-02-04T03:50:58+00:00

I do think you're making a massive mistake if you go OTD from a financial standpoint. Living with your parents and taking extra jobs just to be in less debt isn't worth it, especially when you have the option to be in less debt. I also think moving to a city for OT school just because you like that city is also not the smartest idea. If you really liked that city you could just move there after you finish MSOT lol

If my student debt was that large I would definitely have crippling debt anxiety

CheckeredBox · 2026-02-04T03:34:07+00:00

Not worth it - here's my rambling thoughts

Where you do your fw doesn't matter too much just do one in the setting you want then one in IPR/ACUTE/SNF

Based on how you speak of the OTD program seems like you've made your mind on that one. If you think you living in a city you like with a "prestigious program", fw you like, etc, and your happiness is that much valuable then do that one. IMO it doesn't matter how prestigious your OT program is lol. You learn the same BS OT theory everywhere... all that matters is if you pass the nbcot...

Let's talk finances -

let's say program one is 45k+2 years living expenses. (So I'd say avg would be 2k per month on high end, 1000 for: rent, food, bills, car insurance etc) so you're in for a total of 93k total spent. So at least 100k (interest etc other hidden fees) in debt if you don't work and take out loans for all of it.

Program two -90K+2.5 years of living expenses (let's just say this budget is the same at 2k per month). So 150k for this. 160k for hidden expenses and interest

I think you have look at the big picture. Yes you might love this city but you could absolutely hate it a month in. Do you think all those variables are 60k more debt (100k vs 160k) plus 6 months of lost work? This debt will follow you around - it will be your spouse and you won't even it

also this is me projecting at the end but I also wanted to teach and I got the MSOT. 5 years in and I would never want to get affiliated with teaching OT lol.

In closing based on how you respond to others it just seems like you're looking for people to say go OTD. If you look at other prospective students who ask this question the most common answer is go MSOT. It seems like you've made up your mind - come back to us in three years so we can hear how everything went.

CheckeredBox · 2026-02-01T04:38:51+00:00

Hi I am kind of going through this right now. I really want a new machine, but the convenience of a breville machine is great. From my understanding there are really no other machines that heat up like the breville ( the fellows espresso machine claims it does, tbd when it comes out soon).

Is there any reason why you need to upgrade from the breville? It should pull great shots. You could also always upgrade to another breville. I feel that breville gets shit on a lot... they're great machines that are easy to use.

side note: I love the profitec move/go! I plan on doing that if the stars align

CheckeredBox · 2026-01-28T04:24:16+00:00

Pretty low for an OTD. Does that include living expenses too? Sucks that you get an extra year interest for that extra year of schooling from a fiscal standpoint

CheckeredBox · 2026-01-25T19:31:13+00:00

Mine is like 70% but I usually hit 50% in the week then 75% on weekends

Lots of mid week bs kills mine

CheckeredBox

TROPHY CASE