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Occupational Therapy Personal Statement Examples

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How to write a personal statement.

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Allied Health Professional Careers

Complete Personal Statement Guide for Pre-OT Occupational Therapy School Programs

Introduction.

This detailed guide will provide you with tips, do’s, don’ts, examples, and other helpful things along the way to write your personal statement for OT school.

You may be thinking:

• Where do I even start with writing a personal statement?
• Maybe I can look for some more examples online.
• My story does not seem as exciting as these examples.
• These examples don’t really relate to me.
• I don’t like the writing style or “feeling” that these examples give me.
• How do I even go about this?

Or maybe you didn’t have any of these thoughts and you are just looking for some extra tips to polish up your personal statement before you send it to the world. This guide will still help!

While this guide was written with Pre-OT’s for occupational therapy personal statements in mind, it of course can apply to other professions such as physical therapy, speech therapy, PA, RN, even undergraduate programs.

I am not part of any admissions committee or affiliated with them in any way. However, as a graduate of an occupational therapy program, I also read and edited many other personal statements for friends and family. This guide is not a guarantee that you will get accepted or a guarantee that you will produce the best personal statement. This is just my opinion and unfortunately, the writing is all up to you!

Fortunately, you already have the hard part done – building your education, experiences, personal character, and goals!

Not quite there yet, that’s okay too – this guide will give you a preview of how to prepare to write your personal statement.

The Process

The process of writing a personal statement may involve something like:

Reflecting, getting something typed on the screen, getting writer’s block, getting distracted, taking a break, editing it, reflecting, typing some ideas, deleting those ideas, repeat, have it proofread, reading it out loud, reflecting, make more edits, and you’re done! While this sounds like a lot, it’s doable.

Set-up and Preparation

Start Early

When you feel like you are ready to write your personal statement, start writing! Don’t wait until the last minute to write. Personal statements require editing, giving it some time for your mind to clear to re-read, having it proofread by someone else, and making more edits.

Install Grammarly

We use Grammarly as a browser extension for its spellcheck and grammar check. It is really good at catching mistakes as you go and the free version is all you really need to get some basic editing done. This allows you to focus on the writing and not the spelling. Software like Grammarly also helps if you especially have a hard time with writing in general. While it can suggest edits for errors, it is up to you to write the content.  AI is not quite there yet, but we are close!

Cheating & plagiarizing

I just have to say it. Don’t cheat or plagiarize. Don’t hire someone to write for you. I hear stories of students cheating here or there, so it must still be happening. Grad school is not the time to jeopardize all the hard work you put in.

Have a back-up system for your document

It would be a huge set-back to lose all your hard work. These days, you can easily use the cloud such as Dropbox or Google Drive/Docs for storing your files. This goes for your personal statement document as well as your graduate school application files such as notes, deadlines, resumes, etc. All it takes is a coffee spilled on your laptop for you to lose all your hard work (it happened to my classmate in OT school). Better yet, back up all your data that is important to you. Lectures, recordings, assignments.

Write in a place you feel productive

It doesn’t have to be a quiet library. It just has to be what works. If it’s a coffee shop, then go there. Write in a place you associate with positive work (but also don’t get distracted too easily, e.g. a cat cafe) – like to your favorite study area.

It’s okay if it doesn’t seem perfect or even good at first

After all, you are writing something like this probably for the first time, with a unique set of experiences for a specific intention of impressing the OT’s admissions panel. It can be difficult for artists to create art or music, or write a book in one session. So don’t stress it!

• Re-research the profession, job description, duties, etc. BLS.gov is my favorite go-to for profession research. We have a video on it here .
• Follow the personal statement prompt and instructions. Read it several times to make sure. If there is a word limit, don’t go over. Double-check before you submit.
• Pay attention to the file format that is requested from the programs. Word doc? PDF? Make sure your file actually opens after you upload it and is not corrupt, if possible. If you are uploading to a central application like OTCAS, make sure you meet those guidelines.
• Write in the same tense and person throughout (“I”, first-person is fine).
• Write in an order that makes sense and flows to the reader, e.g. chronologically.
• Write with a purpose. Each sentence should be there for a reason and not be filler. Exclude extra information or too specific of information that doesn’t contribute to your story.
• Example: Nowadays, I want to be an occupational therapist first and foremost because I want to help people and really make a difference in each of their lives.
• Better example: My goal is to become an occupational therapist who makes a difference in people’s lives.
• Warning : I wouldn’t you use this specific example in your personal statement because it’s probably been overused. Try to be creative by saying how you want to “help” people in  other ways .
• Be honest, try to copy an example’s voice, do not write over-the-top or fabricate the story.
• Be politically correct and culturally sensitive.
• My personal statement didn’t have big GRE words or fancy syntax. It told a great story that was (in my opinion) to the point, compelling, persuasive, and driven.
• Describe your values and goals while highlighting your strengths.
• In my opinion, it is best to talk about college, work, and other achievements and experiences in your “adulthood”.
• Even traveling experience (shows cultural awareness) as an adult is more noteworthy than say winning a basketball game in high school (less relevant to OT)
• Tip: think about when you first were motivated to become an OT and start from there, not earlier.
• Don’t use cliches or minimize them as much you can. Readers see this a lot and it does not make a big impact on their impression of you.
• Don’t use slang/informal speech, e.g. “sticking with it” -> perseverance.
• Don’t make jokes and be careful if you decide to use humor (what may be funny to you may not be to the reader). It’s safe to leave humor out and just get to the point.
• Avoid being sarcastic.
• Pay attention to your use of OT – it can be occupational therapy or occupational therapist, but personally, I get confused when people use “OT” interchangeably.
• In my final submitted personal statement, I only abbreviated “MSOT” and “EMT” and did not “OT” once.
• Example: I got accepted to shadow at [facility] and was observing observed patients do their rehab exercises.
• Pay attention to these verbs in sentences that run longer. Consider shortening them to make it less tiring to read, avoiding avoid run-on sentences. (see what I did there?)
• Don’t abbreviate or hyphenate too often or incorrectly . If you do it one way, be sure you are at least consistent throughout. e.g. evidence-based, not evidenced based.
• O ccupational therapist is capitalized like this correctly.
• However, an Occupational Therapist is not correct if capitalized like this.
• This is the correct capitalization for an occupational therapist.
• The same goes for the field of occupational therapy.
• O ccupational therapy is capitalized correctly in this sentence.
• Abbreviations are always capitalized, e.g. OT.
• Don’t write anything negative about anyone, organization, place, etc .
• Don’t write in a negative tone, be a “Debbie Downer”
• “OTs make a lot of money.”
• “I will be the best occupational therapist because…”
• “I am the best candidate because”
• “Since I am… , therefore”
• “Unlike others”, or
• “Other professions” talking down, avoid talking about other professions in general. No one profession is better than another, the same applies to OT. Think about why OT over other professions leading to your decision to become one).
• Think about how someone in another profession, say a PT would feel after reading your personal statement. They should not feel offended after reading your personal statement, but instead think, “wow, such and such would make a great OT.” Not that OT is better than PT, that kind of thing.
• When I become an occupational therapist. If I become an occupational therapist.
• Don’t repeat yourself, you only need to say something once in its context. Of course, the bigger message can be repeated, e.g. intro and conclusion. Just don’t sound repetitive.
• Don’t use the same phrases (especially close to each other), try using different words. That doesn’t mean you should just look up words in a thesaurus. Really think about what’s the point you are trying to make.
• Don’t use profanity.
• In everyday speech we say things like, “that’s crazy”. Someone with a mental illness who really is crazy could be offended. I had a teacher whose pet-peeve was people who said things were crazy . Remove crazy from your personal statement.
• “He probably was abused since he was in a recovery program/”
• I would avoid using “ normal” too. “Occupational therapists help patients get back to their normal.” This implies the patient was abnormal before. Better words: recover, improve, rehabilitate, strengthen, adapt, overcome, etc.
• Other labels: retarded, slow, crippled, mental, insane
• You can include a facility name, e.g. Standford hospital – as long as you don’t talk about it in a negative context.
• “Standford hospital treats a lot of poor patients.” Standford hospital is a valuable asset to the community for the underserved.
• Don’t include anything that can be seen as a weakness, e.g. low GPA, took a semester off, DUI, unexplained career changes.
• This is your chance to “say” what you want to say and include your story that is not apparent in the other pre-requisites. All the other candidates likely have high GPAs and had to take the same pre-requisite courses, but they did not shadow at your facility with your patient , so here’s your chance to distinguish yourself.
• What experience may be unique to you ?
• For example, I included my experience of being an EMT to make myself stand out.
• This could backfire and show your lack of research into how broad OT can be. Don’t forget about mental health too! OT’s study to be  generalists , not specialists.
• While it’s okay to want to work with a specific population as a goal, don’t accidentally make it sound like you think OT’s only do one thing. Hope this one makes sense.

Question’s to address or reflect on

Reflect. Write. Take a break. Repeat.

• What is your experience with other backgrounds and cultures in your pre-OT journey?
• How did you realize that OT was for you? Why not PT? (Reflect, but don’t answer this directly.)
• What or who were the influence(s) or influencers?
• This is a rich opportunity to mention your specific OT shadowing experience at the stage in which you want to be an OT.
• I would include at least 1 example from this, 2 is better, but not too much either.
• Not just becoming an OT (graduating) but afterwards. e.g. 1 year post-grad, 5 years, where you see yourself 10 years out.
• What challenges did you overcome in your pre-requisite pre-OT journey?
• What sets you apart from other applicants? Why should I not pick person A or person B over you?
• Tip: research the school’s website for their mission statement, OT program background, etc. to get familiar with the specifics. If you can include and relate to some of this, even better!
• “My motivation to help others and my passion for occupational therapy will guide me to be successful in the [program].” or

Since [school] strives to “[OT program mission statement]”, I firmly believe that [school] will help me reach my goals of becoming a successful occupational therapist.

Recommendations

• Talk about why you want to be an OT, but not just to “help” people. How? Which population/community/background? Conditions? Why? Tip: three major categories of OT are: mental health, pediatrics, and adults/older adults. Nurses help people too. How is OT different for you?
• Hint: occupations ! meaningful, client-centered.
• Check out the OTDUDE Podcast and other podcasts for ideas; Episode 1: What is OT
• Reflection tip: other professions may be based on the medical model or helping people become healthy, but OT is different because…
• Check out AOTA.org for some phrasing of the profession to inspire you.
• If you are comfortable, use OT related terminology or phrases, but don’t go overboard, e.g. occupation, intervention, treatment, activities of daily living, evidence-based, collaborative, interdisciplinary, client-centered, holistic, functional. Plain English is fine, you don’t have to sound like a journal article.
• As mentioned, highlight why you would be a valuable candidate (fit) to their program. Think about not only your experience but your character and quality traits . Examples: creativity, leadership, patient, resourceful, reliability? Teamwork and communication?
• Show indirectly through your stories or experiences why you will be successful in the program and not “drop-out”. Perseverance.
• Psychologically, readers tend to remember the beginnings and end more than the middle.
• How will being an OT help you achieve your goals, career? Not just short-term, but think bigger. While this sounds cliche – OT is not just a job, it will become your life. A person’s job (and career) is a large part of their identity.
• The reader should feel like they read about a person they would want to meet in the program and in real life, someone who can contribute something to the cohort, school, faculty, alumni – long term relationship. You will not only graduate as a student but a colleague in the field of occupational therapy to the faculty.

Here is a template I created to get you started. This is of course not a magic template that works for everyone or neither was it created by any OT entity for students. Copy & paste this into your favorite word processing program and write away.

Paragraph 1

Sentence 1: Attention-grabbing sentence. Hook into your story.

Supporting sentences: Support the above story with specifics.

Concluding sentence: “Thesis statement” stating why you chose (or) may be a successful OT.

Body Paragraphs (2, 3, 4, 5, etc.)

Opening sentence: As a , I [did this, and that] at [place or company or school]

Supporting sentences: strengthen your narrative in the opening sentence. These sentences should not deviate from the opening sentence topic or story, otherwise start a new paragraph. Should answer a [ Question’s to address or reflect on] section (see above).

Concluding sentence(s): wrap everything in this story up, optionally include a transition sentence.

Concluding Paragraph

Opening sentence: restate why you will be a successful OT.

Supporting sentences: start wrapping things up. Big picture. If applying to a specific program, consider answering why this program (e.g. does its mission statement appeal to you?).

Final sentence: end strong stating that you want to be an OT. Mention because it is in your long-term goals.  Consider ending everything with the words “occupational therapist” (identity), e.g. “…be a successful occupational therapist” OR “occupational therapy”, e.g. “… to pursue a career in occupational therapy”.

Here are some examples. All identifying information and some facts were fabricated for example sake.

After graduation, I did a lot of soul searching in terms of the career I wanted to pursue. Did I want to appease my parents and pursue [career]? Should we expand [business name] and take it to the next level? I knew I wanted a career that could help people in my day-to-day, but none of those paths fulfilled that desire. After my [family member] injured her arm and was unable to return to work or help out around the house, I saw her frustration and loss of dignity. Our family took a significant financial toll. When my [family member] finally saw an occupational therapist, I motivated her to do the exercises from her care plan and she eventually regained upper arm function. My [family member’s] perseverance inspired me to become an occupational therapist to help people develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living, working, and leading active lifestyles .

• This excerpt, although really did happen, sounds cliche with phrases like soul searching, take it to the next level.
• While the reflection part and figuring out what to do may seem important, it can be shortened to and still get the message across.
• Using the family member is a good example especially since it related to a story with an occupational therapist.
• The last two sentences highlight that I know what OT is (and why I want to become one) but can be cleaned up.

I was inspired by a personal experience with an occupational therapist when my [family member] suffered a rotator cuff tear and was unable to perform her activities of daily living . My [family member] became discouraged and did not do the recommended home exercises , but I saw the value in them and helped my [family member] complete them daily to recover. I learned the value of occupational therapy and how important it is to take a holistic approach by involving caregivers .

• Mentioning ADL’s shows I know what OT’s do.
• Shows my direct involvement with OT intervention.
• Shows my understanding of OT’s holistic approach.
• Words like “value” are strong. The word caregiver is often used in OT documentation.

I was hired as a EMT at [employer] in [city] for a small business that reminded me of our own [business name]. My role as a EMT at [employer] involved caring and treating for the sick and injured that involved tasks such as CPR or patient comfort and advocacy. As an EMT I again found that I was a valuable asset to the company having known how to speak some Spanish. Patients and staff members challenged me and tested my patience. My contact with patients out in the field was a unique experience that exposed me to the reality of what a healthcare profession involved. Due to the physical demands of the job and the high stress environment, many EMTs “burned out” and quit. I admit that I have thought about quitting, but I found the interactions with my patients far more rewarding and continued to work close to two years as an EMT. Working closely with these patients taught me to be sensitive to each person and their unique experiences. As an EMT, I developed my critical thinking skills to adapt the environment to my patients in order to safely transfer care, as well as educate patients on how to minimize hazards and prevent further injuries. Hearing my patients personally thank me for my care and education reassured me that I was pursuing the right career in helping patients resume their activities of daily living and accomplish their own goals.

• How would you improve this example?
• Lots of specifics can be taken out like employer name, city.
• Role as EMT is well-known, better to include more significant things such as experience, outcome, or relevance to OT.
• Being bilingual is nice, but more for a resume than a personal statement as it does not add to the story.
• Leave out specific thought process of thinking about quitting (weaknesses). Perseverance was also already shared in a previous example – talk about another quality instead, e.g. stress management, working with diverse population, fast-paced environment, patient education as an EMT and how it translates to OT.
• Reflect on how one story can share multiple strengths you have not mentioned so far in previous examples.
• The example does not translate or relate back to OT in a clear manner, but alludes to the qualities of one. This can be written to be more obvious because EMT and OT have very similar qualities that are needed to be good practitioners.

As an EMT, I developed my critical thinking skills with my patients in order to safely transfer care and educate patients on how to prevent further injuries. Hearing my patients personally thank me for my care and education reassures me that I am pursuing the right career by helping patients resume their activities of daily living and accomplish their own goals .

Much shorter, to the point, and use of effective words that highlight what OT’s also do – educate, doing it safely, prevention of disease and injury, and meeting client’s goals.

FAQ and Self-Doubt

Addressing negative self-talk and negative beliefs about yourself.

“This is my 100th time applying…”

Maybe it will be your 101st that you get in. You see this all the time with graduates taking the board exam who fail X number of times. Don’t give up!

“I was never good at writing.”

Writing takes practice. I never liked writing in grade school. Now I enjoy writing about OT. So use your resources, e.g. spell-check, someone to proof-read, reading other examples. You CAN do it.

“My experience is not that special.”

Not everyone did CPR on their patient, observed a miraculous rehab recovery, etc. It’s what you make of the moments, how you interpret it, become inspired by it, how it changes you, and make you want to be an OT. It’s all from YOUR perspective. You can take 2 people who watch the same movie. One person could be moved by it and the other not be interested, right?

“The more I read this, the more I feel like it is not good enough.”

Take a break, put it down, and come back to it. Have someone else read it and get their opinion. Sometimes, we get stuck in our own thoughts and they can trick us and lead us down a negative path of thinking.

“I have the opposite problem, I have too much to write about and not enough room.”

You can probably take our your younger experiences. Leave the “resume” stuff out. Try to pick the most “OT” related or healthcare moments. If you do not have these examples to draw from, choose ones that fit the characteristics of a good OT. Each example should not be a repeated theme of another and highlight something profound.

“Now I am not so sure what OT’s do anymore, after writing all this.”

Go on BLS.gov for OT’s, listen to OT podcasts (to become inspired), watch some YouTubers on OT.

“I am having doubts about OT vs. (other profession)”

Avoid reading forums, facebook groups, Reddit for OT. These are often skewed towards OTs who may be burned out (which could happen for any other profession on social media). Dig deep into why you wanted to be an OT in the first place! If still in doubt, maybe you should observe some more, talk to some more OT’s and listen to some OT podcasts (because they are positive about the profession usually). I would avoid YouTube as many who are burned out could make videos.

“No one can proofread my personal statement.”

Try writing workshops, a school or public library, or similar resources. A simple google search could help and you won’t necessarily need to pay. Avoid suspicious websites and  uploading  your work to avoid others from plagiarizing you. Use people or resources that you trust.

“This is my 100th draft, it’s not perfect yet”

Deadlines will often help with this. Don’t let them catch you off guard. Consider going back and making an outline and seeing if you covered everything you want to talk about. A timer may help. Get the approval of at least 2 readers to give you support for how awesome your personal statement is.

“I don’t know where to start in writing”

That’s okay, start writing about a story or experience you have in mind and build around it. Start in the middle as intros and conclusions can be very difficult to begin writing.

• Read some other examples online, but don’t stress about it. If possible, have someone who may have been accepted to a graduate program send you theirs. You can use it as a template or for inspiration to the types of stores, tone, conclusion paragraph used, etc.
• Set a timer (e.g. Pomodoro method) so you won’t stress out and remind yourself to take breaks, move-on, just get something out and fix it later. Exact grammar, spelling, and other “writing” can be fixed later – focus on content.
• Get into a habit of writing, set a schedule …or do it randomly, no-schedule (whatever works for you ). Maybe it’s writing every other day in the morning, after a nap, after playing video games, after a meal, after walking your dog, or whatever sets you up for success.
• Have at least 2 people read (and edit) your personal statement. Don’t take it personally and not all suggestions are necessarily correct.
• In the earlier stages of writing, if deciding between two stories or segments in your writing, consider having two drafts and see which one your proof-readers prefer.
• Read your personal statement out loud, spaced out, e.g. 1 week later (when it is no longer fresh and you forgot some of what you wrote). Make edits as needed.
• Candidates come from all walks of life, have different personalities (e.g. type-A vs. B), extroverted vs. introverted, outspoken vs. quiet – so some of these tips (or your editor suggestions) may not appeal to you or seem unnatural, etc. This can be your strength. Follow your gut. It’s not like OT schools are only looking for outspoken, extroverted candidates. It’s how you use those qualities to better the world with OT. This is what makes you unique, special, and distinguished. Highlight those features!
• Take care of yourself – eat well, exercise, manage your stress, breathe.

Thank you for reading this long guide. I wish you the best in your journey to becoming an occupational therapist (or whatever career). See you all in the field!

Write an Awesome Personal Statement for OT School

So you want to be an occupational therapist, but you still have to jump through the many hoops of applying for grad programs. One mandatory part of the process is writing a great personal statement specifically for occupational therapy school, which can be pretty intimidating when it’s time to put pen to paper.

Well, I’m here to help!

I personally spent quite a bit of time crafting the best possible personal statement I could for OT school, and have since read and edited many, many personal statements from pre-OT applicants. (Want me to edit yours? Sign up here !)

These are my top tips for you to craft a great occupational therapy personal statement that will help you stand out from the large crowd of pre-OT applicants. 

First, the Do’s and Dont’s of Statement Writing

• Do start early: Give yourself enough time to brainstorm, write, and revise your personal statement well before the deadline. This will really reduce your feelings of stress and being rushed.
• Do show sincerity in your writing. It’s encouraged to let your positive emotions and enthusiasm shine through. 
• Do talk about why you want to be an occupational therapist. You want the programs to see that you are serious about this decision. You are not just applying because you can’t think of anything else to do for a career.
• Do in one way or another demonstrate through your writing that you know what OT is and why it’s important.
• Do showcase why you’ll make a great addition to their program, adding unique qualities that will differentiate you from the other applicants. 
• Do talk about your shadowing experience, volunteering and work experience that is relevant to the field of OT. Make sure you keep patient information confidential if you discuss certain cases you observed.
• Do feel free to use the language of OT if you know it and are familiar with it (i.e. interventions, treatments, occupations, goals, evidence-based, functional treatments, etc.)
• Do tie your personal statement together. If you make several different points, try to piece them together for the reader to show that you’ve really thought through the big picture.
• Do have at least two people (but the more the better) read and proofread the final draft of your statement. Ask friends, family members, and someone at your school’s writing center. This can help spark ideas and ensure your application is completely free of typos or grammatical errors. The last thing you want is admissions to immediately notice any glaring spelling mistakes that you may have missed.
• Do keep the length to 1-2 pages max. You want it to be short and sweet. If any sentence or paragraph looks unnecessary after you do a final read-through, get rid of it. As a general rule, personal statements run on average 600-800 words.

Don’t…

• Don’t start your essay with clichés. In fact, leave them out of your statement altogether. An example of this is “I’ve always wanted to help people” (they see this all the time).
• Don’t plagiarize. There are a lot of personal statement examples on the internet that you can absolutely use to guide your writing process. Do not use them word for word. Programs can find out and will exclude your application.  U se the examples as templates of what kind of content you’ll cover in your statement.
• Don’t try to be humorous in your personal statement. Even if you’re hilarious, this is not the time to show this. 
• Don’t just talk about your childhood. Focus on college and post college achievements unless something in your childhood or adolescence is what drove you to a career in occupational therapy. Remember that this isn’t an autobiography, it’s a statement on why you’ll be a great OT.
• Don’t guess what you think the reader wants you to say. Be honest and don’t write in a way that is out of line with who you really are. Don’t just write something to try to impress people.
• Don’t be a downer. Avoid going into detail about your dislikes, negative views, or problems in your life. If you have a low GPA or lack of experience, don’t mention it unless you can put a positive spin on it. Listing excuses for your low GPA or GRE score isn’t a good idea either, unless you really feel the need to tie in why your GPA is lower but how you’ll be an awesome therapist despite this.
• Don’t mention specific programs in your statement if you’re using OTCAS . It will be sent to every school you apply to and therefore won’t make sense. If you apply to an individual school (not on OTCAS) then absolutely mention the school and why you’re passionate about their program.

Check out the How Get Into OT School Guide! It’s the most comprehensive resource that covers everything you need to know.

Ask yourself this question:.

A bonus tip I found while perusing the Student Doctor Network Forums while researching this topic, which is to ask yourself this question:

“Can you replace your personal statement with a degree other than OT?  If not, it’s solid. If you can, then try to revise to make it only relevant to OT.”

And that’s a wrap!

If you have any other tips or tricks you’ve discovered while writing your personal statement for OT school, please feel free to add them in the comments section. I wish you the best of luck with your statement writing and your overall OT school application process!

Be sure to check out these other helpful resources:

Writing the Personal Statement (Purdue OWL)

Start Your Grad School Personal Statement in Just 1 Hour! (The Muse)

Writing a Personal Statement (Emory Pre-Health Advising)

5 Big Mistakes I Made When Applying to OT School (My OT Spot)

This post was last updated on May 12, 2023.

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As I’m working on my application essay this week, your article is very helpful! Thank you.

I’m so glad it was helpful for you 🙂 Best of luck with your applications!

Thank you for this article! I just wanted to know, do you offer services proof reading other people’s personal statements? That would be really helpful for me!

Hi May, I do offer personal statement reviewing that you can set up here . Instead of the traditional coaching call that’s linked, it will instead entail personal statement edits and feedback via email 🙂

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• Personal Statements
• Occupational Therapy personal statement

Occupational Therapy Personal Statement Example

Sample statement.

Occupational Therapy is a highly rewarding career that allows you to meet a range of people from different backgrounds and get real job satisfaction. If you’re planning on applying to study Occupational Therapy at university, and you’re struggling with your personal statement, here is an example to help you out:

I have been interested in a career within the care industry for a long time and after completing various work experience placements I have decided that Occupational Therapy is the correct career path for me.

At school I spent time at a paediatric ward as part of my work experience placement and was able to shadow various members of staff, including the paediatric occupational therapists.

I got to see first-hand how different therapy techniques, such as art therapy, can be combined with an individual’s care plan to give them as normal a life as possible. This placement gave me a valuable insight into the daily life of an occupational therapist and convinced me that I was making the right career choice.

During my time at college I was employed part time in a care home for the elderly as a kitchen assistant. This allowed me to become familiar with one of the environments that an occupational therapist could find themself in. My time at the care home also allowed me to see how different kinds of specialist equipment and therapy can be used to make a real difference to a patient’s life.

My time at school and college, as well as my part time work, has helped me to develop my communication and teamwork skills. I enjoy interacting with other people and meeting new people. I also enjoy learning about how the human brain works, which is why I studied Psychology and Sociology at A Level.

I hope that my time at university will enable to me to further understand how people interact with each other and develop the vital skills I need to become a good occupational therapist. I look forward to the new challenges life at university will bring.

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Instructions >  Personal Statement

Your personal essay should address why you selected OT as a career and how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to your immediate and long term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you to achieve your goals.

Do NOT make your essay program specific as the same essay will be sent to each program that you applied to.

Technical Requirements You are encouraged to compose your essay in a text-only word processor (e.g., Notepad), review your essay for errors, then cut and paste the final version into the text box above. Click the Save button and then return to the Personal Essay to review the formatting of your text. You are limited to approximately 1 page (7500 characters, including spaces). Some formatting characters used in programs like Word (angled quotes, accents, special characters) will not display properly. Take care to review your final text and to make the necessary corrections to the format. Some formatting characters used in programs like Word (angled quotes, accents, special characters, bold, underline or italics) will not display properly. You can NOT make any edits to your personal statement after you have e-submitted your completed application to OTCAS. OTCAS does not review your essay response for grammar or content.

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Mailing Address: University of Houston ATTN: Health Professions Advising Center University Classroom & Business Building Room 215 4242 Martin Luther King Boulevard Houston, TX 77204 Google Maps

Although most applicants focus on GPA and test-scores, the personal statement is a very important component of your application and should be carefully composed. This is your opportunity to highlight things about yourself that may not be mentioned in other sections of your application and to distinguish yourself from other applicants.

You should have several different people objectively read your personal statement and provide constructive feedback. In addition to the Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) , your letter writers are often a great option. There are also resources on campus that can assist you, such as the UH Writing Center , University Career Services , and your major advisor. Consider the feedback you receive carefully, but be sure that the personal statement is still written in your voice!

Below we have outlined some advice and general guidelines to consider while writing your personal statement. Keep in mind that these recommendations are not restricted to medical/dental applications, but can be applied while writing essays for any healthcare professional program.

• See also UH University Career Services Personal Statement Tips
• Sign up for the UH Writing Center Personal Statement Workshops

Types of Prompts

Before beginning your personal statement, it is important you carefully review the specific question (or prompt) that is being asked and the character-limit, as there can be distinct differences between the application services.

TMDSAS ( 5000 characters ):

• Explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. You are asked to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician.
• Explain your motivation to seek a career in dentistry. You are asked to discuss your philosophy of the dental profession and indicate your goals relevant to the profession.
• Personal Characteristics Essay - Learning from others is enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe your personal characteristics (background, talents, skills, etc.) or experiences that would add to the educational experience of others. The personal characteristics essay is required to all applicants and limited to 2500 characters, including spaces.
• Optional Essay – The optional essay is an opportunity to provide the admissions committee(s) with a broader picture of who you are as an applicant. The essay is optional, however, you are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. Consider briefly discussing any unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application which have not previously been presented. Optional Essay is limited to 2500 characters, including spaces.

AMCAS ( 5300 characters ):

• Why have you selected the field of medicine?
• What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
• What do you want medical schools to know about you that has not been disclosed in other sections of the application?

AACOMAS ( 5300 characters ):

• What motivates you to learn more about osteopathic medicine?

AADSAS ( 4500 characters ):

• Explain a defining moment that helped steer you toward a career in dentistry. Consider using that moment as the focal point of your essay.
• Be colorful, positive, imaginative and personal when discussing why you are a good candidate for dental school. Ask yourself—in a pile of 100 applications, would I enjoy reading my statement? Be sure to convey your passion for dentistry in your statement.
• Be yourself.  Don’t use jargon, clichés or big phrases that you would not use in daily conversation. Remember, dental schools want to know about the real you.
• Be original and thoughtful: Discuss how you would contribute to the profession and patient care, all of which will help you stand out from other applicants.

AACPMAS (4500 characters):

• State below why you are interested in becoming a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine. Provide information about your development for a career in Podiatric Medicine

CASPA (5000 characters):

• In the space provided write a brief statement expressing your motivation or desire to become a physician assistant.

OptomCAS (4500 characters) :

Essays can be customized for each individual Optometry program.  Most Optometry schools include this as their main essay question:

• Please describe what inspires your decision for becoming an optometrist, including your preparation for training in this profession, your aptitude and motivation, the basis for your interest in optometry, and your future career.

OTCAS (no character limit):

• Your Personal Statement should address why you selected OT as a career and how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals.

PTCAS (4500 characters):

• Prompt: Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that "help" others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experiences with physical therapy and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

PharmCAS (4500 characters):

• Your Personal Essay should address why you selected pharmacy as a career. How the Doctor of Pharmacy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. You should describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals.

VMCAS (1000 characters):

• There are many career choices within the veterinary What are your future career goals and why?
• In what ways do veterinarians contribute to society and what do you hope to contribute?
• Consider the breadth of society which veterinarians What attributes do you believe are essential to be successful within the veterinary profession? Of these attributes, which do you possess and how have you demonstrated these in the past?

When should I start writing?

You should begin working on your personal statement early in the spring semester prior to your intended application year and submitting your application materials to HPAC (if applicable).  Remember that the people who are helping you with your statement will need time to review it and you will need time to work through multiple drafts before submission.  In addition, some of your letter writers may want to see a copy of your personal statement before they write your letter, so you should strive to have a competent draft by mid-March.

What should be included?

It is important to treat the personal statement as an answer to a question (i.e., the prompt), rather than the opportunity to flex your creative writing muscles. Indeed, most applicants are STEM majors without much experience in creative writing; therefore, it is recommended that you avoid using the essay to practice your creative writing skills and stick to simply addressing the prompt in a direct, concise way. Some questions you may want to consider while planning your essay are:

• Why have you selected the field of medicine, dentistry, or other health profession?
• What motivates you to learn more about medicine, dentistry, or other health profession?
• How have you demonstrated your interest and commitment to your decision?
• What experiences have allowed you to develop the skills necessary to be successful in this program and to become an effective physician, dentist, PA, etc.?
• Did you have any exposure to role models who influenced your decision? Which of their attributes inspired you?
• Are your perceptions of this profession realistic?
• What are your professional goals?
• Is there anything you wish for your chosen health professional schools to know about you that has not been disclosed in other sections of the application?

Depending on the nature of the prompt, you may also wish to include information such as:

• Unique hardships, challenges, or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits.
• Commentary on significant fluctuations in your academic record that are not explained elsewhere in your application.

What should NOT be included?

• Avoid clichés and over-using/mis-using terms : How many times do you think admissions committees have read the phrase, “I want to become a physician because I like science and I want to help people”? Similarly, words like empathy and passion are, while applicable, can become empty in meaning when overused or misused. Consider exemplifying these terms, rather than simply stating them.
• Avoid unnecessary drama: While you may feel compelled to "hook" the reader with a dramatic opening to your statement, doing so may detract from the overall purpose (i.e., describing your decision to pursue medicine/dentistry) and may induce many an eye-roll by committee members.
• Avoid being vague : "[Insert experience] was challenging and rewarding." What does that mean? Be specific about what was impactful and how it affected you.
• Avoid brash decision-making :  Your decision to become a doctor/dentist should be the result of a series of thoughtful, conscious, and reflective decisions. NOT an instantaneous realization or epiphany. Similarly, you have not “always known” that you want to be a physician/dentist. No one is "born to be a doctor." Nothing is innate, you have to work for it.
• Avoid excuses :  In general, there are better uses for your personal statement than explaining away and justifying poor grades, incidents of misconduct, etc. Indeed, TMDSAS offers additional essays and opportunities to discuss these issues. However, if you choose to address these subjects, be sure to focus on what you have learned from those incidents and how your experiences have made you a stronger person.  Always accept responsibility and avoid blaming anyone else for your decisions or mistakes.
• Avoid restating your resume or activities section :  Choose ONE or TWO significant and distinguishing experiences to elaborate upon when outline the reasons behind your decision to pursue a career in healthcare. There is no need to narrate completely your 4+ years of college or carefully detail your activities from year to year; indeed, there are other sections in the application where you can detail your experiences and what you learned from each.
• Avoid grandiosity :  Claiming that you plan to cure cancer (or HIV, or healthcare disparities, or anything else) shows a grave lack of understanding of whatever problem you are planning to solve. Similarly, avoid “I know what it is like to be a physician/dentist from [shadowing/clinical volunteer experience].”  No, you do not.  That is precisely why you are hoping to go to medical/dental school.
• Avoid inflammatory or controversial topics :  You do not know the values, beliefs, and background of the committee member reading your essay.  For these reasons, you are advised to avoid making any strong statements regarding politics, religion, and other polarizing topics.  Be extremely cautious to avoid expressing any views that could be construed as derogatory to any group.  Additionally, your beliefs are not the only “correct” beliefs. 
• Do not lie :  Honesty and ethical behavior are the hallmarks of being a healthcare professional. Do not include details anywhere in your application or essay that you are not prepared to talk about or that are simply untrue.

Additional Recommendations

• Use simple formatting : Avoid the use of bullet-points, italics, and symbols.
• Read your statement aloud : As you draft your statement, reading what you have written aloud can help you determine whether your writing "flows" well and is an easy read for a reviewer.

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Consider These Occupational Therapy Personal Statements

Table of Contents

Personal statements are a standard encounter in professional and student life. They give recruiters a glimpse into our personalities and help them understand our goals. While an  occupational therapist personal statement  might seem like a daunting task, there are tips and examples you can use as a guide. Read til the end to learn more about them.

But first, we need to establish a few fundamentals.

What is an Occupational Therapist?

 An occupational therapist is a healthcare specialist who works with patients of all ages to help them develop, recover and maintain daily living skills. Through creative activities and purposeful engagements, the OT helps people overcome physical or mental limitations in order to lead satisfying and productive lives.

An OT’s clients include any person whose mobility and mental faculties have been impaired by birth defects, accidents, and developmental issues. 

OTs strive to enhance the quality of life for clients across numerous settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, rehabilitation centers, and private practice. 

The Importance of Personal Statements

Personal statements are standard requirements for job applications and special course applications. They are special essays that allow candidates to introduce themselves and highlight the key aspects of their professional and educational background .

Personal statements outline an applicant’s experience, skills, values, and commitments relevant to their intended venture and give a holistic view of their character. They focus on demonstrating an individual’s ability to be a productive member of an organization and show how they are suitable for a role. 

The true value of personal statements lies in their ability to create impressions. They influence a recruiter’s perception of an applicant, allowing candidates to showcase their individuality.

Tips for Writing an Occupational Therapist Personal Statement

Writing an  occupational therapist personal statement  is a straightforward task that relies heavily on your exposition and word choice. You can simplify your task by following these tips: 

1. Highlight your unique qualifications and experiences relevant to occupational therapy – this could include any related work experience, internships, research, or other special interests. 

2. Utilize storytelling techniques to describe how you became interested in the field of occupational therapy and what drove you to pursue it. 

3. Focus on conveying your passion for helping people with physical disabilities while demonstrating knowledge of evidence-based practices and modalities. 

4. Incorporate specific examples that illustrate your strong communication skills and empathy when working with patients. 

5. Be concise and make sure every sentence contains a vivid image, descriptive word, or phrase that sets it apart from others.

If you need a bit more help applying these tips, check out the examples from our Hey INK tool in the following section.

Occupational Therapist Personal Statement Examples

As a seasoned occupational therapist, I am passionate about empowering my clients to reach their full potential. Through evidence-based practices and experiential interventions, I strive to enhance the lives of individuals in need by providing meaningful and impactful care. 

My collaborative approach helps me foster trusting relationships with clients, enabling them to build confidence and resilience as they navigate life’s challenges. I devise innovative solutions tailored to each individual and combine treatment with entertainment to maximize their effectiveness. 

By leveraging my expertise in neurodiversity, disability studies, and cognitive rehabilitation, I ensure all participants receive holistic treatments and personalized support throughout the journey.

I have been working in occupational therapy for several years and am passionate about helping those in need. During my career, I have had the privilege to shadow some of the top therapists and observe their techniques first-hand. 

This experience gave me a greater appreciation for how important quality care is when it comes to treating patients. Additionally, through college courses and seminars, I learned different ways to apply my knowledge to help people heal. 

I believe that my education, volunteer experiences, and personal dedication make me an ideal candidate for any position related to occupational therapy. It is my great pride to be part of a profession that offers so many rewarding and meaningful benefits. 

I feel fortunate to be part of such a respected and meaningful profession. I am confident that I can bring a lot to the table when it comes to providing high-quality healthcare. My goal is to use my skills and knowledge to offer a level of service that exceeds expectations. Ultimately, I want to continue pursuing my career aspirations in this exciting and ever-changing industry!

I have always enjoyed being able to help others. When I decided on a career path as an Occupational Therapist, it felt like a natural fit. I am committed to providing the best care available to assist patients and their families through the process of reclaiming health and well-being. 

On any given day, I’m looking for ways to read a patient’s progress. I teach them how to use different resources and look at how the family can work together to create contentment in life. 

It is truly rewarding to be able to think back on all the people I’ve been able to assist and complete this journey with. Working as an occupational therapist has been one of the most satisfying experiences I have ever had.

An occupational therapist personal statement is a descriptive essay that shows recruiters and admissions board representatives who you are . They can affect how recruiters perceive you and your suitability for a job or course.

Take the time to practice writing your personal statements, and remember to apply our tips. They can help you crystallize good habits that will serve you in every aspect of writing.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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How to apply for occupational therapy university courses

Applying for an occupational therapy programme is an exciting time as you are taking the first steps towards becoming a qualified occupational therapist.

Before submitting your application to become an occupational therapy student:

Selecting where you would like to study occupational therapy

Take some time to consider which occupational therapy programme is right for you. Things to consider include the location of the university, the campus facilities and the learning structure of the programme, for example,

• Does the university deliver some of the programme online? 
• Is there a part-time route available to facilitate those who have child-care, other caring roles or other needs?
• Does the university offer the apprenticeship route to occupational therapy (available in England only at present)?
• Is there an accelerated Masters programme available for people who already have an undergraduate degree in a related subject?
• Is the campus easy to reach by public transport and to assist you when on placements?
• What accommodation is available for students?
• Are there opportunities to undertake placement or some of the learning overseas?
• Where might the practice placement elements take place?
• What equality, diversity and inclusion policies does the university have in place?
• What resources staffing and support does the occupational therapy programme offer?

Think about how you like to learn, and research which occupational therapy programme accommodates that the most. The admissions team at your selected university will be able to give you much more information when you make contact with them, and it’s a good idea to check out the university campus websites too.

Attending open days are also a great opportunity to meet the teaching team and talk to current occupational therapy students at the university.  Nowadays as a result of the COVID pandemic, some of these open days will have been held as online events but should still allow you to ‘meet’ the teaching teams and some fellow student applicants, as well as take a virtual tour of the university.

Also, it is important to check to see if the occupational therapy programme is accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.  This means that the programme meets the educational quality standards set by the UK professional body as well as (via delegated authority) the World Federation of Occupational Therapists   and that you could work abroad in most countries of the world with the degree that you attain in the UK.

Obtaining work experience

Most universities also request that for you to be eligible to apply onto an occupational therapy programme, you need to have obtained work experience shadowing an occupational therapist in practice.  It’s the start of a lifelong journey into good practice if you appear to be well prepared at the time of your application, and have a good understanding of what occupational therapy is about. You might consider contacting local hospitals, trusts, charities and your local council where an occupational therapist is based to seek more about their experiences.  

During the aftermath of COVID-19, we realise that it will be difficult to gain access to hospitals and other organisations as a result of the restrictions, however, arranging a telephone or a video call with an occupational therapist and having a list of questions to ask them is a very good alternative.  You might also have been taking part in some sort of volunteering to help out with vulnerable groups or societies (or even befriending an individual) which would be an excellent way of demonstrating your interest in the allied health professions and supporting people to have a better life-quality.

Remember that occupational therapists will be extra- busy just now, so do plan contacts in advance if you can.

Completing your university application

Now that you have selected the university you want to apply to, the next step is completing the application. When applying for an occupational therapy programme, either through UCAS or directly to the universities you have chosen, you will be asked to write a personal statement. Make sure that you spend time on constructing this, a good idea is to brainstorm ideas first so that as you start writing the application you have a clear direction and focus.

Your personal statement is an opportunity to:

• Show your understanding of the role of an occupational therapist
• Explain how you have set out to gain a depth of experience, by examples of volunteering work and/or speaking to a range of people who work in different settings
• Demonstrate how the experience you have gained in preparation would help you to become engaged with your studies from the very start of your course

To help inform your understanding also consider taking a look at the videos we have produced, as these offer useful examples of practice. Have a really good think about why you want to be an occupational therapist and what attracts you to this career.

Demonstrate you have the skills of an occupational therapist

Take the opportunity to highlight to the admissions tutors that you already are beginning to show the skills, attributes and qualities of an occupational therapist. Think about occasions when you have used effective team working skills, empathy and good interpersonal skills and consider how you can draw upon these whilst you are a student occupational therapist. Consider how your own life experience and past studies, if you have already been a student, will support you in a career in occupational therapy.

Finally – the very best of good luck in your application.  If you choose to study occupational therapy, you will never regret it!

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Personal Statement

I am applying for the masters in Occupational therapy. I am in my final year at York St John University, studying Drama: Education and Community and in my three years of studying this course, what I have enjoyed most is working with community groups and noticing the impact that drama and theatre can have on people’s lives. I have worked with various community groups, including but not limited to, people who have experienced mental health problems, children from ages ten to eighteen and women in prison. I currently hold three volunteering jobs and have also been a student ambassador for eighteen months. Having worked with these community groups, I have realised the importance of occupations as therapy.                  

This course is well suited to my style of working as it geared towards the ‘person-centred’ approach, of which I am very much in favour of. Having already seen the relationship between health, well-being, participation and occupation, more specifically in the field of drama and theatre, I am well attuned to the possibilities of occupational therapy. I am aware of the ever-changing systems put in place to facilitate those in care and am more than prepared to adapt and cater to whatever challenges may arise. At the end of this course, I wish to take up a career as an occupational therapist.

In the second year of my studies, myself and seven of my course colleagues carried out an eight-week drama club project at Park Grove Primary School for key stage two pupils. Our objectives were to encourage pupils to consider the challenges but also benefits of growing up and becoming independent. Drama was an effective tool to achieve these objectives as it created an osmosis between myself, my co-facilitators and the participants. The pupils became active in their learning and this created a dialogue between themselves and the facilitators. This project also became a turning point in my capability to adapt workshops according to ability, for example, one of the pupils in the group was not fully mobile. Therefore, we adapted games such as ‘stuck in the mud’, as instead of travelling between people’s legs to ‘free’ other participants, they passed under people’s arms. This is turn was no major alteration and it enabled full participation, which as a facilitator is crucial as it ensures that no one is targeted and the whole group can be involved.

I am currently a volunteer for two theatre companies based in York, named ‘In the Moment’ and ‘Out of Character’, which comprise of mental health service users. Having worked with Out of Character for two years and In the Moment for almost a year, I have heard of many negative experiences with the current mental health services. The main point being that in review meetings based on the patients, there has been situations where neither the patient nor their family have had an active role in helping to decide the best treatment, as matters had already been decided before they even entered the meetings. There has also been points where they have not been allowed in at all and this is turn has caused a negative view of those in health care. This is one of the most prominent reasons why I would like to pursue a career in occupational therapy, as a large part of its execution is participation and in doing that, the individual in question is involved in their care. To me, it makes sense that the person-centred approach is most appropriate, unless there are extreme circumstances that prevent that individual from being able to make rational decisions that are safe.

Finally, I have been a student ambassador for eighteen months and we have many different schools come to the university to learn more about higher education. Recently we had what we call an ‘aspirations day’, which is centred on getting younger people to think about university and we had a group of twenty-one year eight students who were visiting us for the day. At lunch time, there was one student who got upset because she had been told not to bring a packed lunch, despite the school knowing that she is not keen on certain foods. In this situation, there was an issue with the teacher who ended up treating this student like she was a problem, in addition to this, none of the students had met this teacher before so they were not comfortable interacting with her. This in turn meant that the student was refusing to speak and did not co-operate and some of the staff became concerned that she was not going to stay on task. However, as a student with a shorter age gap, I waited for an opportune moment to calmly interact with her and look for something else to talk about that might interest her, in this case, it was the fact that she was a twin. Within twenty-five minutes, I had her talking to me about her interests and she started to become more engaged with the day. For me, the most crucial aspects to this situation, was patience and understanding, there is no point in trying to fight a losing battle. In a person-centred setting, it is the individual in question who is the most important as at the end of the day, it is them whom we are caring for. As long as they are safe, we should cater to their interests and needs in order to help them progress. In addition to this, the more you know, the more able you are to prepare and plan for new situations because you already have an idea of what that individuals needs and wants are.

Having had experience in facilitating drama workshops, two of the most crucial elements are reflection and feedback. At NHS Peppermill Court, an acute mental health facility, myself and my colleague conduct half-hour workshops on Mondays called ‘games and movement’, intended to help improve basic tool handling, social interaction and self-esteem. Each week we are required to write up a reflection on the session, thinking about what went well, what could be improved and what we could do next time. These prove useful for both myself and my colleague and the occupational therapy staff at the facility as we are always looking to improve and adapt future workshops. Sometimes this proves a challenge as we have different participants each week with different abilities, but it allows us to consider how we may deliver those workshops. This has also strengthened my recording skills as each week we are required to keep a record of how effective these workshops are. As an occupational therapist, it is crucial to keep record of individual’s progress and my own progress, as it then allows me to critically analyse the quality of my work and how that can be developed.

I am also confident in communicating with others as in both my job as a student ambassador and as a retail assistant at Primark, I meet numerous amounts of people every day. I am confident in approaching people who need help or may just want to chat, and this can often create a more comfortable and positive atmosphere, therefore improving their experience. In occupational therapy this is vital as you really need to have the drive to speak to people and be confident in communicating with anyone who may walk through the door. The more confident and friendly you are, the more likely patients will feel they able to trust you with their care.

I am applying for the occupational therapy masters as I already some of the crucial skills that are required of an occupation therapist: the adaptability to work with the changing system, the understanding of the importance of participation and the ability to reflect and critically analyse crucial information. In this course, I hope to strengthen these skills even further and get a better academic understanding of occupational therapy and discover more about the scientific aspect of occupational therapy. After the two-year course, I hope to pursue a career in occupational therapy and help to improve many individuals’ quality of life.

Thank you for taking the time to read this personal statement, I hope to hear from you soon.

Chlöe Timson