Pima Medical Institute has launched the occupational therapy assistant associate degree program at its San Marcos campus. The approximately 20-month program, prepares graduates to help patients with different types of disabilities and challenges to participate in everyday activities, and live independent lives.
Occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) work alongside occupational therapists, providing assistance that allows patients to function independently in their homes, communities and at work. They also help patients regain skills lost due to injury. A typical patient might be elderly or struggling with physical or developmental challenges.
Pima Medical OTA students learn in small classes with instruction from experienced faculty. The hands-on lab classrooms are fully equipped with the items needed to provide the best care upon entering the workforce. Subjects covered in the program include anatomy and physiology, occupational analysis, principles of occupational therapy in mental health, and growth and development.
This is the ninth program for the San Marcos campus, which opened its doors in 2018. Pima Medical has been serving the San Diego community since 1998, when our Chula Vista campus opened.
The profession is also growing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of occupational therapy assistants and aides is projected to grow 28 percent by 2026. That growth is due to a number of factors, including a growing elderly population and people wanting to remain active longer in life.
Pima Medical is now enrolling students in San Marcos. The program is also offered at several other campuses, including Las Vegas, Denver, Mesa and Tucson, Ariz., El Paso and Houston, TX, and Renton, Wash.
