IN THE REAL WORLD OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS

IN THE REAL WORLD OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS

I will leave the first blog entry and return to that esoteric stream later. As a COTA

(certified occupational therapy assistant), I have logged countless clinical hours. Some 

therapists suggested we need a way to get information to others. They mentioned a

blog and I rolled my eyes Heavenward. Health care is in a fractured state, there is a lot 

of misinformation out there. Here goes.  All sincere and honest help is accepted in this 

endeavor. By the way, this applies to Physical Therapy Assistants too.

Fallacy #1. Don’t believe there are limitless jobs for you. Federal employment 

predictive statistics are usually five years behind actual facts.

#2. Not all people are suited to work in health care. It is a messy business with GASP! 

Sick people. This may seem obvious but not everyone can be a bus driver either. So if 

you go for just a gig, please stay home. Patients need care. Not robots.

#3. The salary is good. Partially true. But in the NYC area you will barely keep your 

head above water. Hourly wages have not increased in about 10 years.

Okay so you have graduated.  Congratulations. Did you pass your licensure? A wise 

word or two here. Don’t wait. Do it ASAP after graduation. I know it is tempting to 

start earning right away and those hungry out sourcing groups like fresh grads to 

exploit.

Did I say exploit? Yes. Be very careful who you work for. Do research. There are 

some unsavory and unscrupulous agencies and out sourcing groups. You should learn 

the difference between outsourcing and employment agencies and how they work 

either together or separately. Again research. More on that later.

In the field, the issue that comes up again and again is that newer grads are accepting 

extremely low wages. Did you really go to school and spend upwards of 50 grand to 

work for minimum wage? If you start out low don’t expect out sourcers to increase 

your wage. It goes in their pockets as middle men and women. If you start to work 

without licensure they will say they will increase your wages after you get it. Hmmm. 

Don’t bet on that. These issues are important for new immigrants who come here.They 

are also very vulnerable to exploitation which can know no bounds.

Do look for reliable agencies who have been doing this for a long time. Twenty years 

is a good number. Experienced placement professionals are extremely important. I 

have found that they follow employment laws, tax laws, and provide good humane 

services to therapists and facilities.