Occupational Therapist

Assessing what a person finds hard in daily life, then training them to do it again or in a new way. Working with children with developmental delay or autism, stroke and accident survivors, people with mental health conditions, and older adults. Making splints and aids, and suggesting changes to homes, classrooms and workplaces.

A day in the work
You start by reading the notes of the patients you will see today. A morning session might be with a 6-year-old who struggles to hold a pencil, using play and games to build hand strength. Later you help a stroke patient practise buttoning a shirt and making tea on the ward. In the afternoon you make a splint, meet parents or a teacher to plan changes at home or school, and write up your notes.

1. Step 1 · Class 10–11Choose the Science stream with Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and keep English strong. Colleges ask for English as a passing subject. Maths alone, or 'Physical Science' instead of separate Physics and Chemistry, is not enough for many universities.
2. Step 2 · Class 12Pass Class 12 with PCB and English. Aim for at least 50% in PCB (40% for reserved categories at many colleges). You must be 17 or older when you join.
3. Step 3 · After Class 12Get admission. NEET-UG was planned as compulsory for BOT from 2026–27, but this has reportedly been deferred to 2027–28. If you join in 2027 or later, check whether NEET applies. Some private universities run their own test; for example, Manipal combines its own entrance test (50%) with Class 12 marks (50%). (reported — check with the official body)
4. Step 4 · 4 yearsStudy anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, the basics of occupational therapy, then neurology, paediatrics, psychiatry, orthopaedics and ergonomics. Clinical fieldwork in hospitals and centres runs alongside the classes. You need at least 75% attendance to sit the exams in most universities.
5. Step 5 · 6 months to 1 yearCompulsory rotating internship in a teaching hospital. You work in orthopaedics, neurology, medicine, surgery, paediatrics, psychiatry, and community or PHC postings. No degree certificate is given until it is done. (reported — check with the official body)
6. Step 6Register with your State Allied and Healthcare Council under the NCAHP Act, 2021. Renew every five years.
7. OptionalMOT (Master of Occupational Therapy) in a speciality such as paediatrics, neurology or mental health. A master's is also needed to teach at a college.

Fees from: Manipal College of Health Professions – BOT fees and admissions page · DY Patil - Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (fee structure 2026-27) · Nagaland Health & Family Welfare - Scholarship scheme for medical, nursing & paramedical students. Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Pay is modest at the start and grows with experience, a master's degree and a speciality. It varies a lot between big-city hospitals, small-town clinics, government posts, schools and private practice.

Many colleges ask for 40% in PCB instead of 50% for reserved categories (reported). Some colleges also ask for a medical fitness certificate at admission. I did not find official rules on seats for girls or students with disabilities, so ask each college.

• Class 7–9Try daily tasks the hard way for 10 minutes: write, button a shirt or open a jar using only your non-dominant hand. Then think about how you could make each task easier for someone who finds it hard.
• Class 10–12With a parent's help, ask a special school, a rehabilitation centre or a hospital OT department if you can visit or volunteer for a day. Watch what an OT does. If you are 15 or older, look for volunteering options on MY Bharat.Open link ↗
• College or afterLook through free courses on anatomy, physiology or psychology on SWAYAM, and read the BOT syllabus of two universities to see what you will study.Open link ↗

• An occupational therapist is not a medical doctor (not an MBBS). NCAHP has reportedly recommended the title 'Dr' with the suffix 'OT'. OTs cannot prescribe medicines or do surgery (reported).
• Do not confuse it with physiotherapy. Physiotherapy mostly works on movement and pain. Occupational therapy works on the daily tasks of life: eating, dressing, writing, playing, working, travelling.
• Course names and duration differ between universities. Before joining, check that the college is recognised by its university and meets NCAHP norms.
• If BOT does not work out, related paths include physiotherapy, special education and prosthetics and orthotics.