As an OT student who attended the AOTA conference, I was shocked by the student/practicing ot ratio. I expected higher attendance from practicing OTs. We were also asked to donate money to the organization and many students did. It may not have been a lot of money since we are poor, but we did. This shows the value we have paced on the organization to advance our profession and keep our place in the workforce.
In class one day, we discussed how OT is a "pink-collar workforce". This is true! We are female dominated and want to help people. Our desire to help people comes first and we allow other people to push us around and encroach on our jobs. We do not have the dominating presence our male dominated profession of PT has to take on leadership roles and prestige to make our profession a necessity in the eyes of other health professions and on the government level. We need to not only raise #s, $, %, we need to challenge ourselves to take on more prestigious roles in our own work environment to protect our profession and prove our worth! We can no longer allow ourselves to be the pink-collar workers who get trampled on by the professions surrounding us!
Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that PT also has a majority of female practitioners.
Hannah: As an OT student who attended the AOTA conference, I was shocked by the student/practicing ot ratio. I expected higher attendance from practicing OTs. We were also asked to donate money to the organization and many students did. It may not have been a lot of money since we are poor, but we did. This shows the value we have paced on the organization to advance our profession and keep our place in the workforce. In class one day, we discussed how OT is a "pink-collar workforce". This is true! We are female dominated and want to help people. Our desire to help people comes first and we allow other people to push us around and encroach on our jobs. We do not have the dominating presence our male dominated profession of PT has to take on leadership roles and prestige to make our profession a necessity in the eyes of other health professions and on the government level. We need to not only raise #s, $, %, we need to challenge ourselves to take on more prestigious roles in our own work environment to protect our profession and prove our worth! We can no longer allow ourselves to be the pink-collar workers who get trampled on by the professions surrounding us!
Very well said. I think that you can turn your passion into being proactive, such as trying for a leadership position or voice your concerns to the appropriate bodies.
Like Ron said, I do say that PT is actually not male dominated either... as I have overheard that the female to male ratio is only not as extreme in some instances in OT.
True it is not male dominated, but the ratio of men is higher comparatively. I the action needs to take place though through OT roles to show we have a place and want to be there.
Your best shot is to get involved in leadership. You usually have to run for these positions. But, sometimes leadership positions will find you... like what I did with the student committee chair position in AAPOTA.
Given, you do have to know the boundaries you are working with. Otherwise, you can cause more harm than good.
My advice is... if you think you can handle a leadership position in ASD next year, do it! You might come back empty-handed. But, at least you know deep down that you tried to make a difference.
Leadership is but one avenue to make change.
I honestly think that much change starts at the ground floor rather than the penthouse suite. Change starts when enough individual practitioners get fed up with a situation or circumstance and they begin an informal movement. From that movement, information and suggestions are fed upwards to the "powers to be" where policy, procedures, etc can be hammered out that then continues fueling the change.
Just my opinion, obviously!
Sometimes what we see things differently from the "penthouse suite" is different from the "ground floor", of course. However, if you are in good leadership, you can then see what you have to work with and go from there... as leaders not necessarily want change, but their hands are sometimes tied.
Of course, you also could get the view from the "penthouse suite" if you happen to know someone who is there! But, chances are slim. You just have to be lucky.