Promising prospects: students choosing therapy as a career.
Careers in health fields are becoming increasingly popular among college students, and therapy (occupational, physical, and speech) is one of the fastest growing of these fields. To identify the characteristics of potential therapists, a group of subjects who had entered college as first-time, full-time freshmen in 1966 and who indicated in 1970 that they planned on a career in therapy were compared with aspirants to other health careers with respect to demographic characteristics, sources of college financing, academic achievement, and education/employment status as of 1970. In addition, their attitudes and values--as revealed by self-ratings, life goals, and reasons for choosing the career of therapy--were examined. Prospective therapists were found to have outstanding academic records, high rates of baccalaureate completion, and specific skills that seemed to qualify them for success in the career. They were stongly oriented toward working with people, had altruistic goals and values, and were highly confident of their interpersonal skills.
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D003657:Decision Making; D003710:Demography; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006040:Goals; D006281:Health Occupations; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012649:Self Concept; D012945:Social Values; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013070:Speech Therapy; D013334:Students; D014146:Training Support; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities