Becoming Part of Positive Change

Becoming Part of Positive Change

Erika Sloss is a term one student starting at the Victoria campus. We touched base with her on how she’s feeling at the start of her journey to becoming an RMT.

Photo 10157609818565232What made you want to become an RMT?

I have always had a passion for wellness, an active lifestyle and a curiosity for the human body. Self-care is number one for me, so pursuing a career where I can assist people in maintaining optimal health for themselves is an exciting endeavor.

Why did you pick WCCMT?

I have many friends in the industry who have attended WCCMT and are now thriving massage therapists in the community. I feel very confident in the course curriculum and in the experienced instructors that are leading us through it.

What part of the program do you think will be the most challenging?

It is a very fast paced program, with new knowledge coming your way non-stop. The challenge will be to keep on top of the studies and commit myself fully to school. My social life will have to take the back-burner for now.

What are you looking forward to the most?

I am looking forward to acquiring all of the vast, fascinating knowledge that is presented to us. Massage therapy is becoming more recognized and appreciated every day. I am very grateful to become a part of an industry that is making a positive change in the world.

How did you feel on the first day?

Excited to start the journey and meet all of my classmates that will become my family over the next 20 months.

What do you think will keep you the most motivated when things get stressful?

My support network of fellow classmates, family and friends. Also my passion for the industry that I have chosen to pursue.

Do you know what you want to do after you graduate?

At the start I would love to work in a multi-disciplinary clinic to gain valuable experience with other health care professionals. My long term goal is to open a holistic retreat centre with fellow friends & family in the wellness industry.

Thank you Erika for sharing your experience with us! Want to share your story? Contact [email protected] to be featured in our blog. As always, WCCMT would love to see you on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn to stay connected with our community.

The Survey Results are In! A Pulse on WCCMT Victoria

To commemorate our 70th Anniversary, we invited past and current CCMH/WCCMT students to participate in a survey designed to find out about their learning experience and what they’ve been up to since or plan to do after graduation.

WCCMT - The Survey Results are In! A Pulse on WCCMT Victoria

There’s never been a better time to study Massage Therapy. CCMH/WCCMT has offered outstanding Massage Therapy education since 1946 to students of all ages, skills and educational backgrounds.

If you are interested in a career path as a Massage Therapist or learning more about WCCMT, follow us on Facebook. If you’d like an opportunity to visit our campus, email us at [email protected].


 

The Survey Results are In! A Pulse on WCCMT Victoria

To commemorate our 70th Anniversary, we invited past and current CCMH/WCCMT students to participate in a survey designed to find out about their learning experience and what they’ve been up to since or plan to do after graduation.

WCCMT - The Survey Results are In! A Pulse on WCCMT Victoria

There’s never been a better time to study Massage Therapy. CCMH/WCCMT has offered outstanding Massage Therapy education since 1946 to students of all ages, skills and educational backgrounds.

If you are interested in a career path as a Massage Therapist or learning more about WCCMT, follow us on Facebook. If you’d like an opportunity to visit our campus, email us at [email protected].


 

Moving Forward is Good but Moving Forward Together is Better

Amanda Kihn is a Victoria Campus student who has just successfully completed term 1. We asked her if term 1 met her expectations and what Amanda is anticipating term 2 will bring.

What made you decide to be an RMT and why did you pick WCCMT?

My vocational rehabilitation program offered to pay for a two-year program when I retired last year. I have been practicing alternate healing modalities of a more spiritual nature and I really was looking for a program to supplement my hands on healing techniques. I am also a scientist at heart, so I wanted a program that would engage my brain and teach my hands about what they were feeling when it wasn’t energetic in nature. When I started looking for complementary healing modalities that fit the parameters outlined by my counselor, this program was perfect for me on many levels. I’m still not sure exactly how my practice is going to shape itself, but I am really hoping to work with Somatic Experiencing as I initially thought that I would like to work with patients suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder.

What expectations did you have for term one and how was what you experienced different?

The only expectations that I had for first term was that I would master the basics: not just that I could rote memorize whatever the professors told us to, but to really understand the science, the “why” behind what we were copying into our mental tool boxes. I really expected that I would do this on my own with ease. The reality was that I learn best by teaching others, so I formed small study groups and we mulled over the material together. We worked out the kinks and did our best to fill in the blanks as we sought mastery of the material together.

What was your favourite part of your first term?

Anatomy & Physiology 1 after-parties. This is what we affectionately referred to our group study together. My favourite moment was when my peers found out that they had passed A&P and thanked me for helping them out. All the good grades on my transcript felt rewarding, but nothing felt as good as knowing that my peers were coming to term two with me. 

What was the most difficult?

The most difficult part of term one for me was that two of my classmates chose not to return for term two. In the classroom, we’ve created an atmosphere of family and I really didn’t want to have anyone “miss the after-party.” I also felt particularly challenged to put all of the academics into practice for our clinical assessment final oral practical exam. It’s one thing to be able to master isolated pieces of the academic and theoretical puzzle, but final exam anxiety and putting everything into practice was hard for me. I was so nervous during my exam that I completely forgot to do one component of my assessment. It’s really easy to let nerves get the best of you during these practical exams and that’s especially challenging for me.

 How did you feel coming up to term two?

I was still really exhausted from term one: it’s a lot of information to assimilate in such a short period of time. By the time we were ready to start term two, I felt like I needed a vacation from my vacation! I was really happy to be back in the groove of classes and studies. I had a lot of anxiety over the break about starting the clinical internship and I was stressing about time management, child care for my children, and many fears of the unknown pieces that I felt I didn’t have enough time to prepare for. All that aside, I was really looking forward to digging back in for more neurology and musculoskeletal anatomy and physiology.

What are you looking forward to the most in term two?

I thought that neurology and MSAK 2 would be my favourite pieces of this term, until we really settled into our Manual Skills 2 class. Every exchange we do in class makes me feel more grounded in why I am doing this program. I believe I am on this planet to help people heal and I’m picking up so many tools for my toolbox in that MS2 class. I’m also looking forward to Therapeutic Exercise group presentations as I will be studying Thai Chi this term as a new home care exercise to recommend to my patients. I also feel particularly blessed to be learning from a myriad of supervisors in our intern clinic: I think of it as learning from a different Kung Fu Master every time I get a new supervisor. I’m so excited to be mentored by these talented RMTs who are so passionate about imparting their gifts to our practice.

Is there anything you aren’t looking forward to/are dreading?

I’m not really looking forward to our practical assessments in the final two weeks of this term. I’m learning to be gentler with myself and not put so much stock in my final grades. Instead I’m just trying to get as much out of my exposure to the material that my mentors, supervisors and professors are helping me to explore. 

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about joining the program?

As important as it is to know why you want to be an RMT and what you want to do with your practice, I think it’s important to learn to let the material guide your path. We get a lot of exposure to various demographics, pathologies, and modalities of treatment and you will naturally find that you are drawn to your innate gifts as a therapist. Let your inner fulfillment and joy be your compass when it comes to manifesting your destiny as an RMT. I’m still not 100% sure what I like the most about this program and what I want to do as a therapist, so for now, it’s my job to just notice which pieces of the puzzle I like best and which style of Kung Fu I want to practice… or finding a way to craft my own style as I seek mastery with this art.

Thanks to Amanda for sharing his experiences with us! Want to share your story? Contact [email protected] to be featured in our blog.

As always, WCCMT would love to see you on LinkedIn, our New Westminster Facebook Page or our WCCMT/CCMH Facebook Page so you can stay connected with our community.

Adapting to the student way of life

Jason Gordon is a Victoria Campus student who has just successfully completed term 1. We asked him if term 1 met his expectations and what Jason is anticipating term 2 will bring.

What made you decide to become an RMT?

Jason and his Medical Service Dog, Cheeko Boy, who accompanies him to classes and clinic.
Jason and his Medical Service Dog, Cheeko Boy, who accompanies him to classes and clinic.

I spent a full, rewarding, and active career of close to 30 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. I worked in some very challenging positions. My last 10 years were as a Firefighter and Emergency Medical Responder. In my mid-forties, I retired from the forces for medical reasons. I had to find a new career path to follow. I wanted a profession that offered none of the trauma and drama that I dealt with in my previous professions, but I wanted to keep working with the public and helping others. When I learnt about RMT, it seemed like a natural fit to my personality and goals in life.

Why did you choose WCCMT?

After doing some tests with a career counsellor, I decided the RMT was the profession that I wanted to pursue. I did some research, and spoke with several qualified RMT’s about the program. I also considered which schools offered the best training. CCMH, and specifically WCCMT came up numerous times. Already living in Victoria, WCCMT became my first choice.

What expectations did you have for Term 1? How was what you experienced different?

Even though I audited some of the courses before registering for the RMT program at WCCMT, and I had a background in Emergency Medical Response. I expected to learn about different systems of the body, muscles, and how massage helped and affected people. I thought that it would be something like the intro to massage training.

What I didn’t expect once we started was, the course load, the intensity and pace of learning, and how profound the RMT program goes into Anatomy, Physiology, and Muscular Skeletal Structure of the body. My first week of Term 1 was a big eye opener.

What was your favourite part of Term 1?

My favourite parts of Term 1 was learning the body more in depth, the hands-on training, and learning more about myself both anatomically and academically.

What was the most difficult part of Term 1 for you?

I found that my transition from the military to civilian life was quite challenging. I also found that although there was constant training within the Canadian Forces, adjusting to the intensity and the delivery methods that I was used to, compared to those of learning at a post-secondary level offered me new challenges. In essence, I had to re-learn how to learn, and at the pace and depth that is required to be successful in the RMT program.

What are you looking forward to in Term 2?

In Term 2, I am looking forward to participating in the Public Clinic. I am looking forward to working with the various clientele. I can’t wait to apply what we have learned in class and see how it applies to actual cases.

 Advice to future students to WCCMT?

The first thing I would advise to anyone considering the RMT program at WCCMT. Do your best to make sure to make sure your personal life is in order. The course if face paced, intense, and will ask many hours of your personal time. There is not a lot of down time during your course and falling behind because of absences makes it that much harder to stay on top of your courses. I would also recommend doing a refresher of a Grade 12 Biology & Chemistry courses. As well getting familiar with proper medical terminology. Last thing I recommend is not being intimidated by the course load or pace… It’s a very rewarding feeling that first time you treat someone you don’t know and as they leave you can see a difference you make to their physical and emotional well being.

Thanks to Jason for sharing his experiences with us! Want to share your story? Contact [email protected] to be featured in our blog.

As always, WCCMT would love to see you on LinkedIn, our New Westminster Facebook Page or our WCCMT/CCMH Facebook Page so you can stay connected with our community.