Graduated but certificate might as well be toilet paper

[Apple Pi]

Hi, this is my first time posting and I am at my wits end. I graduated almost 5 months ago and have lost all confidence in finding a job as a therapist. While I was attending class I always had this nagging feeling that the teacher was not qualified to teach the course and my suspicions were confirmed when a student who was in the class with me who could barely read or write graduated with our class.

When I looked at my school transcript my teacher had put that he had taught us Gerontological massage, medical massage and pathology but he never taught us these electives. In my first interview for a job I was asked what would I do if the person suffered from a condition with their rhomboid muscles and I couldn't even give an answer. I was told by the interviewer that my teacher did a horrible job in teaching me. :

I had thought about suing the school to get my money back but it is a county run school and I have absolutely no money at all for a lawyer. I don't know what other route to take. I have fallen in a bad depression because I thought I was doing so well in school and to have this happen is a real blow to me. For close to 7 years due to illness I couldn't work previous to starting school and I thought this would be a fresh start in life for me.

Now I am left with no job, no money and even if I tried to take a continuing education class, they are not covered by financial aid as most of these classes last a few days at the most.

I wish I knew some seasoned massage therapists in my area that could take me in as an intern and do some training.

I guess my real reason for posting is to rant obviously but also to ask for advice on my situation.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

 

[Emzzy]

You certainly have my sympathy for your problem. You may want to go online & look up the school you went to & see if they are even considered an accredited school. Or contact both ABMP & the AMTA to see what they can suggest. Beyond that some attorney's do take pro-bono cases (where you don't pay), so you could try that. Many of them at least will offer a free consult to tell you if you have a case at all.

In the meantime: At the very least, you can certainly find reference books & study on your own for now.

Yes, you've been dealt a tough situation, but if you're going to manage to get anywhere you have to pick yourself up & get motivated to move forward.

Best of Luck & keep trying!

 

[Asterix]

You certainly have my sympathy for your problem. You may want to go online & look up the school you went to & see if they are even considered an accredited school. Or contact both ABMP & the AMTA to see what they can suggest. Beyond that some attorney's do take pro-bono cases (where you don't pay), so you could try that. Many of them at least will offer a free consult to tell you if you have a case at all.

In the meantime: At the very least, you can certainly find reference books & study on your own for now.

Yes, you've been dealt a tough situation, but if you're going to manage to get anywhere you have to pick yourself up & get motivated to move forward.

Best of Luck & keep trying!

The school is a county vocational school so checking to see if it is accredited is not the issue. The issue is with the teacher and his qualifications to teach.

I have looked into getting a lawyer but most will work pro-bono only if they are assured of winning back a sizable settlement to cover the cost of their own fees and court fees. That is why I said that I do not have the money to pay for a lawyer because the commission the lawyer would get back if I should win a settlement with the school would be very little.

Books will only do so much as the hands-on training that I need cannot be replicated by a book.

I know it seems like I am answering each of your suggestions with negatives, but believe me when I say that I have gone round and round with trying to find a solution by consulting lawyers and trying to find someone who will take me as an intern and train me but it just hasn't happened.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my post. Take care.

 

[susudio]

I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through this. Maybe you can get together with a couple of other students, rent a DVD on techniques, search the internet for free online vids of massage techniques. Stay in there.

 

[Pompal 09.]

buy some books and find people to practice on (for free if you have to) just palpating tissue and learning what things are and how to locate them with your hands.

you are only limited by your ability to educate yourself. even if you had a decent teacher - you still would need to continue your knowledge and improve (even if you have been doing this for years and years!).

what city are you in? why not go and find a skilled therapist and ask to shadow them a little bit with some of their clients (provided the clients are comfortable with it). If the therapist is good, you can learn a ton by watching their evaluations/assessments with first time clients. Take tons of notes and at the end ask tons of questions and go home and look up the answers to some of the questions you have.

set no limits.

patrick

 

[peyton blair summers]

Don't think that your only option is to sue.

Talk to the school. Do they have another teacher? Can you work or volunteer as a teaching assistant? Sueing will not do anything to increase your hands on skills.

90% of what I do in my practice now I did not learn in school. School is just a starting off point. The way to really master massage is to practice practice practice. The hands on I got in school is nothing compared to what I did once I opened my doors.

Just because you have poor anatomy skills doesn't make you bad at massage. Remember, people were massaging each other long before anatomy was around. Anyone can be taught to give Swedish massage and not know a lick of anatomy.

You would be better off investing your money in more schooling instead of sueing your former school.

 

[sarci]

:iagree:

I was fortunate enough to graduate from one of the nation's best schools. I thought I knew oh so much. But as soon as I started working, I realized I knew almost next to nothing. Over the last two years or so of actually doing massage, I've learned soooooo much more from techniques to anatomy to actually working with a body and much, much more. (I've also learned so much about myself, but that's a whole other thread.)

 

[PickleFace]

As others have commented, school is a starting point. Not the be all end all. You have to take responsibility for yourself. You probably got more out of your education then you are realizing. Yes it sucks that maybe you didn't have the greatest teacher in the world, but pick yourself up and use all that energy that you are now putting towards figuring out who to sue and blame and put it into some books. Find some other therapists to do trades with by maybe asking your school for recommendations to learn from. Look at You Tube videos, rent some videos or check em out of your local library.
There is so much you can do. Don't give up. Think of all the things you can do instead of how you have been wronged. You have acknowledged it and now its time to move on and take care of what you need to. Even if you never work in this field, and I believe you can if you want to, look at it as an enrichment to life long learning.
Good luck

 

[Nes S]

First, I would like to say that I ended up calling an out of state college that teaches massage and explaining my situation. They sympathized with my predicament and said that since I know the basic's that I would not have to attend the massage classes from the very beginning just the student clinic and the advanced massage theory classes.

It will be quite a long drive (2 hours both ways) but I will at least be able to apply for financial aid. I decided to go back to secretarial work part-time to make ends meet while I attend the classes.

To those who were helpful in their posts I want to thank you for your suggestions and appreciate your concern.

For those who took the one sentence in my original post where I mentioned that I wish I could sue my school and then turned it into me only looking to sue. I find that to be completely disrespectful. Even if I had the money to pay for a lawyer and could sue, it is within my rights.

I paid out of my pocket the last of my savings to this school and was not taught proper massage techniques, pathology and even had electives added to my transcript that I was never even taught.

And I wish people would read before telling me to invest my money in other things when I stated that I am flat broke now. I am not picking and choosing who to blame. It is easy to say that when you are not the one going into interviews and have to face the humiliation of being told your skills are sub-par over and over. The teacher AND the school that hired him are both to blame for my not being able to find work and I am not just making up excuses.

 

[. Cute Poison .]

And I wish people would read before telling me to invest my money in other things when I stated that I am flat broke now. I am not picking and choosing who to blame. It is easy to say that when you are not the one going into interviews and have to face the humiliation of being told your skills are sub-par over and over. The teacher AND the school that hired him are both to blame for my not being able to find work and I am not just making up excuses.

Good luck in your studies. I hope you can improve your skills. Massage is not all about being taught bookwork. Just as some people are gifted with great hands on skills, some are not. Going to massage school does not guarantee you will be great at giving massage.

I'll be honest, I sucked at the book work and when I graduated, I felt like I didn't know what I was doing. I had good business skills, have natural massage ability, and met the right clients at the right time. Most of my massage classmates are no longer practicing massage. In fact, a lot of them never worked professionally after they graduated. There were 15 people in my class when I started and 9 when I graduated. Of those nine, 4 of us are still practicing professionally to some capacity 5 years later.

 

[Micah]

If you want it badly enough, there is always a way to achieve your goal. It sounds like you've found an excellent means to supplement your initial training.

Best wishes for your continued success. I applaud your candor and drive to keep moving forward in a positive manner.

 

[A.Herd]

OP, you say you're told over and over that your skills are sub-par. Can you tell us more specifically what they each said? It might provide more information as to which direction you could go in.

And does anybody have a good answer to the question posed by the interviewer in the original post? (condition of rhomboids)

 

[...]

OP, I am so sorry that you have to go through this,, but there are resources out there to help you improve your skills and learn some of the anatomy and pathology basics. Have you considered trying to work under someone as an intern? Maybe do other jobs in their office/clinic and pick up what you can where you can?

Do you mind disclosing your general location? Maybe someone on this forum can help.
Looking back now I realize just how much I DIDN'T know right out of school!! I think alot of people in their majors feel that way right out of school. Good luck and keep your chin up!!

 

[Natalie L]

I'd definitely utilize the forums. Read, read and read them more.

Take the time to call all of the MT's in your area and find one willing to work with you. You can look up MT's in the phone book, online (phonebooks), the National and "your" State MT boards websites.

Each will have different lists as not all MT's are listed everywhere.

You could also put up a "help me" notice in Therapeutic Trades or the Want to Find Sections of these forums.

You said your broke and going to travel 2 hours back and forth to school. I applaud you in your efforts and hope you will get the training you need. Until then, I'd think you'd get a lot of the training you need by finding someone in your area who is willing to work with you.

Don't just stop at MT's --- consider calling a few DC's too. Maybe you'll get someone who's been in practice a long time or someone who's fresh out of school and interested in your willingness to learn.

If you are prone to falling into depression, then you definitely need to also address this prior to becoming a therapist. Being unable to keep a mental/energetic distance from clients can put you into a downward spiral in some circumstances, so a bit of advice would be to start working on that soon. Possibly getting into a good exercise / Tai Chi / Martial Art regimen would be a thought if you don't actively do something like this currently.

Good luck.

 

[Apricot Girl]

what state are you in?

why not just try and get a job at massage therapy or somewhere that is known for hiring people right out of massage school? even if it isn't the place you want to be in your career, just use it as a stepping stone towards gaining hands on experience and real life education.

patrick

 

[BigBangFTW]

well i'll be the first on this post to say that my school did a fantastic job of teaching me what i needed to know. i wasn't a huge fan of the teachers in my school but the education i received was exceptional. that doesn't mean that i knew everything when i graduated but i was well prepared to be successful in the field. i was very confident in my skills as a therapist and my school and the training i received gave me that confidence.

s rod, i am so sorry that you had to sit in that interview with no response to the question asked. what a terrible position to be in! can't imagine what the awkward silence felt like at that moment. i think you're absolutely correct in being angry with that school! they have a responsibility to provide you with an education that prepares you for the working world. i am really sorry for the position you are in.

have you considered small claims court? it's inexpensive (depends on your state but somewhere around $35-$45 to file) and depending what state you are in, you can sue for up to $15,000. unfortunately some states are as little as $2,000. most seem to be in the $5,000 area.

you've got to continue your education after school but you should have a solid foundation to build on. sounds like you do not. i'd be ticked if i were you!

good luck to you and whatever you decide to do.

ps. that's a weird way to word a question in an interview and my answer probably would have been "i'd massage them?". i personally think it was rude of them to tell you that your teacher did a horrible job in teaching you.

 

[Dr M. Riad]

Well that sucks to put it nicely!

Did you ever go back to the school and tell them you are having trouble finding work? Did you pass your licensing exam if there is one? You get out of massage school what you put into it. Were there others?

Everyone feels like they don't know anything when they first get out of massage school. It has more to do with self confidence than what you actually know or don't know.

Maybe you could just find a place like Massage Envy to get a job and build your confidence by working on lots of people. That is what they are good for.

Yes it is hard when you feel so bad but feeling bad doesn't help the situation. How about turning it into something more positive? Like getting a group of other students from your school to study or even ask the teacher to teach extra things or find a new teacher to teach the group different things without having to go back to school and drive so far away. Be creative and find a way.

Julie

 

[jenna - TBraaays fan!xo]

I too was a victim of a less than satisfactory education. I was determined to suceed and did a lot of studying on my own. Read everything I could get my hands on, did a lot of research and studying outside of school. I ended up being the only student out of a class of 17 people that passed the national exam and got certified to work. When you multiply 16 by the tuition the school charged you realized that the school made $80,000.00 for not doing an adequate job.

It is a frustrating situation for everyone involved. I got to sit in on an interview my clinic did when looking for another massage therapist. The applicant graduated from the school I went to. I used pretty much the same question, asked her what she would do if the Chiropractor told her the patient's rhomboids were hypertonic and needed work, how would she address the session. The applicant looked totally clueless. It was frustrating for us because there was so much potential in the applicant in regards to personality, but she just didn't have the knowledge that should have been in place coming out of school.

That being said, I agree that experience is the greatest teacher. I knew a fraction of what I know now when I came out of school. And, I learn more every day I work. Even though there are technical aspects that can be learned, the only way to learn this craft is by doing it. My advice to all students and recent graduates is to work and practice. Even if you do not find a job right away, do everything you can to practice your craft every day. When you practice and find knots and tight muscles, look the muscles up. Refresh yourself on name, origin, insertion, and action of the muscle.

You will get out of this career what you put into it. It demands much, which is why it is so rewarding.

Happy Holidays

 

[Whitna]

I graduated from a 300 hour cert. program, passed the state board with a very high score and then quickly realized that I did not have the knowledge or skills to do anything but a decent, not even particularly good Swedish/relaxation massage. I too was totally expecting to come out of school and find a job that would be the major source of my income. It did not happen.

However I was very determined and knew that I wanted massage/bodywork to be my career. There are very limited resources as far a continuing ed in my area, and even if the resources were there, I did not have any money.

So I took another job, not related to massage, and started back through my text books. I read and listened to anything and everything massage related. I studied massage related videos on Google, Yahoo and read sites that pertained to not only massage therapy, but anything muscle / connective tissue related. I was very blessed to find this board through a search and it has been my most valued resource. I saved my pennies literally and bought books and videos that were recommended by members of this board and still use them almost daily.

I worked on friends and family at no charge for over a year. If some one was in pain, I searched my textbooks, searched this board and searched the web to find out what muscles might be involved, referral patterns and techniques that might help. I learned and retained more by working on actual bodies and researching each person's problems, than I ever learned in my school.

It has not been easy, but now two years after graduation, I am making a modest living doing massage and have a reputation for being good at finding the source of pain, bringing relief and helping to increase ROM. I still work at my other job two days a week, but if my practice continues to build, I will resign by the summer and concentrate solely on my business.

You can do it. If the desire is there to do massage, you can take whatever it was that you learned in school and build upon it. It was hard, very hard for me, but very much worth it!

Good luck!

 

[Ann-G]

No matter how good a school is it won't guarantee that a person graduating will be a success in this profession or even any good at doing massage. In fact the great majority of graduates do not succeed regardless of the school's reputation or curriculum. By the same token if you are really good and come about it naturally you can be a success with or without any education at all. This has always been the case and always will be.

Why is this?

It all comes down to your individual talent, your commitment and your ability to convince others that when they are on your table they are in very capable hands. Most schools can only enhance your natural gifts and abilities. The best teachers recognize individual talents and nurture them but if they aren't there to begin with it's almost impossible to create them. Find a school that is a good fit for you sure, but don't blame them if you graduate and can't get a gig. Take a good honest look at yourself, work on your confidence, fine tune your skills and lay your hands upon as many people as you can, friends, family etc, until you feel comfortable and in control of your own destiny.