My plan: Is this right?

[rc wwe heel fan]

Hi. I hope it’s okay to post this here (I'm not a massage student, but hope become one).

I’ve been lurking through the forums and scouring the web for information and the experiences of others in massage therapy for quite some time. I’ve decided that I want to go through with this and take the necessary steps I need to to become a massage therapist.

But, I’d like to know if I understand the process correctly.
Does it bubble down to the following?:

• -Find a school that meets NCBTMB standards
  
  -Complete 500 educational hours:
  
  -Take NCBTMB exam
  -Pass NCMTMB exam
  -Pledge to meet NCMTMB standards
  -Receive NCMTMB certification
  
  -Renter the world as a nationally certified massage therapist and receive money for my efforts
  
  -Apply for a state specific license should I choose to relocate from California

A few other questions:
Did you find your school through the NCBTMB website (http://www.ncbtmb.org/cgi-bin/SchoolSearch.cgi)?

Did you work while you were going to school, or did you save up enough money to become a full-time student?

Should I take a break from college to focus on my studies in massage therapy?

For any of you who began massage at a young age (I’m 19), did you, at any time (either in school or while trying to get employed), feel like your age was a setback?

Thank you to anyone who reads this and to all who reply.

 

[Arianna R]

My plan: Is this right?

Welcome Trietha .

It would be a big help if we knew what area/state you live in, as different states have different laws (or none at all) and you may have more options available to you.

Personally, I found my school by searching for massage schools in the Chicago area. I looked for professional looking websites (since that was my first impression, though obviously not my only criteria - it gave me a place to start if someone put thought into their presentation). After picking 3-4 interesting candidates, I searched the schools names for mentions in articles and professional organizations, as well as social networking sites to see if students were saying much about their experiences. After that, I started contacting them for further information.

I was 33 when I started massage school, worked part time and have 3 sons (3,4,and 6 at the time). Depending on the structure of the school you go to, you could benefit from reducing distractions as much as possible (allowing you more time to focus). You'll get out what you put into it, so the more you can focus, the better you'll likely feel about the information you gather along the way.

Good luck .

 

[knoxzi]

My plan: Is this right?

-Find a school that meets NCBTMB standards
See below.
-Complete 500 educational hours
CMP (certified massage practitioner)= 250 hours, CMT (certified massage therapist)= 500 hours.

-Take NCBTMB exam
-Pass NCMTMB exam
-Pledge to meet NCMTMB standards
-Receive NCMTMB certification
From what I understand of California's rules, taking the NCETM/NCETMB/MBLEx is optional as long as you have your 500 hours- not necessarily from a NCBTMB-approved school. If you've been practicing as a Certified Massage Practitioner (250 hours) for 2 years, you can take any one of these exams in lieu of completing 250 more hours to become a CMT (although the NCETM/NCETMB requires applicants to have 500 hours anyway.)

-Renter the world as a nationally certified massage therapist and receive money for my efforts
This is your choice to become nationally certified- see above.

-Apply for a state specific license should I choose to relocate from California
Assuming you meet that state's requirements, yes.


A few other questions:
Did you find your school through the NCBTMB website (http://www.ncbtmb.org/cgi-bin/SchoolSearch.cgi)?
No. I found mine on a tour I took in high school.

Did you work while you were going to school, or did you save up enough money to become a full-time student?
I worked part time to pay the rent, but I applied for Federal Student Aid as my school was also accredited by the US Department of Education.

Should I take a break from college to focus on my studies in massage therapy?
If you're going to massage school full-time, I'd recommend taking a break. If you're going part-time, it still might be hard if you're taking other classes that are unrelated to what you're doing.

For any of you who began massage at a young age (I’m 19), did you, at any time (either in school or while trying to get employed), feel like your age was a setback?
No. I started 3 months after I graduated high school and was 18. I've never regretted it.

Thank you to anyone who reads this and to all who reply.
You're welcome!

 

[Seth]

My plan: Is this right?

*facepalm*

Somehow I managed to miss the part about California. Thanks Taoist :altwink: .

 

[mansaf]

My plan: Is this right?

*facepalm*

Somehow I managed to miss the part about California. Thanks Taoist :altwink: .

I understand.. happens to the best of us t004

 

[C.A.S.]

My plan: Is this right?

Good to know my understanding of how to go through with this isn't completely wrong.

I would most definitely like to go into a massage school as a full-time student. I was taking general ed courses at my local community college (summer classes were canceled), but no longer feel that they will be of any great use to me. I mean, gaining knowledge is great, and the art classes I took were helpful, as I would like to pursue a career in art in addition to massage, but I don't need to go to college or get a degree to practice my art or go to a library. I do, however feel that I need to put a lid on the whole college thing and move on, but I'm nervous about doing so since I've come across countless people stressing to me the 'importance of college' and having 'something to fall back on'...Gotta stick with what I'm most passionate about, though!

After picking 3-4 interesting candidates, I searched the schools names for mentions in articles and professional organizations, as well as social networking sites to see if students were saying much about their experiences.

Will do!

Thanks again for the replies.

 

[Anton]

My plan: Is this right?

I was 20 when I started massage school. I worked as a waitress and did school full time. I save my change from waiting on table to buy my massage table. I save $700 in change


I found my school on this site.
http://www.naturalhealers.com/

And don't foget to talk to other therapists in your area to see where they went to school and ask them for there input.

 

[cinderella_948]

My plan: Is this right?

I do, however feel that I need to put a lid on the whole college thing and move on, but I'm nervous about doing so since I've come across countless people stressing to me the 'importance of college' and having 'something to fall back on'...Gotta stick with what I'm most passionate about, though!

This seems to happen often and I wouldn't be surprised if every single member on this board had at least one Negative Nelly trying to weigh them down- just don't listen!

I also thought I'd throw in here that I've had quite a few different jobs since I got licensed because I moved around quite a bit, but massage has actually always been my "something to fall back on"

 

[nehkbet]

My plan: Is this right?

Thank you all for your comments. They’re really supportive and encouraging. I’m going to work a while and save up some cash – enough to start school AND to get a small apartment hopefully. Difficult or not (an I know it will be), I’ll do it *stern face*

*goes back to research and comparing schools*

 

[sarah p]

My plan: Is this right?

I work full-time in a preschool and go to massage school at night, paying tuition out-of-pocket while supporting myself and my (currently unemployed) husband. Ohio requires a minimum of 750 hours, which most people complete over the course of 18 months. I do very little but work and study, but I've had no difficulty keeping up, and I will not be in debt when I graduate. Working also gives me my connection to the community, my future clients once I'm licensed!

I found my school by searching the internet for massage schools in southern Ohio, then called them and got their statistics (pass rates, etc.). Currently my school has a 100% pass rate for Boards, and has never had a student fail the MBLEx or National Certification exam, so that's why I chose it over the others.

If you do decide to take other college coursework, consider focusing on chemistry, human biology, and courses like medical terminology. A lot of my classmates hadn't had any chem since high school, and struggled a lot with the molecular-level stuff in anatomy and physiology class. If it's not a strong suit for you, public speaking or communications might be a good one to pick up as well. While I'm going to be taking some college classes now that I've graduated, I definitely didn't want to do it at the same time as massage school. That's just asking for a mental overload, at least from my perspective.

Good luck with your soon-to-be educational adventure!

Kat

 

[lisa hampton]

My plan: Is this right?

Did you find your school through the NCBTMB website (http://www.ncbtmb.org/cgi-bin/SchoolSearch.cgi)?

No.

Did you work while you were going to school, or did you save up enough money to become a full-time student?

Worked full time while in school, somewhere in my late-20's, and also paid for MT school in full when I started the program.

Should I take a break from college to focus on my studies in massage therapy?

That's a hard question for me to answer. My personal opinion is that if you are already on a college track, you should try to get your college degree. Don't let the credits you have aquired slip away and don't "not do" college, just because you end up being an MT, if you can at all manage it. However, MT school can be difficult for some, so much of it is going to depend on your resiliance.

I think in that case, I would try to continue to take one college level course while in MT school, just to keep up the momentum. You can always drop the college course if things get to hectic.

For any of you who began massage at a young age (I’m 19), did you, at any time (either in school or while trying to get employed), feel like your age was a setback?

Since I didn't really feel "young" in my late 20's (strange, but, I've always been something of an old soul with a child-like attitude), I did not feel like my age was a set back. By that point I had already opened my private practice in another health care field. Allbeit I was working multiple jobs to keep it running, and added massage school in to the crazy mix. I never thought of my age as an issue. I just jumped in and never looked back.