What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

[Methral]

I'm putting in the application for my MT school tomorrow. It starts in June and I will be done in January. It's a 725 hour Curriculum and I'd love some honest feedback. I've visited the school, sat in on a class and now I'm getting a massage from the clinic tomorrow



First off it is COMPTA accredited and accredited by the State Board.


COURSE NAME HOURS
Anatomy and Physiology, Pathology 112
Business Legislation 27
Chair Massage 12
Charting 18
Clinic 100
Clinic Preparation 4
CPR/1st Aid/HIV 10
CranioSacral 24
Deep Tissue Massage 36
Energetics 22
Ethics/Professionalism 18
Hydrotherapy 25
Neuromusculur Therapy 60
Palpatory Anatomy/Kinesiology 60
Reflexology 15
Review for NCE 12
Self Care 14
Shiatsu 60
Sports Massage 20
Swedish Massage 60
Tai Chi 16



Tuition:
Registration $120 (non-refundable)
Insurance $125 (non-refundable)
Supplies $60
Textbooks/Materials $750
Massage Table Package $895
725 Hour Program $7,250

Total: 9,000

I'm already CPR certified so that'll take off a little bit.

Is this pretty basic or what?

 

[lynne]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

What information are you asking for?

It's hard to judge a school by a listing of the course names and hours. But, the program outlined looks pretty standard for the number of hours. It can give you a good foundation to get started, and a taste of various styles of work so that as you practice you'll be able to get an idea of what direction you might like to take your work.

Any of the modalities they will introduce you to could become the focus of your entire career. You can spend a lifetime studying and honing your craniosacral work, or sports massage, etc, and never run out of things to learn.

 

[kiki-cat]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

I guess I was mostly wondering if this is a normal typical MT school function. Just looking to see if will be worth doing.

I know people have mentioned schools being, spa/medical/therapeutic focused. So what would this be?

 

[to the end.Hello Good Bye]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

I guess I was mostly wondering if this is a normal typical MT school function. Just looking to see if will be worth doing.

I know people have mentioned schools being, spa/medical/therapeutic focused. So what would this be?

I feel that it is a pretty general or basic program... exposing you to several different modalities that would give you a "working knowledge" as to whether you wanted to see training or certification in any one particular modality after completing your MT training. (Schools are usually a great place to get the Continuing Education in those modalities as well.)

For instance, 15 hrs of Reflexology training would be enough for you to get the basic concept... it would probably not be enough for you to feel confident in giving a complete reflexology treatment. And in fact, some MTs interested in Reflexology choose to seek enough extra training to become Certified in Reflexology as well.

My MT training was similar... I liked it. It gave you a taste of different modalities so you see where your strengths or interests really were. I loved our Shiatsu training, but got exposed to Myofascial Release at my first continuing education opportunity, and it's been t007 ever since! :

 

[Violet]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

Seems like a decent all-around program, but as an employer I'd be happy to see half (or less!) as many modalities, with much more time spent on each one. Fewer skills, but developed to a higher level, makes a more intriguing employment prospect. And no matter what the school claims, your "basic training" curriculum will not constitute "certification" in any of those modalities.

Fortunately, ultimate success is up to you. Study hard and go above and beyond the minimum course requirements, especially when it comes to practicing outside of class. Get massage from skilled professionals while you are in school and emulate the highest level of professionalism in anything related to your massage education. Cultivating these habits in school will prepare you well for making this a career, and knowledgeable employers notice these things.

 

[ouragon]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

It seems fairly basic but the only thing that grabs me is that it seems the anatomy is a little lacking. 112 hours out of 750 just doesn't cut it I would think. I'm not sure what state your in but in Ohio half of the exam is anatomy so our program was half anatomy including cadavier labs. Its cool that you'd get the other modalities, but I would really check to see if the anatomy portion is sufficient. The price is fair as well, but I wouldn't want to do 750 hours in 6 months personally. Thats like drinking from the fire hose IMO, lol. But some people like to be done with the schooling fairly quickly so, to each their own.

Don't listen to all the fabulous things the school has to say about themselves, they're salesmen in a manner of speaking. Hunt down some graduates of the program and get their take on how good the school is.

 

[Ethan]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

The price is fair as well, but I wouldn't want to do 750 hours in 6 months personally. Thats like drinking from the fire hose IMO, lol. But some people like to be done with the schooling fairly quickly so, to each their own.

My school offered 650 hours in 6.5 months. It's been so long ago I don't remember what the exact breakdown of the hours was. We had Saturday clinics (or intensives on certain modalities that were both days of the weekend) and our classes were Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights 4-9 pm.

Personally I was really glad to get in there and get my training done. The other schools I had researched were 500 hours and your schooling was like 1 day per week for over a year...

 

[CuRiouS oNe]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

The price is fair as well, but I wouldn't want to do 750 hours in 6 months personally. Thats like drinking from the fire hose IMO, lol. But some people like to be done with the schooling fairly quickly so, to each their own.

This school is 8 months, not 6 months. does this affect your decision?

 

[Sudmeister]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

Good basic program.
Tai Chi is good for learning stance technique.
The anatomy portion is standard but a little bit short if you are also doing medical terminology - others may not have noticed the extra section on palpatory anatomy.
The shiatsu section will be useful for learning 5 element theory and other Eastern bodywork questions on your testing.
Haven taken Cranio-sacral and Somato-emotional Release - I think that including an intro to that will help with subtle touch, palpation skills, and tuning into your client.
The reflexoloy is standard.
Stretching techniques would be very helpful - hopefully they will include in the sport or kinisieology section - as would ROM (range of motion) assessment.
On the table package - You might be able to do better on your own - depending on whats included. I bought my table in school - it was an EarthLite - much better pricing. The only thing I did not know was that a 28" wide table was a little narrow for me. Any table I look at now is 30" wide. I never used half-bolsters. And now tend to use pillows more often than a round bolster anyway. Table heater and fleece pad are a plus. Make sure that the face cradle is delux and can MOVE up and down and tilt. I hate the straight face cradles that are fixed - they are uncomfortable for almost all clients and are usually set too low on the table.

If the school has a payment plan that would be great.
Since it is COMTA certified you are okay.
I did 625hrs in 9 months - I did not take the optional test review course but I would highly recommend this if you do not do great on tests.
BTW - AFTER school ends is when the learning REALLY takes place.
So -
Make the most of your time there.
Pay attention, do your work, study your muscles and muscle groups, and show up every day!

 

[Les]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

Honestly, in my opinion you want to pick a school that will prepare you for your state exams, period, don't worry about any extras.

Simply get licensed, and start working.

That is when you will really start learning and understanding what direction you want to go in and what additional training you want to invest in.

One of my teachers said "the first 1000 massages don't count" and after 13 years in the business, I couldn't agree more.

Get working as fast as you can, and then continue your education.

 

[One Remiss Savant]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

Too much time spent on all the different modalities. Look for a focus, like LOTS of hours spent in clinical or "deep tissue" massage, or one specific modality. Otherwise you will be a jack of all trades, a master of none. My school was 710 hours, but at least 200 of those (it was more, but I don't remember exactly how many off hand) were clinical massage. We learned several other modalities, but only a few hours, just enough for a taste, to see if we liked it and wanted to pursue it in CEU's.

I tend to agree with Vivian, except you want to make sure you learn ENOUGH to be a good therapist, as well as pass the test. I don't agree that it's enough to just pass the test. Your school teaches a lot of shiatsu. Is that the therapy you want to pursue? If not, you might consider something else.

 

[farzkitty]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

Too much time spent on all the different modalities. Look for a focus, like LOTS of hours spent in clinical or "deep tissue" massage, or one specific modality. Otherwise you will be a jack of all trades, a master of none. My school was 710 hours, but at least 200 of those (it was more, but I don't remember exactly how many off hand) were clinical massage. We learned several other modalities, but only a few hours, just enough for a taste, to see if we liked it and wanted to pursue it in CEU's.

I tend to agree with Vivian, except you want to make sure you learn ENOUGH to be a good therapist, as well as pass the test. I don't agree that it's enough to just pass the test. Your school teaches a lot of shiatsu. Is that the therapy you want to pursue? If not, you might consider something else.

Read that bolded line again. And again. Take it to heart. The NCETMB is an exam of basic entry-level knowledge, nothing more. You want to be much better prepared than that.

 

[Pompal 09.]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

It's my belief that most massage schools have the intention of getting you certified in Swedish massage, then offering a broad scope of modalities around the table like a sample platter. If you taste something you really like, then you can order the "full meal" in the form of continuing education. Offering a lot of courses in a short amount of time may not be to some peoples' liking, but if you didn't learn about it in school, you might be missing something that has the potential for you to truly enjoy doing and want to pursue.

 

[proud_mommy]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

It's my belief that most massage schools have the intention of getting you certified in Swedish massage, then offering a broad scope of modalities around the table like a sample platter. If you taste something you really like, then you can order the "full meal" in the form of continuing education. Offering a lot of courses in a short amount of time may not be to some peoples' liking, but if you didn't learn about it in school, you might be missing something that has the potential for you to truly enjoy doing and want to pursue.

Another good reason to shop around when considering massage schools. Some people thrive on breadth, others on depth. But the two are not the same.

 

[Maryam B]

What is your opinon of my school? Course offerings, hours, e

Too much time spent on all the different modalities. Look for a focus, like LOTS of hours spent in clinical or "deep tissue" massage, or one specific modality. Otherwise you will be a jack of all trades, a master of none. My school was 710 hours, but at least 200 of those (it was more, but I don't remember exactly how many off hand) were clinical massage. We learned several other modalities, but only a few hours, just enough for a taste, to see if we liked it and wanted to pursue it in CEU's.

I tend to agree with Vivian, except you want to make sure you learn ENOUGH to be a good therapist, as well as pass the test. I don't agree that it's enough to just pass the test. Your school teaches a lot of shiatsu. Is that the therapy you want to pursue? If not, you might consider something else.

I'm very new to the world of massage therapy, so I'm looking for a good school myself. Everyone has mentioned, so far, that it's best to focus on one (or two) aspects of therapy. However, one needs to, evidently, build a solid foundation in order for the focused training to begin. If I were to choose a school, what types of basic massage classes should I take if, let's say, I want to focus on Deep Tissue? I'll be inquiring about these things at the school I look into, but I figured I'd obtain an honest opinion from the professionals. Thanks, guys!