Next week begins my string of final exams. I have a practical exam on orthopedic assessments on Monday, followed by another on treatment protocols on Friday. I’m a bit nervous for Monday’s exam, if only because I’m not sure what I’ll be asked to do. It’s a differentiation exam; we’re given a case study and expected to figure out which pathology a client might have, using our assessment skills. We’ll see how this goes.
My last few weeks in clinic just have been getting better and better. I’ve had multiple return clients, which was a good boost to my confidence. I had one woman, who has seen many students in the clinic, tell me that I gave her the best massage she’d ever had. I think perhaps this is beause I really ‘clicked’ with her — I had felt the same symptoms she was experiencing, so I knew all too well where she was coming from, even if I didn’t explicitly tell her that. I’m seeing her again next week.
I also finished a treatment plan with one client who I had been treating for head forward posture. In our clinic, we are allowed to see a client no more than four times before having to ‘pass them on’ to another student. This is for two reasons: so other students can benefit from learning from that client, and so the student who started treating them will get to learn new things with someone else. Anyhow, on our last treatment, I did a considerable amount of myofascial stretching, autogenic inhibition techniques, and direct fascial manipulations. He started the treatment with a considerable amount of forward rolling in his shoulders, and by the time I finished work on one side, they had dropped back by an inch or more. I got similar results on the other side. After the treatment, his seated posture had improved, and he let me know he felt a lot better and his shoulders felt ‘lighter’.
My final clinical assessment is next week. I’ll be sure to write about how that goes. I’m confident it will show I’ve improved. I know I still have a way to go, but things feel more connected now than they did in February.
I start my summer job a few days after my written exams are completed. Fortunately, I got a job working in a chiropractic and massage clinic as an assistant. I’ll be doing a wide range of things, from writing information packets to give to clients to ordering supplies. It should give me a greater feel for the ‘running a business’ aspect of being an RMT.
But before I can get to that, I must first pass my exams. Off to study a bit more.