Comments for Zen and the Art of Massage http://www.nyxie.org thoughts from beyond the massage room Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:37:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 Comment on The OSCE and MCQ: Advice for the new graduate by Nicoleta http://www.nyxie.org/2006/08/03/the-osce-and-mcq-advice-for-the-new-graduate/#comment-3642 Nicoleta Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:37:07 +0000 http://www.nyxie.org/2006/08/03/the-osce-and-mcq-advice-for-the-new-graduate/#comment-3642 Hi Candice, I am a new RMT, I passed my OSCE and MCQ without any problems. I did not find any of them too hard, it's just the nerves that can get you. After 2 years in school, I believe that everyone knows enough to pass the registration if they will keep there cool. I found the school exams much harder than OSCE or MCQ. You were right, you have to read the scenario very carefully and do what they ask you to do for each station, even if is not like in oral practical exams in school. They ask for specific thinks and, we have to be specific in explanations.They do not try to trick you and, is really straight foreword. Thank you for your nice words and advice on this blog. You are doing a great, great job!!! Hi Candice,
I am a new RMT, I passed my OSCE and MCQ without any problems. I did not find any of them too hard, it’s just the nerves that can get you. After 2 years in school, I believe that everyone knows enough to pass the registration if they will keep there cool. I found the school exams much harder than OSCE or MCQ. You were right, you have to read the scenario very carefully and do what they ask you to do for each station, even if is not like in oral practical exams in school. They ask for specific thinks and, we have to be specific in explanations.They do not try to trick you and, is really straight foreword. Thank you for your nice words and advice on this blog. You are doing a great, great job!!!

]]> Comment on Where I’m blogging these days by Amanda http://www.nyxie.org/2008/07/23/where-im-blogging-these-days/#comment-3580 Amanda Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:08:25 +0000 http://www.nyxie.org/2008/07/23/where-im-blogging-these-days/#comment-3580 I am trying to get in touch with you about massage therapy experts. If possible, please email me at the email address provided. Thanks I am trying to get in touch with you about massage therapy experts. If possible, please email me at the email address provided.

Thanks

]]> Comment on Hot Stone Massage - Update by shannah http://www.nyxie.org/2007/08/08/hot-stone-massage-update/#comment-3579 shannah Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:02:43 +0000 http://www.nyxie.org/2007/08/08/hot-stone-massage-update/#comment-3579 hi there hi there

]]> Comment on Great Customer Service! by terry http://www.nyxie.org/2008/06/11/great-customer-service/#comment-3474 terry Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:02:34 +0000 http://www.nyxie.org/2008/06/11/great-customer-service/#comment-3474 Hi Candice. I didn't see any way to email you so I'm leaving this comment. I manage a website at www.massageschoolsguide.com. Our focus is on providing information and resources to current and prospective massage school students. Since you are a relatively recent grad and an entrepreneur and blogger, I was wondering if you would be willing to write an article for our website. I would be pleased to promote your blog and your practice on our site. Please let me know. I can be reached at john.mcdermott4 AT verizon.net. Thanks Terry Hi Candice. I didn’t see any way to email you so I’m leaving this comment.

I manage a website at http://www.massageschoolsguide.com. Our focus is on providing information and resources to current and prospective massage school students. Since you are a relatively recent grad and an entrepreneur and blogger, I was wondering if you would be willing to write an article for our website. I would be pleased to promote your blog and your practice on our site.

Please let me know. I can be reached at john.mcdermott4 AT verizon.net.

Thanks

Terry

]]> Comment on The OSCE and MCQ: Advice for the new graduate by Candice http://www.nyxie.org/2006/08/03/the-osce-and-mcq-advice-for-the-new-graduate/#comment-3320 Candice Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:28:43 +0000 http://www.nyxie.org/2006/08/03/the-osce-and-mcq-advice-for-the-new-graduate/#comment-3320 Hi Jen, The only practice exams I had available to me were the ones I got in school, or the ones that fellow classmates and I made up to test ourselves. Unfortunately, it's been 2 years since I graduated and I no longer have any of those things available electronically, and the paper copies are currently in storage. However, good to know: If you haven't already checked the website for the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario, they have information available for out-of-province therapists wanting to get registered here. Because you are not coming from a regulated province, chances are they will require some form of upgrading courses before you are able to write the CMTO exams: http://www.cmto.com/CPLA/CPLA.htm My advice would be to contact them ASAP to get an idea of whether or not you'd be immediately eligible to write the CMTO exams, and if not, what sort of upgrading you're going to be in for. Best of luck! Hi Jen,

The only practice exams I had available to me were the ones I got in school, or the ones that fellow classmates and I made up to test ourselves. Unfortunately, it’s been 2 years since I graduated and I no longer have any of those things available electronically, and the paper copies are currently in storage.

However, good to know: If you haven’t already checked the website for the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario, they have information available for out-of-province therapists wanting to get registered here. Because you are not coming from a regulated province, chances are they will require some form of upgrading courses before you are able to write the CMTO exams: http://www.cmto.com/CPLA/CPLA.htm

My advice would be to contact them ASAP to get an idea of whether or not you’d be immediately eligible to write the CMTO exams, and if not, what sort of upgrading you’re going to be in for.

Best of luck!

]]> Comment on The OSCE and MCQ: Advice for the new graduate by Jen http://www.nyxie.org/2006/08/03/the-osce-and-mcq-advice-for-the-new-graduate/#comment-3306 Jen Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:56:31 +0000 http://www.nyxie.org/2006/08/03/the-osce-and-mcq-advice-for-the-new-graduate/#comment-3306 Hey, Im a massage therapist in Manitoba and my husband may need to transfer to Toronto for work. Im trying to get ahead of the 8ball and start preping myself for the boards. I took your advice and ordered the clinical massage book you suggested (we didn't use this book at our college) and I noticed you mentioned something (somewhere in this blog! Lol) about practice exams. This would be awesome if you have something that i could use and see where I need to focus my energy. Our provinces are very diffrent as far as legislation goes and I know im a great therapist I just wanna be sure it's up to snuff for Ontario. Can you help me? Hey,

Im a massage therapist in Manitoba and my husband may need to transfer to Toronto for work. Im trying to get ahead of the 8ball and start preping myself for the boards. I took your advice and ordered the clinical massage book you suggested (we didn’t use this book at our college) and I noticed you mentioned something (somewhere in this blog! Lol) about practice exams. This would be awesome if you have something that i could use and see where I need to focus my energy. Our provinces are very diffrent as far as legislation goes and I know im a great therapist I just wanna be sure it’s up to snuff for Ontario. Can you help me?

]]> Comment on The OSCE and MCQ: Advice for the new graduate by Candice http://www.nyxie.org/2006/08/03/the-osce-and-mcq-advice-for-the-new-graduate/#comment-3225 Candice Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:13:57 +0000 http://www.nyxie.org/2006/08/03/the-osce-and-mcq-advice-for-the-new-graduate/#comment-3225 Hi Jen, First, I just wanted to assure you that the feeling of being in limbo is really normal. Nearly everyone feels that way after their OSCE. I joke that it is the CMTO's way of scaring us into being good therapists, but really it is the process in place to help ensure the integrity of the exams. If OSCE candidates knew what they were marking, it would be easier to try to cheat. Or, some people would just go in and do ONLY what is being marked and nothing else. They don't want that, because that would be too easy and not give a clear picture as to how you really are as a therapist. That said: No school truly knows what is on the OSCEs and how they are marked. So you aren't really missing much by having chosen a new school, at least as far as that goes. Instructors can only speculate based on feedback from former students. With the computerized marking, I'm not sure how it works exactly, as they were doing it on bubble sheets back in 2006 when I did my exam. Those sheets were then fed into a machine and the results tallied up. However, if your exam was anything like mine, I wouldn't worry too much if you didn't hear tons of clicking. They may have been clicking and you didn't notice, or they may have filled in a few more sections after you left the room. It is also possible that the exam sheet only had 3 or 4 things to click at all! So try not to stress about that aspect of it. As for your consent to treatment station, I can't say whether that would cause you an automatic fail. It is completely possible that you said enough other things that you'd pass the station. Overall, they are looking to see if you're going to be safe with the general public. I don't know if they require on the OSCE for you to say precisely 'Do I have your consent for treatment(assessment)?' in order to pass the station. And ultimately it is a human marking the exam. If they felt you said enough and it was just nerves, that might be enough. And even if it wasn't -- one station wouldn't fail you the entire OSCE. :) With the MCQ, are you already registered for it? If not and you are feeling really stressed and overwhelmed, what I would do is register for it for sometime after you'll get your OSCE results. That way by then you'll know either way, and not have the the 'what if?' looming over your head. MCQ results get returned to the CMTO pretty quickly, so you could possibly be ready to start work by the end of July as an RMT. My biggest piece of advice right now would be to take a deep breath and try to think about all the awesome things that you did right during the OSCE. I stressed myself out like crazy for the 2 weeks it took to get our results. But in the end, even though I wasn't perfect and forgot to do some things, I still passed. Good luck! Let me know how it goes! - Candice Hi Jen,

First, I just wanted to assure you that the feeling of being in limbo is really normal. Nearly everyone feels that way after their OSCE. I joke that it is the CMTO’s way of scaring us into being good therapists, but really it is the process in place to help ensure the integrity of the exams. If OSCE candidates knew what they were marking, it would be easier to try to cheat. Or, some people would just go in and do ONLY what is being marked and nothing else. They don’t want that, because that would be too easy and not give a clear picture as to how you really are as a therapist.

That said: No school truly knows what is on the OSCEs and how they are marked. So you aren’t really missing much by having chosen a new school, at least as far as that goes. Instructors can only speculate based on feedback from former students.

With the computerized marking, I’m not sure how it works exactly, as they were doing it on bubble sheets back in 2006 when I did my exam. Those sheets were then fed into a machine and the results tallied up. However, if your exam was anything like mine, I wouldn’t worry too much if you didn’t hear tons of clicking. They may have been clicking and you didn’t notice, or they may have filled in a few more sections after you left the room. It is also possible that the exam sheet only had 3 or 4 things to click at all! So try not to stress about that aspect of it.

As for your consent to treatment station, I can’t say whether that would cause you an automatic fail. It is completely possible that you said enough other things that you’d pass the station. Overall, they are looking to see if you’re going to be safe with the general public. I don’t know if they require on the OSCE for you to say precisely ‘Do I have your consent for treatment(assessment)?’ in order to pass the station. And ultimately it is a human marking the exam. If they felt you said enough and it was just nerves, that might be enough. And even if it wasn’t — one station wouldn’t fail you the entire OSCE. :)

With the MCQ, are you already registered for it? If not and you are feeling really stressed and overwhelmed, what I would do is register for it for sometime after you’ll get your OSCE results. That way by then you’ll know either way, and not have the the ‘what if?’ looming over your head. MCQ results get returned to the CMTO pretty quickly, so you could possibly be ready to start work by the end of July as an RMT.

My biggest piece of advice right now would be to take a deep breath and try to think about all the awesome things that you did right during the OSCE. I stressed myself out like crazy for the 2 weeks it took to get our results. But in the end, even though I wasn’t perfect and forgot to do some things, I still passed.

Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

- Candice

]]> Comment on The OSCE and MCQ: Advice for the new graduate by Jen http://www.nyxie.org/2006/08/03/the-osce-and-mcq-advice-for-the-new-graduate/#comment-3224 Jen Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:16:41 +0000 http://www.nyxie.org/2006/08/03/the-osce-and-mcq-advice-for-the-new-graduate/#comment-3224 I just took the OSCE the other day, along with my friends, and we all felt like we were in limbo with trying to judge what they are marking. When I took my comprehensives at school, I did very well on all the stations except techniques and Treatmenyt plan and consent. We got our marking sheets for them back so we could see where we went wrong, but it was frustrating because we were marked opn things we were not told to say. So I practiced for the OSCE with the exam sheets and felt more confident going in to the exam. The only thing is that, you know that they mark it with a computer so i could hear the clicking, and somethines when I thought that I was saying the right things I did not hear any clicking. Also I was so nervous in the treatment plan and censent station at the OSCE's that I forgot to actually ASK for consent. Do you think that that would make me fail the whole station? I feel very much in Limbo and so do the rest of us, also because we went to a brand new school and are the first graduating class. I still have to take the MCQ and feel so very overwhelmed. Thanks for listening, any advise would be appreciated. Thanks, I just took the OSCE the other day, along with my friends, and we all felt like we were in limbo with trying to judge what they are marking. When I took my comprehensives at school, I did very well on all the stations except techniques and Treatmenyt plan and consent. We got our marking sheets for them back so we could see where we went wrong, but it was frustrating because we were marked opn things we were not told to say. So I practiced for the OSCE with the exam sheets and felt more confident going in to the exam. The only thing is that, you know that they mark it with a computer so i could hear the clicking, and somethines when I thought that I was saying the right things I did not hear any clicking. Also I was so nervous in the treatment plan and censent station at the OSCE’s that I forgot to actually ASK for consent. Do you think that that would make me fail the whole station? I feel very much in Limbo and so do the rest of us, also because we went to a brand new school and are the first graduating class. I still have to take the MCQ and feel so very overwhelmed. Thanks for listening, any advise would be appreciated.
Thanks,

]]> Comment on Great Customer Service! by Ask A CMT.com » Great Customer Service! http://www.nyxie.org/2008/06/11/great-customer-service/#comment-3220 Ask A CMT.com » Great Customer Service! Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:27:34 +0000 http://www.nyxie.org/2008/06/11/great-customer-service/#comment-3220 [...] Original post by Candice [...] […] Original post by Candice […]

]]> Comment on To remember by Ross http://www.nyxie.org/2008/01/12/70/#comment-3027 Ross Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:53:47 +0000 http://www.nyxie.org/2008/01/12/70/#comment-3027 Thank you for a wonderful story. After having several similar experiences, it's definitely important to not let them feel akward, or uncomfortable, they are having a massage after all! Though many therapists might not realise or take it on board ;) Thank you for a wonderful story. After having several similar experiences, it’s definitely important to not let them feel akward, or uncomfortable, they are having a massage after all! Though many therapists might not realise or take it on board ;)

]]>