Distance Education - Basic Remedial Massage Therapy Program Profile

A two-year, distance education program. Students attend regularly scheduled workshops, supplemented by Wellington College’s theoretical manuals. This program alone gives the student adequate knowledge and ability to perform relaxation massage. Completion of this level may also allow you to work in such situations as chiropractic treatment preparation or in beauty salons.

The course is a prerequisite for Advanced Remedial Massage Therapy. Students may fast-track this course into one-year, however, the College has found that demands are often great on students with families and full-time jobs. Therefore, it is recommended that students consider completing the course over two-years.

Program Goals and Objectives
The Basic Remedial Massage course was designed for people who wish to study massage for their own interest or to perform massage for relaxation. Graduates of this program will have a basic understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathology and clinical skills and be proficient at applying massage for relaxation purposes. Completion of this course does not make your massage services reimbursable by all insurance programs.

Job Market
Some professional associations recognize Basic Remedial Massage as adequate for membership in their organizations. With this course, graduates can practice in some provinces as ‘body workers,’ however, their patients will not receive reimbursement for massage services from private insurance companies. For students who choose to practice massage outside Canada, this course provides adequate knowledge to meet board exams in the United States. This course is also adequate to work in a chiropractic or physiotherapy clinic as an assistant.

Program Delivery
Distance Education requires students to be good managers of time. The program is a combination of self-directed learning and regularly scheduled seminars, followed by test papers. At each seminar, students receive lectures and practical presentations. Because a portion of study is completed outside the classroom, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that assignments are completed and lectures prepared for.

Instruction is provided through practical demonstration combined with theoretical lessons, including theory of massage, anatomy, physiology, patient recording, practice management and other related subjects. A major component of the theoretical study is achieved by Distance Education, making classes a time for clarification and instruction.

At orientation, students will receive their first study section. Along with texts, students will also receive a study guide that replaces instructors in normal classroom situations. The lesson material acts as a comprehensive guide through all the required study areas.

Students are required to attend regularly scheduled seminars every four weeks. These are held on Friday from 1:00 pm to 9:30 pm and Saturday and Sunday, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Four times during the year, students are required to attend gross anatomy workshops. These are three hours in length and are presented at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg. Gross anatomy workshops are held on Friday mornings of regular seminar weekends.

Students must also complete four hours per week for 20 weeks of observed clinical experience. The clinic is open weekdays from 4:45 pm to 9:30 pm and 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Students who reside outside the Winnipeg area may complete this requirement through participation in an authorized massage, chiropractic or physiotherapy clinic in their area.

Exposure to conditions and pathologies are addressed by having students participate in outreach opportunities. Students complete a rotation through different outreach environments, exposing them to the types of conditions they would likely see in their practices. Outreaches occur Tuesday or Thursday afternoons or Wednesday evenings. For students living outside Winnipeg, alternative settings can be arranged.

The College issues lessons that are completed using approved text books and literature. Assignments are completed at the end of each lesson and turned in to instructors at seminar weekends. Students must also sit for monthly unit exams which are completed under the observance of an individual approved by the College. Exams are based on information covered to that date.

Group Tutorials
To aid learning away from class, it is suggested that students organize study groups. These groups act
as a support and avenue of clarification for reading and assignments.

Time Commitment
Students who choose the Distance Education course control the time required to adequately cover and complete the course curriculum. However, there are a number of mandatory attendance requirements:
• attendance at one, two-day orientation seminar
• attendance at 11 regularly scheduled three-day seminars, once every four weeks
• attendance at four gross anatomy workshops that occur on Friday mornings of specific seminar weekends
• attendance at two, one-day workshops
• attendance at one, two-day hydrotherapy seminar• participation in clinical application, starting in January
• participation in outreach opportunities, starting in January

Students who do not hold valid CPR and/or first-aid certificates must obtain them prior to beginning the clinical outreach component (CPR and first-aid courses are available through Wellington College).
Please note that the Distance Education program is not considered part-time. The College recommends that students with large demands on their time should reduce the course load and extend their studies. This will make the course longer, but it will reduce stress and better ensure your success.

Variance from Full-time Practical Lab (PMAS 100)
Students must complete a total of 100 hours of hands-on practice. These hours must be documented in a journal and will be authenticated by the College.

Clinical Application
Students must attend an authorized clinic for four hours per week commencing in January for a total of 20 weeks. For students residing more than one hour outside the city, the student may locate a facility at which to perform this requirement. The location must be approved by the College and be observed by a licensed massage therapist, chiropractor, physiotherapist or osteopath.

Outreach Application
Students must complete practical experience in clinical settings, such as hospitals or seniors’ facilities. This requires four hours per week, for a total of 20 weeks beginning in January. For students residing more than one hour outside the city, the student may locate a facility closer to home at which to perform this requirement.
This facility must have an individual capable of providing guidance in contraindictions. Acceptable clinical observers would include a licensed massage therapist, physiotherapist, chiropractor, nurse, doctor or other medical provider capable of evaluating conditions.

Examination Requirements
Students are required to complete a closed book assignment (CBA) following each monthly seminar. Exam packages contain questions pertaining to the topic areas just covered in lectures. The length of time it takes to complete these exams is dependent on the student, however, the maximum time required in any examination period is generally three hours. For students living more than one hour outside the city, the College will help to establish a contact in the area who will observe exams. Exams will be mailed or e-mailed directly to the authorized observer who will then mail them back to the College after completion. As well, students are required to complete two practical exams outside regularly scheduled seminars. These will occur in January and June.
Students will be required to complete two written exams at the College, regardless of where they reside. These occur in January and June.

Evaluation
Grading in Basic Remedial Massage is based on many components, including assignments, group projects, class participation, unit exams, attendance, mid-year exams and final exams. Marks are accumulated throughout the year according to a formula devised by the College. A breakdown of the evaluation method for every subject will be provided at the commencement of classes.

Written Evaluations
To move from Year 1 to Year 2, students are required to attain a passing mark of 70% in all classes and topics. A 75% average must be maintained in order to pass the program.

Practical Evaluations
Students are evaluated four times during the program. Students do not receive marks in their practical application classes. Students are rated on a scale of one to five. Students must achieve a rating of three or higher in 75% of the areas evaluated to obtain a pass. The scale will be discussed in detail at orientation.

Course/Hour Breakdown Total Hours: 1,473

Distance Education Requirement (DER)
DER refers to the time students can expect to devote to a topic area away from class over the duration of the program.

Contact Hours
Theory and practical refer to the time an instructor interacts with students in settings such as lectures
and practical classes.

Contact Hours of Course

Year 1

Course	Description	DER	Theory	Practical	Total
TERM 100	Terminology	13	7		20
PHYS 110	Physiology	148	48		196
NEUR 120	Neurophysiology	48	12		60
PATH 100	Pathology	126	34		160
HYDR 100	Hydrotherapy	34	8	8	50
CLMA 100	Clinic Management	60	20		80
PSYC 100	Psychology		18		18
Total for Year		429	147	8	584

Year 2

Course	Description	DER	Theory	Practical	Total
ANAT 100	Anatomy	100	48		148
ANAT 120	Gross Anatomy			16	16
ANAT 110	Anatomy/Kinesiology		12		12
EXRH 100	Exercise Concepts	84	24	16	124
PMAS 100	Practical Application		142		142
PMAS 100.1	Additional Massage	100			100
PMAS 110	General Assessment	90	52		142
PMAS 120	Observed Clinical			94.5	94.5
PMAS 130	Observed Outreach			94.5	94.5
WKSH 100	Educational Workshops			8	16
Total for Year		374	286	229	889
Total for Course		803	433	237	1,473