Practice Your Skills in a Real-World Setting
Massage therapy is a hands-on profession, and you need a hands-on education. Vicars School gives you hundreds of hours of supervised real-world experience in a variety of clinical environments.
Before you practice your skills on members of the public, you’ll learn by working with your fellow students in class. Our classrooms have both a lecture space and a lab area, and you’ll have hands-on training every time you’re on campus. In class, your practical work is supervised by your classroom instructors who are all experienced RMTs.
Once you’ve practiced your techniques in class, it will be time to work on the public. At Vicars, our student practicum takes the form of a minimum of 330 hours of supervised clinical experience over the course of the two-year program. This meets the curriculum requirements for full accreditation by the Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation.
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Real clients, real experience
Our supervised student clinical experience is the backbone of the Vicars program. It offers you the opportunity to work hands-on with hundreds of clients and refine your skills in a supportive and educational environment.
There is an experienced RMT supervising at each clinic to give you support and direction. A normal shift consists of two client appointments, and for each appointment you’ll conduct an assessment and perform a personalized 60-minute treatment based on your client’s needs. You will gain valuable experience in practice management by maintaining detailed client records, assisting with clinic operations, and managing client relationships.
Public clinics also take place on campus, but outside of your regular classroom hours. Daytime and evening shifts are available throughout the week. You’ll start treating clients at the public clinic halfway through your first year.
Our clinics are very popular in the community, and you’ll have the opportunity to treat clients of different ages, backgrounds, and conditions.
To offer you even more variety, the school regularly organizes outreach events during which students can earn clinical hours in an off-campus setting. We are careful only to choose events that provide a learning opportunity for students and that contribute to the community in a positive way. For example, you’ll often see our students at charity and sports events.
In-class teaching clinics
One of the most exciting features of our program is the opportunity to gain practical clinical experience as part of your in-class time!
These special clinics take place during scheduled class days and are an opportunity to apply the skills you’re currently learning by working on real people with real conditions. In-class clinics begin mid-way through first year and continue every month until graduation.
Relaxation clinics
You’ll be focusing on the techniques you’re learning that month, beginning mid-way through your first year. At the start, you’ll be performing relaxation massage.
Special conditions clinics
As your skills develop, the clinics will target more advanced conditions. During second year, the in-class clinics will be devoted to treating people with specific conditions or needs such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, neurological disorders, orthopedic conditions, brain, and spinal cord injuries. Each appointment includes an assessment prior to the massage treatment, and appropriate self-care advice afterwards.
