Career Options
Hands-on career for newcomersHaving worked as a massage therapist in three countries, Felix Kaustov has a good perspective on cultural differences when it comes to the science of massage. MARK TOLJAGIC |
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 [ 2006-03-01 ] |
"In Russia, our clients laid down and I would administer the massage, no questions asked," he recalls. "Here in Canada, etiquette is very important. There is a lot of emphasis on appropriate draping to ensure the client is properly covered."
SUBTLE THINGS
His observations begin to explain the need for retraining when foreign-educated professionals come to Canada hoping to practise their skills here. While they may be very experienced, sometimes it's the subtle things that need to be addressed before they take up their profession again.
"The single largest barrier to internationally trained therapists working here is the socio-cultural aspect of the work," says professor Trish Dryden of Centennial College. "The notion of 'client-centred care' is very different in various parts of the world."
Massage therapy is the expert manipulation of soft tissue (joints and muscles) of the body, and it's commonly prescribed for people with sports injuries and victims of motor vehicle or workplace accidents. It's also a beneficial wellness strategy for an increasing number of Canadians.
Experienced internationally educated massage therapists wishing to work in Ontario now have a faster way to join the profession as a registered practitioner, thanks to the new International Massage Therapy Bridging program at Centennial College offered in partnership with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO).
The part-time, nine-month bridging program provides foreign-trained students with an assessment of their present skills, and gives them profession-specific language training and the supplementary education needed to meet provincial requirements.
The assessment process ensures that the program is the right fit for applicants based on their abilities and experience.
In addition to learning Ontario health-care standards, legislation and ethics, students will receive enhanced language instruction. Centennial's program provides classroom instruction combined with plenty of hands-on practice and supervised clinical placements.
The program helps students prepare for the provincial registration exam, which is administrated by the CMTO. Kaustov confirms Ontario has among the highest standards in the world for massage therapists.
"It's very professional here. There's a lot of very good people working as therapists," he says. "When I started working in Israel, nobody asked me for any kind of papers."
Born in Baku in what is now the Republic of Azerbaijan, Kaustov, 38, attended the best college of massage therapy in the former Soviet Union. He eventually immigrated to Israel in 1990, where he practised his profession and even taught for four years.
When Kaustov relocated to Toronto three years ago, he was surprised to find that he was required to relearn his skills despite his extensive experience.
BRIDGING PROGRAM
Prior to Centennial's pilot project, internationally educated massage therapists were often referred to a Canadian training program, which takes two to three years to complete.
Having done it the hard way, Kaustov recognizes just how beneficial the bridging program is for newcomers. He sits on Centennial's program advisory committee, in addition to working at two physiotherapy clinics and a massage therapy clinic.
Like many registered massage therapists (RMTs), Kaustov is an independent contractor to various health-care providers. The Centennial program teaches entrepreneurial skills to help graduates prepare for self- employment.
The pilot program is tuition-free, although students are expected to pay for textbooks and lab fees. The Ontario government and Citizenship and Immigration Canada fund the program, which begins this fall.
For more details about the International Massage Therapy Bridging program, call 416-289-5000, ext. 8265, or e-mail: carhte@centennial college.ca. Centennial also offers a popular three-year diploma Massage Therapy program for post-secondary applicants.
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