Policy: Refresher Course

Background

A Refresher Course may be required for individuals either prior to registration with CMTO (applicants) or after their registration with CMTO (registrants).

Applicants must be able to demonstrate up-to-date education both at the time the Certification Examinations are completed and at the time of Initial Registration. As per the Education Requirement for Exam Eligibility and Initial Registration policy the Council of the CMTO has determined that:

1. In order to be eligible to participate in the Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Certification Examination or the Objectively Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE) Certification Examination, an applicant must have:

(a) Successfully completed, no more than three years prior to the date of the Certification Examination administration, an educational program described in subparagraph i of paragraph 1 of subsection 5 (1) of the Registration Regulation, or

(b) Successfully completed, no more than 15 months prior to the date of the exam administration, a refresher course approved by the Council.

2. In order to be eligible for registration, the applicant must have:

(a) Successfully completed, no more than three years prior to the date of the application for Initial Registration, of an educational program described in subparagraph i of paragraph 1 of subsection 5 (1) of the Registration Regulation, or

(b) Successfully completed, no more than 15 months prior to the date of the application for initial registration, a refresher course approved by the Council.

After registration, in order to be authorized to practise with a General Certificate of registration (GC), a registrant must have:

(a) Been a registrant for less than two years, or

(b) Provided a minimum of 500 hours of direct client care within the scope of practice of Massage Therapy within the previous three years in a regulated Canadian jurisdiction where they were registered as a Massage Therapist at the time the care was provided, or

(c) Successfully completed a Refresher Course within the previous 15 months.

The Refresher Course Regulations in the Massage Therapy Act, 1991 state:

6. The following are registration requirements for a general certificate of registration:
7. In the event that the applicant completed an educational program described in subparagraph i of paragraph 1 of subsection 5 (1) more than three years prior to the date of the application for registration, the applicant must have, within fifteen months of application, successfully completed a refresher course approved by the Council in accordance with its policies.
8. A member who holds an inactive certificate of registration shall, upon application, be issued a general certificate of registration if the member,

(a) has been an inactive member for less than three years; or

(b) has satisfactorily completed a refresher course approved by the College within the fifteen months prior to the application. O. Reg. 864/93, s. 9.

Policy

The refresher course should evaluate competency and will focus on the competence of the registrant. The duration of the refresher course to be completed by a registrant/applicant will depend on the number of years the registrant has not been practising and whether the registrant/applicant has ever consolidated his/her learning after completing an approved Massage Therapy program. These two factors will affect an individual’s retention of knowledge and skills.

The refresher course will consist of the following stages:

1. The registrant/applicant will complete the Standards and Regulations e-Workshop. This stage may be done before, during, or after the stages below.
2. The registrant/applicant will complete the Refresher Competence Assessment Tool (RCAT).
3. An approved tutor will verify that the registrant has the competencies indicated on the completed RCAT and then design a course to remedy the registrant’s competence in the areas needing improvement.
4. The practical part of the course will require the registrant/applicant to demonstrate minimum entry to practice competence in client assessment, treatment skills, remedial exercise, and soft tissue modalities. This practical component is recommended to be a minimum of ten (10) hours for the General Refresher Course and a minimum of sixteen (16) hours for the Refresher Course with Enhanced Practicum.
5. At the end of the course the tutor will complete and sign another Refresher Competence Assessment Tool evaluating the registrant/applicant’s competence at the entry to practice level.
6. Both the student and the tutor will complete course evaluation forms and submit them to the College.

Registrant Categories

There will be two categories of registrants who will require a refresher course. In each category the re-entry to practice requirement will depend on the length of time the registrant/applicant has not practised:

Category 1 – Registrants/Applicants with Two or More Years of Practice after Graduation:

1. If a registrant/applicant cannot meet the requirement for 500 hours direct client care in the previous three years and has been away from practice for more than three and less than seven (7) years, the registrant will be required to complete a General Refresher Course.
2. After seven (7) years or more and less than seventeen (17) years away from practice, these registrants/applicants will be required to complete a longer Refresher Course with an Enhanced Practicum.
3. If these registrants/applicants have not practiced for 17 to 20 years, their files will be reviewed on an individual basis by the Registration Committee and they may be required to complete the entire approved Massage Therapy program.
4. After twenty (20) or more years away from practice, these registrants/applicants will be required to complete the entire approved Massage Therapy program.

Category 2 – Registrants/Applicants with Less than Two Years of Practice after Graduation:

1. If a registrant/applicant cannot meet the requirement for 500 hours direct client care in the previous three years and has been away from practice for more than three (3) and less than five (5) years, the registrant will be required to complete a General Refresher Course.
2. After five (5) years or more and less than fifteen (15) years away from practice, these registrants/applicants will be required to complete a longer Refresher Course with an Enhanced Practicum.
3. If these registrants/applicants have not practised for 12 to 15 years, their files will be reviewed on an individual basis by the Registration Committee and they may be required to complete the entire approved Massage Therapy program.
4. After fifteen (15) or more years away from practice, these registrants/applicants will be required to complete the entire approved Massage Therapy program.

Follow-up Evaluation:

When a refresher course has been completed, both the student and the tutor will complete evaluation forms and send them to the College. This will enable the College to evaluate the effectiveness of the courses being offered.

Adopted: September 20, 2004