5 Ways to Earn Continuing Education Credits for Massage Therapy
As a massage therapist you probably know a lot or very little about the ongoing need to maintain your professional license status in good standing through annual participation in continuing education.
For example, AMTA requires their members to complete 48 hours of continuing education every four years. ABMP requires that professional members keep current on state license or certification. Keep in mind that each state has their own requirements for CE hours. You may also want to check in with NCBTMB for their national certification CE requirements. It may not be easy keeping track of it all, but at least you have plenty of options when it comes to WHERE you can earn continuing education hours, or units...
1. Earn CEs online
We'll start with what we know best: online education. When you live far away from a major city, or you have obligations that keep you tied close to home and office, you can't beat the convenience of online classes or webinar events. Online classes might include live webinars, pre-recorded demonstrations, or video modules that you watch at your own pace. All you need is a fast internet connection, a computer and speakers to attend. When people call us and ask if they'll be able to view our online events, our basic response is, "Do you ever watch YouTube?" If you can watch videos on YouTube, you are most likely going to be able to view any online classes or presentations.
When you're shopping for a quality online CE experience, we recommend you look for the following (because not all online education is created equal)...
- NCBTMB approved providers
- Other educators recommended by your trusted colleagues
- Advanced, high-quality material that you believe will benefit your practice
- CE certificates which prove you have passed the CE quiz
- Video demonstrations, because visual learning is SO much easier and effective than bullet point slideshows
Tools for Touch CE Webinars - You can earn 9 CEs for $99 from our NCBTMB approved providers. Webinars include live demonstrations and are recorded so that you can access them on-demand for 90 days. Think about this: a live event may be great, but when it's over, it's OVER. You can't go watch the video unless it was recorded and you pay the typically high price for the day's video recording. Quizzes and CE certificates are sent instantly by email, and there are no upcharges.
Massage Therapy Foundation & Basics of Research Literacy Course - Explore and learn at your own pace.
2. Take a class in person
It's often fun, and always social - if you can sacrifice the time and money - to get together with colleagues at a live workshop. If you have the time and money to travel, or the freedom to spend the day at a nearby event, a face-to-face class is a great option because it provides a forum for networking in addition to the workshop learning.
You can search NCBTMB for approved providers in your area and see who might be offering CE classes
http://www.ncbtmb.org/tools/find-approved-provider
3. Combine a vacation cruise with professional learning
Consider earning CEs at sea. Before you commit money though, be sure that you enjoy being on a cruise ship in the first place! Some people love it, but some do not, and find cruise ships to be claustrophobic. Know before you go! On the positive side, all or part of a CE cruise may be tax deductible. If you do choose to cruise, check out this post on cruising through your massage CEUs.
4. Attend a conference
Find out where the national and regional conferences will be this year or next, and plan a trip! Most professional massage conferences offer myriad continuing education opportunities, as well as a unique venue to meet colleagues from your state, region, or even from around the world. Not only may this prove to be a valuble networking experience,it may also be fun to travel to a different part of the country.
Be sensible, however, and add up ALL of your out-of-pocket expenses: workshop fees, hotel costs, meal costs, travel costs, snacks/souvenir costs etc. Total expenses are always more when you accurately add up everything. Does the total expense seem worth it?
Here are just a couple of examples coming up this year:
AMTA 2014 Annual Educational Conference - February 28–March 3
AMTA Mid-Atlantic Conference - May 2–3
World Massage Festival July 20-23
5.Try association membership options
Look in your area for chapter events if you are a member of your AMTA state chapter. Member benefits for both ABMP and AMTA include special rates on continuing education classes.
You can also get discounts on Tools for Touch CE Webinars when you sign up for our mailing list! We offer special discounts to our readers each month.
What are some other ways you've earned CEs that we might have left off our list? Any feedback on particularly good educators? Leave a comment with your suggestions, experiences, and ideas for new ways to earn CEs!
