Alternatives to the 500 Hour Requirement
If you have not completed a massage therapy training program of 500 hours or more, you may:
Provide with your application evidence of satisfactory completion of a massage therapy training program of 300 hours or more and provide evidence of satisfactory completion of sufficient NCBTMB continuing education courses to total 500 hours in all.
-or-
Submit with your application a letter explaining how you have acquired equivalent general massage training through your specific education, training, work history and life experience. Such requests are considered on an individual basis. You may be asked for a telephone interview. Approval will be granted at the sole discretion of the Membership Committee.
Alternatives to the Recognized Oncology Massage Program Requirement
If you have mastered the basics of oncology massage in a different way, you may:
Complete a S4OM training checklist explaining how you have acquired equivalent oncology massage training through your specific education, training, work history and life experience. Such requests are considered on an individual basis. You may be asked for a telephone interview. Approval will be granted at the sole discretion of the Membership Committee. The checklist is available in doc and pdf format.
If you have taken an oncology massage training course which is not S4OM recognized, ask your instructor to consider applying for recognition. The standards for recognition of instructors and curricula are here.
Ways to Meet the Clinical Thinking Requirement
a) Demonstrate your clinical thinking in adapting massage
for the client who has, or has had, cancer by documenting (in S4OM standard
format) four 1-hour, hands-on, oncology massage sessions with four different
clients. These sessions may be performed in any massage setting including
hospital, private practice, spa, or allied health practice.
-or-
b) Provide evidence of completion of an additional, advanced S4OM recognized
training session of 35 hours or more that incorporates detailed, supervised
hands-on work. As of November, 2010 three classes qualify for this
exception:
Massage in the Oncology Setting - 5 Day Hospital Intensive, Gayle MacDonald
or Tina Ferner, 35 hours
Oncology Massage 2 - Integrating Complementary Therapies, Isabel Adkins, 40
hours
Clinical Oncology and Hospital Massage, Karen Armstrong, 100 hours
Note: Applicants for membership via the alternative application, must
document clinical thinking skills according to a) above.
