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Advanced Certification: The Long-Awaited Announcement from the NCBTMB

The NCBTMB announced today in a press release that the organization is getting on with the task of offering an advanced certification examination, with a target date for the exam to start beta testing in April 2010.

While I applaud any effort from them towards that at all, the issue here is that I think they're a little off target, before they get started. I have heard input from hundreds of therapists who would be interested in gaining an advanced certification in their area of expertise, such as Medical Massage, Oncology Massage, Maternity Massage, and so forth. I haven't heard anyone say they would line up to take a general type of exam. Furthermore, since the day the MBLEx was introduced, the NCB has propagated their existing exams as the hallmark of advanced knowledge, even though in reality it is an entrance-level exam, so they've kind of lost ground by way of their own press.

I think it is of the utmost importance for the massage community to weigh in on this before this Job Task Analysis gets off to a big start. The NCB has reportedly assembled a team of 20 experts in the field to lead this effort that is to take place in November.

I will forward all answers to this on to the powers that be at the NCB. PLEASE weigh in: Would you be interested in taking a modality-specific exam, and if so, in what area of expertise would you seek that advanced certification?

OR would you be interested in taking a general advanced certification exam that just designates you as an advanced professional?

Does either of these work for you? Come on, people, we need for our voices to be heard on this one.

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Comment by Gloria Coppola on September 9, 2009 at 4:04pm: Yeah Jan! I agree. I was just saying the same thing today. People interested in teaching, need training. It's sad when schools take graduates from 1 year prior and throw them in a school to teach. It's no wonder the quality of education has gone downhill for many schools.

I was just speaking with some CE colleagues today - and we all agreed that NCBTMB has not provided us with much of anything, support, representation, protection etc. Not one was in agreement with this new advanced certification. Just like everything else they got involved in ( NCB), they slack off. Why should we trust them now? Do you know they don't even look over the CE courses submitted? Now, once you are an approved provider you can teach anything (per my conversation with them and several other providers). that's ridiculous. They personally told me they don't approve courses. Once you get approved as a provider - you're in. So how are they going to monitor anything 'advanced'??

There lack of appropriate management has been awful to say the least!

Mike, I hope not! Maybe the Federation can take that on. ;)

Comment by Julie Onofrio on September 9, 2009 at 10:50am: I wouldn't want to take a test at this point in my career- I would probably fail. I don't do anything by the book really. Most of my training is in structural integration. How could anyone create exams for all of the 250 different types of massage? Taking a test won't help my career at this point. What would be the reasons for testing? I don't think having a credential brings any more prestige or helps build a practice would it? How has the current certification with them done anything for massage therapists. I hear more about people not recertifying because it is meaningless.

I actually am starting to think that we need to move to a 3-4 year basic massage school program but that is another story.

Comment by Jan Schwartz on September 9, 2009 at 9:49am: I think Survey Monkey is free if you ask 10 questions or less.

Comment by Rebecca B Adams on September 9, 2009 at 5:44am: I also agree with Ruth, and I agree with Jan, and Kathy! A written exam only proves you can spout information, or guess at multiple choice really well. I think advanced continuing ed courses - like Cynthia Loving's series for aromatherapy, and the 100 hour Esalen certification, the medical massage series (my memory fails me, I can't for the life of me say the name of who teaches it), and Marie Claire's prenatal certification that you have to do case management and submit it to finish your certification.
Like Kathy said "our reputation is our real legitimacy." And so much is intuitive - I had no idea I was tracing myofascial lines until I colleague that has studied Anatomy Trains with Tom Myers told me that was what I was doing. I remember what the owner of the massage school I attended told me "they want us to teach you a right brained occupation, and certify you with a left brained test." I know knowledge is key, but if you have no ability to apply it, integrate it, and discern when to use it, then you are just doing it by the numbers.
And teaching is key. I've been practicing almost 4 years - and I've already been asked to teach in two different schools! I am a very conscientious therapist - I try hard, and I study hard. I always have more CEU's than I need for licensing (so far)! But no way do I have enough experience in the field to be preparing people to start - there is a lot more to it than technique. So how do you make a general test for that? I believe this is their response to the MBLEX - and they need to be running scared. I have seen some sampling of the MBLEX, and I think it is great. An entry-level exam - that's all anyone coming out of school should have! Massage therapy should be a lifetime learning experience - you can't just take an exam and say "Oh! I've got it!" Frankly, if it weren't for wanting to be able to cross state lines and get licensed more easily, I wouldn't worry about keeping my certification current...

Comment by Mike Hinkle on September 8, 2009 at 11:27pm: Thanks, Lisa! I'm glad you got that too. I just hope now, with their new guidance, they will re-focus on their mission.

Comment by Lisa Curran Parenteau on September 8, 2009 at 8:53pm: Agreed on all points Jan-that does seem to be the cart that should be before that particular horse...Since we are letting it all hang out...So what do you make of the new association that perhaps seeks to 'replace' COS?
BTW, Mike, I think the teacher's CE was just an idea floated here...not necessarily a short term goal/task articulated by the NCBTMB.

Comment by Mike Hinkle on September 8, 2009 at 8:07pm: So is NCB now going to change again and be "teacher's continuing ed?"

Comment by Jan Schwartz on September 8, 2009 at 7:46pm: First you have to create teacher training, no? Then you can create an exam and a credential. Since we're letting it all hang out, the real challenge is to get teachers to accept that they need the training. I believe that kind of credential might be better coming from a council of schools, where all involved (we hope) are educators.

Comment by Lisa Curran Parenteau on September 8, 2009 at 7:37pm: I have an abiding interest in continuing to raising the bar and create meaningful standards for all massage therapists-above Bodhi states "For a profession to develop specialties it needs to take its time and define what knowledge is required and how one gains this specialized knowledge." I really agree and would like to think we can all contribute to this goal. I also think that Ruth's comment about teacher credentialing is KEY! I believe it is far better to right the ship than to jump it. I'm willing to help right the ship-are you?

Comment by Ruth Werner on September 8, 2009 at 6:27pm: I think there is so much "trademarking" in this profession that trying to create advanced certifications in modalities may be a dead end. Certainly it will be an interesting problem to try to solve. In the short run I would love to see some effort toward creating a teaching credential for massage educators: both technique and science teachers are often under-prepared for the tasks they undertake. It seems to me that NCB has a wonderful opportunity to meet a need here.