What does it take to become an RMT in Ontario?
In Canada, there is legislation that mandates regulated professions such as Massage Therapy to have uniform recognition of educational achievements across the country. The act that specifies this national acceptance of credentials is called the Agreement on Internal Trade, or AIT. This doesn’t mean that once you are licensed in one province you are good to go in any other province. In fact there is still a long way to go in order to get registered in Ontario if you are coming from any other province.
The path is shorter than if you were starting from scratch however if a Massage Therapist from another province were to work in Ontario then they would still jump through some hoops. They may be an Registered Massage Therapist already, but they would need to apply for registration with College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. This could only be done after finishing the Jurisprudence Examination. The other option would be to complete a 28-day course provided online by the CMTO regarding Standards and Regulations.
The journey doesn’t end there though! Once one of the two options above are completed, Initial Registration must be filed along with the homework that goes along with it (providing documents necessary to prove specific items such as criminal record, place of birth etc.) Click on the link for Initial Registration Guide for if you would like to see the extent of details (located on the CMTO site).
The Jurisprudence Examination
This exam is roughly an hour in length involving no written work. AIT applicants may select one of a variety of options for each question and will fill out a bubble sheet to be submitted and graded. The content for the test can all be found in the material used from the College’s MCQ certification exams. It covers all material from past exams including the following Ontario specific subjects:
The Standards and Regulations E-Workshop
This course is completed online and provides an outline of the Standards of Practice and the Regulations. It’s purpose allows further understanding of the laws, methods and regulations that are specific to Ontario Massage Therapy. There is detailed info regarding the workshop here.
Massage Therapists From Unrecognized Associations?
Massage Therapists from unrecognized associations or places that do not regulate massage therapy are required to complete the Credential and Prior Learning Assessment (CPLA) in order to take the College’s Certification Examination. This must be done before practicing in Ontario. This guarantees they have the credentials and experience equal or better than those acquired in the educational courses now being trained in Ontario.
Credential and Prior Learning Assessment
There are three major categories to the CPLA
- Qualification Assessment,
- English language Assessment (if deemed necessary)
- Diagnostic Assessment – this three-section assessment consists of a written and practical assessment of knowledge, critical thinking and clinical application skills.
After successfully completing the CPLA process, a potential AIT applicant will be directed to one of the three possible stages in acquiring Ontario registration for Massage Therapy.
College’s Certification Examinations
This option is exercised after a successful assessment where the applicant is deemed competent and their level of knowledge and experience are equal to the standards Ontario has set as the minimum to practice Massage Therapy. In this case the applicant is allowed to apply to the College’s Certification examinations.
“Bridging to Massage Therapy in Ontario” Program
Pending a poor assessment where the applicant does not possess the attributes equivalent to the minimum level in Ontario yet the assessment indicates the applicant may only need minimal to moderate Ontario-specific upgrading, the next stop would be a bridging program.
Ontario Diploma Programs in Massage Therapy
If the assessment is a complete failure and the applicant needs to relearn much of the content and skills necessary to operate as an RMT in Ontario, they will be directed to a Massage Therapy diploma program in Ontario .
Luckily for everyone in Toronto we have our very own RMT Etobicoke loves, Desmond Rodrigues! Check out the different style of massage he performs here.