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Getting your CHT as an older therapist
233 Plays10 days ago
In this engaging podcast episode, Miranda and Josh delve into the journey of obtaining the Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) credential as an older therapist. They discuss the unique challenges and advantages that come with pursuing this certification later in one's career. Listeners will gain insights into the preparation process, the importance of continuing education.
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Transcript
Balancing CHT Certification with Life Demands
00:00:05
josh MacDonald
Hi, I'm Josh McDonald.
00:00:06
Miranda Materi
And I'm Miranda Materia, and we are Hand Therapy Academy.
00:00:10
josh MacDonald
Let's chat a little bit about getting your CHT, but maybe in a different scenario, like as a seasoned therapist. So maybe a therapist who's been doing it for longer, maybe your work told you you have to get it, or you've just been kind of like dealing with family and kids and now it's finally time. um What are some tips we might have for that seasoned therapist trying to get their CHT?
00:00:30
Miranda Materi
Yeah, I think this is a good one because I think we mentor a lot of people that are kind of at both ends of the spectrum. And I think when someone's been out of school for a while, it's different,
Adapting Study Methods for Experienced Therapists
00:00:39
Miranda Materi
right? You have a different mindset, you study differently.
00:00:42
Miranda Materi
ah But if you are fresh out of school, I think it's honestly a little bit easier. So it's understanding those study habits and things like that. So I think um to start, it's... And then there's the whole technology thing too, right? As an older therapist, if your generation...
00:00:57
Miranda Materi
you know, X or whatever, you may not be as savvy to some of like the online platforms and like the online testing. So sometimes it's just that initial learning curve of um doing technology as well in a different way.
00:01:12
josh MacDonald
Yeah. Yeah. The, the new study methods that people are using and encouraging are online flashcards and online courses. And that's not the way I learned how to learn. I'm old enough. I was, I used paper flashcards that were two sided. I had these decks all over the place and I had books. I was just flipping through at the beach or whatever. So I was doing a very analog version of studying.
00:01:35
josh MacDonald
And so it's, It's helpful. Those newer tech technologically based things can be super helpful. um But do what works for you. If it's not something that you're comfortable navigating, then stick to what works for you.
00:01:47
Miranda Materi
Yeah,
Assessing and Adapting Learning Styles
00:01:48
Miranda Materi
that's true. And then it's also, so I think if I was starting to study for something new as an experienced therapist, I would also try to really think about what my learning style is and and how I can best match that. Like you said, i already kind of know, I think you feel like you already know yours, so you know what works for you, so you continue do that, which I would definitely recommend, but sometimes people don't know either, right?
00:02:12
josh MacDonald
Yeah. And you've, it's been so long, maybe since you had to study for a test, it's been so long since you had to like buckle down and spend an hour or two by yourself in a room or in a coffee shop kind of going through materials. Like, how do I even do this anymore? So it may take some kind of like relearning, like how do I
Benefits of Joining Study Groups
00:02:29
josh MacDonald
want it? And it may not be the same as it used to be. So kind of getting used to that again.
00:02:33
Miranda Materi
Yeah. And another tip I would recommend is be a part of a group, a study group, you know, where um you may be studying with different individuals so you can pick up different tips and pointers and, and you probably have some great insight for them as well, especially if you have a lot of clinical experience.
00:02:50
josh MacDonald
Yeah, it's it's learning from others, but it's also accountability because as a seasoned therapist, you probably have more going on in life than someone who's maybe newer out of school, maybe doesn't have kids yet.
00:03:01
josh MacDonald
um So it's that accountability to say, like, I've got people asking if I went through that section or if I covered that content. So that's a useful thing, too, for that population.
00:03:09
Miranda Materi
Yeah, definitely.
Utilizing Clinical Experience in Test Preparation
00:03:10
Miranda Materi
And then as an experienced therapist, I'd probably really try to rely on my clinical knowledge and my clinical experience to bring that in. So I think remembering cases like, if a patient had a scapholoonate tear, would remember, oh, I remember they got that by they had their wrist twisted during a flag football game.
00:03:28
Miranda Materi
So, you know, remembering some so patient scenarios, because you probably have a wealth of them and how that injury occurred, you know, you can pull a lot from your clinical experience um as in most as opposed to doing like root memorization of rehab of the hand.
00:03:44
josh MacDonald
Yeah, yeah, exactly. I would encourage the seasoned therapist to not underestimate the test. um We have patient members who will say like, oh, I've been a therapist for 10 years. i've been doing this. I do it every day. And so I really don't think I need to study that much.
00:03:59
josh MacDonald
I'd say the things you do in practice might not be the same as what you would answer on a test. because your referring doctor asks for something different, or maybe either they're going to cover things you don't see at all.
00:04:12
josh MacDonald
Maybe they're going to shoulder and scleroderma and lymphedema and pediatrics, and you're going to questions at a topic you have no idea on. So I would still give a good amount of time to studying.
Staying Motivated for CHT Exams
00:04:22
josh MacDonald
um it's It's good refresher things, but it's also how they ask those questions on the test. It's good to have exposure to the content they're going quiz you on. Maybe a great therapist, but it's not the same answer that you would do in the clinic.
00:04:33
Miranda Materi
Yeah, and there is questions like, you're like, well, I would never really need that in clinical practice. Like, what type of sensory receptor, right? That's a very fair question for the exam. And that's not something that you're saying, oh, it's the Pisidian core flusco that senses vibration.
00:04:46
Miranda Materi
It's not like thinking that way as a clinician. I'll be supposed to.
00:04:49
josh MacDonald
Yeah. Yeah. And, and brachial plexus, like I can't remember the last time I needed to, to know the brachial plexus for a clinic situation, but you got to know it for the test. You got to know all that stuff. And so making sure all of those like factoids are in your brain and ready for it. Those are important things for that therapist that says, maybe I've been doing this long enough. I'm probably good, but don't underestimate it.
00:05:15
Miranda Materi
Yeah. And then I think um from working with the different therapists, I remember working with one and her work made her get her CHT, which made her very upset.
00:05:15
josh MacDonald
yeah
00:05:26
Miranda Materi
Right. So she's like, that's so silly. I've I've been a therapist working for you for 10 years. You never required it before. And now all of a sudden you're requiring it. So there was a certain amount of like, I think, resentment to that made studying,
00:05:38
josh MacDonald
Yeah.
00:05:40
Miranda Materi
ah probably not as um enjoyable or, you know, it was done out of a place of anger as opposed to something that she really wanted to do. So I would just make sure you're in a good headspace where it is something that aligns with what you want to do and and why you're doing it.
00:05:56
josh MacDonald
Yeah, that finding your why. like it's It's important for everybody taking the test because it's something that for months and months is going to require a lot of your time. You have to have a good motivation behind it. And so if maybe the initial cause for the test is this is a cruddy one, but you can say, you know what?
00:06:11
josh MacDonald
This is a good thing for me to do. It's going to advance my knowledge. It's going to establish you know that I know what I'm talking about. It's going to give some validity to what I'm doing, like making a positive why behind it.
00:06:21
josh MacDonald
We don't always have to just let that organically happen. We can create a good why for doing this big,
The Value Beyond Passing the CHT Exam
00:06:27
josh MacDonald
long, giant project. But you're right. Being in a good headspace when you're doing it or it's not going stick. You're just going to be regretting the whole thing all the way through.
00:06:34
Miranda Materi
Right, making it a positive experience.
00:06:37
josh MacDonald
Yeah, yeah. and And seeing it, we say this a lot when we we kind of wrap up our six month group each time we talk about passing or not passing does not define who you are as a person or as a therapist.
00:06:49
josh MacDonald
um This therapist that Miranda's talking about, she passed on her first time taking it. she was fantastic. She was a great therapist, but you may struggle with test taking. as maybe ah you know there may be other variables that made you not pass, but that doesn't mean that you're not a good therapist and not letting an unfortunate outcome so make you second guess your qualities as a therapist.
00:07:09
Miranda Materi
Yeah, definitely. And know that you're going to be better off by going through the study process, right? Like we all are.
00:07:15
josh MacDonald
Yeah.
00:07:16
Miranda Materi
I think Josh and I still get questions. We're like, we need to look that up or look into it. and we're still learning, even though we we teach this stuff all the time.
00:07:21
josh MacDonald
Yeah.
00:07:23
Miranda Materi
it It's such, I think being a hand therapist is such a beautiful thing because you're always learning and growing. And I think that's what makes this chosen profession so great.
00:07:33
josh MacDonald
Yeah. Yeah. And we can always be better therapists and getting exposed to that stuff makes us better therapists. Yeah.
00:07:39
Miranda Materi
And it makes you more excited about your career, right? You're like, oh, I learned this and I want to try this. It's just something that gives light into your field and gives energy into your practice.
00:07:49
josh MacDonald
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. If you let it, if you, if you find a positive why behind it,
Recommended Resources for CHT Preparation
00:07:54
josh MacDonald
absolutely. Yeah.
00:07:54
Miranda Materi
Yeah, you gotta let it, that's true.
00:07:56
josh MacDonald
Yeah, um I do think of another tip that I um that goes back to that experienced therapist. When you study, rely on the same study tools that the younger therapists are studying from rehab of the hand, some of the online resources, hand therapy academy stuff, as opposed to going to journal articles.
00:08:12
josh MacDonald
We've known some therapists that studied by going to journal articles, which is a great way to learn new information, but that's not what the test is testing you on. The test is testing you on foundational knowledge and things that are well established. And so you may read an article that says, hey, this is a whole new way to do lateral elbow tenopathy care, but that's not the questions that are going to be on the test that was written years ago.
00:08:34
josh MacDonald
like it'ss studying the same materials and even like oh i know all that stuff refreshing memory on those things don't get lost in journal articles it can go a million different directions
00:08:45
Miranda Materi
That's true, because there might be, you know, 20 other articles that say something different. So.
00:08:49
josh MacDonald
yeah yeah and they're not going to test you on things that just came out two months ago that's not how the test works yeah yeah yeah
00:08:50
Miranda Materi
yeah
00:08:54
Miranda Materi
Right. Right. That's definitely true, even though it's exciting to look at new journals, but.
00:08:59
josh MacDonald
I love it. It's I get I get teased from my staff all the time because that's what I do on an airplane. i I take with me the the most recent journals that I've gotten and I just work through those on an airplane and the time passes.
00:09:11
josh MacDonald
I love reading journals, but that's not how to study for the exam.
00:09:13
Miranda Materi
Yeah, and that's not what you want, for sure.
00:09:15
josh MacDonald
Yeah, yeah. Well, there's all kinds of different tips and materials out there. Definitely try to take advantage of the things out there. That's what we're here for. Our whole platform is all about studying for and passing the exam. So if you have any questions or need any advice or direction, feel free to reach out to us. You can find us on social media at Hand Therapy Academy or our email info at handtherapyacademy.com.