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Massage Therapy Above National Average

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Massage Therapy Above National Average

Posted: Oct 14 2015

WILLISTON, N.D. - Williston State College (WSC) massage students received the results of their May exam with an 85% pass rate, surpassing the 2015 national average of 71%.

Upon graduating, seven WSC students completed the MBLEx (Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination) offered by FSMTB (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards), and the six students who passed are licensed massage therapists.

"Most students entering the massage profession do not understand how much education is actually needed and required," Wendy McGinley, Massage Therapy Associate Professor, stated. "There is a lot more to massage than just the hands-on portions that most people think about."

The MBLEx covers anatomy & physiology, kinesiology, pathology, client assessment, ethics, laws, boundaries, business practices, benefits and effects of techniques, contraindications, terminology, hygiene, and draping. WSC prepares each student with a wide array of practices from national examination review booklets to class curriculum. 

Offering two programs, a certificate and an Associate in Applied Science, WSC has averaged seven to eight students per year since 2010. The certificate requires an intense, two-semester program in which students take twenty credits per semester, while the four-semester AAS program provides more massage-related courses, as well as some general education classes.

"WSC had a 100% pass rate three years in a row. In 2014 the state first-time pass rate was 66.7% and WSC had a first-time pass rate of 100%, while the national first-time pass rate was 73%," McGinley declared. "Despite not having a 100% for 2015, the graduating class of 2015 is well above the national average and we are proud." Students who have failed the test have passed on the second attempt. WSC has not had a student fail the exam more than one time.

These scores arrive just as WSC prepares for its free massage clinic, which opens October 19. The massage clinic provides WSC massage students with the opportunity to practice on patients. Community members are invited to participate. The massages are free, though giving a donation to the community tip jar allows WSC's Massage Department to meet the costs of laundry, bottled water, and other expenses.

For information about the Massage Clinic call 701.774.4297
or for more information about Massage Therapy at WSC contact, Wendy McGinley at 701.774.4293
For any information regarding WSC, please visit www.willistonstate.edu,
call 1.888.863.9455, or stop by 1410 University Avenue, Williston, ND.

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