Mastering new skills is requirement for you as a therapist. To demonstrate the validity and advance in your job as a therapist, you must be a constant learner. Always look for opportunities to expand your knowledge and skill set; if you are not moving forward, you’re falling back. Your time is too valuable to waste solely meeting a state’s continuing education requirements with your physical therapy and occupational therapy online continuing education courses.
A few years ago, we noticed the trend of short continuing education courses online. Typically, using 95% of these subscription services, it would take a therapist 20-30 courses to meet their continuing education requirement. We decided to go another direction. We wanted to address the physical and occupational therapists who need to master specific skills, meet state requirements, advance their careers, and ultimately deliver better care based upon their specific clinical expertise.
We set out to build a better online learning system based on comprehensive education on a topic, practice, and learning techniques to increase retention and understanding. We created a learning system based upon an optimal learning process that includes Hollywood quality video, hand-drawn medical illustrations, lectures designed for the online learner, engaging patient case studies, and written information on each topic.
Three-Steps to Master New Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Skills with Online Continuing Education.
- Give yourself a break – After about 20 minutes, your brain starts to get bored, and you lose focus. That does mean that all your courses should be 20 minutes or less! Just break up the learning sessions. Based upon these time parameters, we designed our system around fifteen minutes of concentrated study, a two-minute break, followed by eight more minutes of study.
Taking this approach over many days on a topic will lead to an advanced understanding of that topic. Don’t sell yourself short by taking 30 different, one to two-hour courses on 15 different subjects. Focus on one topic over time. Use the Resume feature in our learning system. The Resume button will take you to where you left off in our course and optimize the content for the device that you are currently using. So start on the phone and finish on the desktop!
2. Visualize and Review – A video-based course allows you to see the techniques and concepts instructed. The video and sound quality matters. Reduce the obstacles to understanding the topic by seeking out courses with the best visual display of the information you want to learn. Images, animations, and quality video designed for the online learner will make the online learning process more effective for retaining the information presented. Filmed versions of live courses, old webinars will not deliver the quality and optimal learning experience (We have twenty-five years of live course experience). After your daily study, visualize the information and reinforce the concepts away from the computer. In the next online learning session, review the previous day’s instruction, and your brain will retain more information.
3. Balance your learning style – Therapy is a hands-on skill! If you only learn online, you will never be a great therapist. Practice your skills with a colleague and teach them what you have learned. Seek out online education that delivers in all formats, written, laboratory exercises, images, and lectures to get the information in a form that is best for your learning style. Don’t be afraid to learn advanced concepts online, be patient and build each day so that when your done with a course, you have a specific skill to add to your professional accomplishments.
Learn something today, choose our occupation therapy continuing education or physical therapy online continuing education
Tom Vastano, is a lifelong learner, multiple US patent holder and speaks several languages. He dedicates 3-5 hours a week mastering new skills with online learning. View his medical images, award winning videos and software development at www.healthclick.com.