I have only three exams and final paper to finish my faculty…
I entered the stage — “What the hell am I going to do with my life? What I want to be???” — once again (I entered it after elementary school and after high school, now again ).
I was thinking to continue my education in graduate studies in the States or in Canada on (a)coaching sciences (more practical) or (b)biomechanics and phisiology (more scientifical) if I get the scholarship or something (still trying to figure the way to do it with one of mine friends).
But, I must admit that I am now more interested into coaching than into science… I want to work with kids, with athletes…
But the thing that allways interested me is helping people (both via coaching and physical therapy)…
I would love to become a chiropractor, with an knowledge on ART, MRT (trigger-point therapy) and Movement Impairment Therapist (Shirley Sahrmann)…
I was wondering how can I become that or gain that knowledge…? We lack this kind of schools in Serbia and near round, so I thikn States or Canada are only posibility… I would love to start underfgrad school of chiropractice, but I am not familiar how to do it… how to get scholarship or something for that… Who to turn to? Where to go…
Chiropractic school is usuallydone post grad as I believe you need a degree to be eligible. I believe(although I can’t remember exactly) that it takes about 2 years and depending on what school one goes to is very good about practical training and experience as well as teaching why they do what they do. I am not sure about the availability of scholarships for chiropractic schools. I know a chiropractor and if you would like I will ask and see if he can supply more details about what schools to look into and all that.
From my understanding, which is not much at all beside that I have a friend going for a chiropractor, so just what I have heard.
I believe that chiropractor is a doctorate program, which in most cases only requires a general undergraduate degree with some requirements for the sciences. However, I do believe there are undergraduate schools now that do offer a b.s. in chiropractor, however it would probably be better for you to just go for the doctorate.
I do not believe there is any special process besides finding and applying to schools, with your background I am sure there will be schools willing to offer you scholarship.
I may think that chiropractice is actually specialization after medical school…
Actually, it doesn’t have to be chiropractice… I am interested more in ART (but for that you have to be chiropractor to apply, right?), TriggerPoint therapy, MFR, movement impairments, general PT…
Actually, anything just to get the hell out of here
I would definately look at grad schools then. I know that some PT programs have lots of assistantships and get a lot of practical experience (dealing with hurt athletes and stupid grad students like me ). At this point, though, i would see if your profs know anyone in academia in the US. They might be able to make it easier to apply. (Also you might be able to get funding out of it).
True … and they also have the anatomy basics covered… so the ART guys don’t have to start tecahing basic anatomy in the course.
Some people I see doing ‘ART’ couldn’t tell a pronator from a supinator, they simply ‘pinch and pull’ … sure they get some relief, but the not proper effect.
Can anyone explain me the differences btw graduete studies – a) coaching sciences b) kinesiology (biomechanics, phisiology)… what is the difference in curriculum, a degree etc… Thanks!
Would you not consider coaching for a bit first and getting some experience first … see what exactly you wnat to do, rather than making a decision now?
That would be awesome if I could make my living from it…
I would most like to finish the damn faculty, be free man, read whatever I want and coach… but… we live in a real world!
Also, do you have some other option how to get to USA or CAN without applying to study and getting scholarship???
I’m just wondering why you want to go to the US or Canada to work/study?
Is there no possibility of working at home earning a living at home without travelling to the US?
IMO qualifications alone mean very little (… and you know I’m speaking from experience!) in reality practical experience is most vital and while you obviously can’t begin to work/treat as a Physcial Therapist or Chiro without some degree - would you not look to work as a coach somewhere first for a bit?
In Canada, you can go directly into chiro from your undergrad, as long as you have a pre-med BSc. degree. A number of the people I graduated with chose this route. However, I believe it is at least an additonal 3, if not 4 years of schooling.
I can’t really comment on Coaching Science degrees down in the US, as the infrastrucutre is a lot different down there (ie. in Canada, there are probably only 4-5 universities with a single full time S&C coach, while in the US most major schools will have a small army of coaches and GAs)
Where I am taking my coaching science degree, there are three main routes that you can go when undertaking your Masters - a MSc, a MA (Arts), and a MHK (Human Kinetics). The MSc program is laboratory based, requires specific lab research, minimal course work, and a thesis. This is your typical physiology/biomechanics program. The MA program requires research, but outside of the lab setting (ie. societal issues is sport). Again, minimal classwork and a major thesis.
I am currently enrolled in the MHK-Coaching Science stream. It is geared at those looking to undertake their Masters while working full-time. Mainly class based with a ton of practical experience in your chosen sport/field that you receive credit for. No thesis, but instead a major paper (40-60 pages) that still needs to be defended. Only drawback is that you cannot go onto to do a Phd with it. You can gear the program to whatever you choose. Outside of the chosen sport, you can either lean towards sports psych or physiology. I can the physiology route, and filled my electives with physiology and sports med classes.
I’ve been incredibly lucky in my career and had a lot of things fall into my lap.
First, Number2 got hired as the full-time S&C coach at our university when I was finishing my undergrad, so I got to learn a ton of information by working with him. While working with him, one of the national wrestlers at our school phoned me and informed me that the team’s massage therapist was looking for someone to run a rehab program for him at his facility, and wanted to know if I wanted the job.
I took the job to gan knowledge for my future work with athltes, and worked full-time for a year and a half performing post-accident and post-surgical rehab - and trust me, it was a VERY steep learning curve. However, during this time I picked up a ton of info from the massage therapists, physios and chiros that I worked with. I also read basically everything I could get my hands on regarding rehab protocols, impairment syndromes, evaluation of clients/athletes and fascial work, etc, etc. I then tried applying everything I had learned, and decided what worked and didn’t work. The biggest thing in this field (and coaching as well ) isn’t book smarts, but practical application. So you could dedicate your life to this type of profession, or do as I have chosen and read and do seminar work and apply what you have learned to your athletes and clients as you work professionally within the field.
If you come to visit me in decmber here, the question will be self answering… trust me!
Not to say that that isn’t posible here (actually I had a flying start — volunteering at the national best bball club), but it is bloody hard if you are not a fraud…
Trust me, I would enjoy being a coach, making living from it, being able to buy decent car and appartment, and to go 1-2/year on a good vacation… this is what I ask for! Is that posible in CAN, USA, because it is not here!
For example, average paycheck is around 200-300eu (for coaches even less if they don’t do two jobs), and the prices for books/cars/clothe is the same if not bigger than in US, where the paycheck is around 2000$ (I know, because my brother work in Miami on a ship)…
Anyway, I am trying to get as much as I can of practical experience here!
Scott,
Thanks for your answers… I have no time currently to reply, but I will later this day! Thanks bro! Very insightfull!
A lot of it depends on what you want to do. If you feel you need more schooling to get what you need then you should definately look into masters programs here. If you apply and get accepted(which I can’t imagine you would have much trouble with) you will be able to come here as a student and stay as long as needed to finish your schooling. I am pretty sure(although not 100%positive) that if you find a job in the US that they will allow you to stay here as long as needed.
As far as schooling there are alot of different options in Kinesiology for post graduate emphasis. look into what each school has to offer and see what interests you. Alot of them will allow you to work as an assistant in the weightroom as well I believe and this should give you some practical, more hands on experience with things.
Anyway, according to the newest meeting of our Educational Minitry (or how to say it…), 4year graduate studies are equaled with master studies… thus when I finish this year I should get a Master Degree…
You all may be right… no need to bring decisions right now, altought I should apply to University in States till august (I can do it later too)… I must sit down, have a nice talk “with myself”, and decide what I want to do, and who to be… altought I now know that staying here is not an option!!
I must admit that I am interested into “practical science” (the thing that Scott is doing on his faculty), thus going deeper into physiology and biomechanics, but still having practical experience working with athletes (which is actually my main goal). As for PT, as Scott have said, take a books, speak with other PTs and try on your athletes, go to seminar, no need to dedicate a life for it…
I am interested into “Scott’s way”
BTW, what is n1 ranked university in USA regarding graduate studies of coaching sciences (biomechanics, phisiology, training theory)… Do es anybody study on graduate program in USA of members??
I am doing the grad school thing now, but it is an engineering programs so there are some differences. Remember with grads schools (at least in the US), it depends less on what the program is called and the school, but more on your advisor and the faculty that you work with. There are ratings, but they mostly applied to large programs (like engineering schools etc.). One thing also to consider, some bio-engineering programs do a lot of stuff that is applicable to athlete’s (i know of a few that have done a lot with EMS) and have a tendancy to be less entrenched than exercise phys. departments.
There are so many universities in the US, it is really hard to determine which is ‘the best’. The ‘best’ for you might not be the best for someone else. I would first try to decide what part of the coaching or exercise science you would like to focus on. Do you want to do purely coaching science, or do you want to focus on exercise physiology - possibly moving towards a Phd - and act as a coach while you are doing so?
The first thing to do would be to find an area that you are interested in doing research in. Then, find the leading published prof’s in that area. Research the schools they are at - reputation, geographical area, size, etc. Narrow it down, then contact the profs to see if they are accepting students. For this a school like UConn would be good - this is where Eric Cressey did his degree, I believe. They have both William Kraemer and Jeff Volek , among others, on staff.
If you want to go more of a coaching science route with a lot of practical experience in the weight room, it would be best to look at the head strength coaches. I know you have read Kenn’s stuff - so you could contact him directly at ASU, and then see what they could offer youy in terms of study. I know that Mark Ueyama is currently accepting grad student at Utah (he’s the one on the cover of Kenn’s book, one of his pupils, and another Vancouver native). You will get to work with a ton of athletes at any major NCAA div 1 school in the US (a much better option than trying to do it in Canada). These schools will regularly get anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 people out to a football game, and their athleteic departments have $$$$$$$.
).
) isn’t book smarts, but practical application. So you could dedicate your life to this type of profession, or do as I have chosen and read and do seminar work and apply what you have learned to your athletes and clients as you work professionally within the field.