Humber students and faculty partnered with hundred of therapists nationwide to work on improving mobility services through Canada in a fun and informative manner.
The 16th annual Humber Occupational Therapist Assistant (OTA) and Physiotherapist Assistant (PTA) seminar in partnership with the Canadian Seating & Mobility Conference (CSMC) was held in May at the Toronto Congress Centre. The three-day seminar exhibited an array of advancements in the seating and mobility arena; giving students and professionals the opportunity to gain primary knowledge of new modalities and share information.
The collaboration between Humber and the CSMC is one of the newest settings for nationwide education. The event provided opportunity for industry networking among students and professionals and highlighted the needs of funded research for further advancement of the profession.
Stacy McPhail, professor of Health Sciences at Humber helped organize the seminar. She spoke briefly about the CSMC / Humber relationship and its impact on participants.
“Participating at CSMC is vitally important to the growth and ongoing success of OTAs and PTAs. Attendees learn the latest research and practice trends from their peers, which they take back to their clinical settings. Occupational Therapist Assistants and Physiotherapist Assistants, and students should get the opportunity to network with colleagues while enhancing their education and learning new treatment modalities, ultimately benefitting patient-care.”
Humber offers a two-year OTA/PTA diploma program, which integrates theory with practical experience. Humber is one of the few colleges which offer continuing education courses for graduates. Past students such as Sharon Johnson, who graduated from Humber in 2010, applauds the seminar for its innovative approach to educating professionals about new trends in the industry.
“Coming to something like this opens my eyes to what else is happening out there and it provides me with opportunities,” she said. “For example, the myofascial release program is something that is actually happening in the clinic and my work place right now. I have an interest in that so it provided me with more information.”
The seminar also spotlighted presentations from speakers Trudy Langendoen (PTA) and Candy Pleasance (OTA), both graduates of Humber College, and employees of Toronto’s University Health Network.
