What does the day-to-day work of a medical masseur with a federal certificate look like?

Medical masseurs / medical masseuses work, for example, in doctors' surgeries, physiotherapies, spas, rehabilitation clinics or in their own practice, where they carry out treatments on behalf of doctors. Before starting treatment, they determine and enquire about the patient's relevant data and study the doctor's diagnoses and prescriptions. From this, they derive the treatment goals, determine the therapeutic measures to be applied and draw up the treatment plan. They have a wide range of treatment techniques at their disposal, such as connective tissue, reflexology and classic massage, manual lymphatic drainage or thermotherapy, hydrotherapy, balneotherapy and electrotherapy. At the end of each treatment, they check the effect, document the course of treatment and adjust the treatment plan if necessary.

Depending on the position or in their own practice, they also take care of administrative tasks, arrange appointments, write treatment protocols and reports and prepare invoices.

(Important: In individual cases, the distribution/weighting/frequency of tasks may vary depending on the function/job profile as well as the company, company size and sector).

Target group and skills: Who is the professional examination (BP) to become a medical masseur with a federal certificate suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The course or professional examination to become a medical masseur/medical masseuse is aimed at the following target group:

• Trained masseurs and masseuses who want to prove their skills with the federal certificate
• Healthcare professionals who want to expand their skills
• Career changers who would like to work in the healthcare sector

Medical masseurs / medical masseuses should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Tactile perception
• Strong sense of observation and touch
• Empathy
• Analytical thinking
• Perseverance, patience
• Manual dexterity
• Physical and mental resilience
• Sense of responsibility
• Communication and relationship skills
• Sociability
• Confidentiality, reliability
• Willingness to work irregular hours

Requirements for admission to the professional examination for medical masseurs with a federal certificate (BP):

Anyone who meets the following admission requirements will be admitted to the professional examination for medical masseurs:
(Note: The requirements must be fulfilled by the time of the examination or examination registration)

• Proof of completed basic vocational training with a federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ) or equivalent qualification

And

• Have at least one year of professional experience

And

• Has the required module qualifications* or certificates of equivalence

And

• does not have an entry in the central criminal record that is incompatible with the purpose of the audit

In addition:

• Training to become a medical masseur/medical masseuse must include practical training in healthcare and clinics.

You will find out whether you have been admitted to the professional examination at least three months before the start of the examination with a written notification including reasons and information on legal remedies in the event of rejection.

Note: The requirements, such as professional experience, only need to be fulfilled at the time of the federal final examination/application for the examination. Some schools may be prepared to admit you to a preparatory course for the professional examination for medical masseurs if you do not (yet) meet the criteria for admission to the federal examination. You must then ensure that you meet the necessary requirements at the time of the examination or examination registration (the responsibility lies with you).

*The following is a list of the module qualifications required for admission to the final examination and for obtaining the federal certificate:

• Module 1: Collection, interpretation and documentation of data
• Module 2: Measures and intervention processes
• Module 3: Implementation of the measures
• Module 4: Shaping relationships, cooperation, conflict resolution
• Module 5: Designing the workplace
• Module 6: Ensuring administration and organization
• Module 7: Quality assurance
• Module 8: Clinical internship

Subject matter and content of the training

Schools with preparatory courses for the professional examination for medical masseurs are guided by the specifications of the sponsoring body, the Organization of the Working World of Medical Masseurs (OdA-MM), when compiling the course content.

The learning material for masseur training often includes the following topics, which are also assigned to the work processes:

• Collecting, interpreting and documenting data
• Create a concept of measures
• Implement measures
• Communication processes
• Relationship building
• Cooperation
• Overcoming conflicts
• Design your workplace
• Ensuring organization and administration
• Quality assurance
• Maintaining your professional environment
• Lifelong learning
• Internships

Costs and financing of further training

With the exception of the examination fee, which is set by the course organizer, the costs are determined independently by the respective providers. There may therefore be (large) differences.

The following costs must generally be expected for the 4-semester (part-time) or 6-8-semester (full-time) masseur training.

• Course feesBetween CHF 33,800 and CHF 36,800 of which you will receive around 50% back from the federal government after the examination (regardless of the result).
• Examination feesCHF 3,000. The examination fee is set by the body responsible for the examination regulations. It is paid by the candidate after admission has been confirmed.
• Extra costsYou will often have to expect additional costs for teaching materials, training documents and simulation exams, for example. Please find out directly from the provider of your choice what additional costs you can expect in addition to the course fees and the examination fee.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations (BP) and higher professional examinations (HFP) have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses can therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for BP, max. CHF 10,500 for HFP) of the course costs paid after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions are also paid out in advance.

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort

• Massage training has a modular structure and lasts 4 semesters or 6-8 semesters (including internships), depending on the training model, i.e. whether full-time or part-time.
• The course is offered at different times depending on the provider. These time variants are determined independently by the respective schools. Lesson times can therefore vary. As a rule, lessons take place on two working days per week or once a week on a working day and Saturday.
• Many schools often offer different teaching models so that you have the opportunity to combine further education with family, work and free time in the best possible way. You can usually choose between face-to-face teaching or online formats, such as online teaching, hybrid teaching or blended learning.
• Thanks to the in-service training concept, you can apply and deepen the learning material in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons". This gives you the opportunity to gain an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. Important aspects on the way to a successful graduation. It is best to contact the school of your choice directly for a taster lesson.

Degree, diploma and title

The professional examination (BP) to become a medical masseur/medical masseuse is held every year, provided at least ten candidates meet the admission requirements after the announcement, otherwise every two years. Candidates can choose the language in which they wish to take the professional examination. They can choose between the three official languages German, French or Italian.

Candidates are notified at least 6 weeks before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (with details of the place and time of the examination) and the list of experts.

The final examination for masseur training consists of three parts:

Examination part A: Factual and applied knowledge (written, three hours, weighting 1)

In this part of the examination, candidates are tested on their knowledge in the areas of professional basics and specific therapeutic knowledge. Various question types are used for this purpose: Multiple choice, single choice, KPRIM, causal linking and matching.

Examination part B: Massage and physical forms of therapy (practical, 4 hours, weighting 2)

Candidates take an OSCE examination here. This is an objective, structured, clinical and practical skills test.

The OSCE examination consists of a course of at least five items, which are divided into different types (e.g. procedure, analysis or simulation items). Each item contains a specific task that the candidates have to solve - using their technical and professional competence.

Examination part C: Case report, presentation and expert discussion (written (in advance), oral, 1 hour, weighting 1)

In advance, the candidates independently write a patient report. In this report, candidates document and analyze a practical activity as a medical masseur/medical masseuse. They deal with the theory and demonstrate the clinical thought process in a comprehensible manner. In doing so, they follow the formal requirements for scope, content, structure, references, etc.

In the oral part of the examination, the candidates report on both the negative and positive aspects or findings from their case report and its preparation. This is followed by a technical discussion with the experts, where the candidates answer questions from the experts about the findings and the concept of measures for the case in question, among other things.

Diploma and title

Graduates of the professional examination receive a federal certificate and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Medical masseur with a federal certificate".

In French: "Masseur médical avec brevet fédéral / Masseuse médicale avec brevet fédéral"

In Italian: "Massaggiatore medicale con attestator professionale federale / Massaggiatrice medical con attestator professionale federale"

In English: "Medical Masseur / Medical Masseuse, Federal Diploma of Higher Education" (Attention: Not a protected title, only a recommendation)