Medical Exercise Career Success Path - Application

The second step in the Medical Exercise Specialist Career Success Path is APPLICATION. For any professional learning new skills, the safe application of those skills is a must. In our effort to acquire more knowledge, many times we forget the safe application of the new skills is very important and leads to retention of the newly acquired skills.

Application is a four point process. It begins with encouraging our Medical Exercise Specialist and Post Rehab Conditioning Specialist students to begin working with simple medical exercise training clients while going through the certification workshop.

Second, we recommend our students begin their observation hours in a physical therapy, chropractic and rehab setting during the certification workshop. Observation hours allow students to see clients with medical conditions in the acute and subacute stages during their treatment. The student will obtain a better understanding of the strategies and techniques medical professionals use. This also gives the medical exercise professional a better understanding of where medical exercise training fits into the medical management process. This is vitally important as many fitness professionals are not clear on their role nor have they worked in clinical settings. The observation hours are key in the application of medical exercise training skills and techniques.

Next in the APPLICATION stage is mentoring by a physical therapist, physician or experienced medical exercise professional. Using the expertise of more experienced colleagues has long been a important component of training for professionals in a wide range of careers. Hopefully, the mentoring leads to a long-term relationship which has a positive impact over course of your career.

Finally, participation in case study conferencing is piece that brings all components of the APPLICATION stage together. Discussing complicated cases with other medical exercise and rehabilitation professionals takes APPLICATION to the next level. Case conferencing allows you to bring all the pieces together in developing a safe and effective medical exercise training program for a client. Case conferencing also prepares the new Medical Exercise Specialist for the next stage…MANAGEMENT.