Are seminars worth the time and cost?

[Aero SSX]

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Here's the info on the seminar. Do you think it would be worth my time to attend? Be honest. Just wondering. I'd rather not spend that much on something that means very little.

Movement Science Majors,

Your senior year you will be required to enroll into a 1 credit practicum “Winona Survivors Unite in Exercise”. In this practicum you will serve as cancer exercise specialists for community members that have or have had cancer. In order to better prepare you for this experience and to enhance your resume’ when applying for graduate programs you will be given the opportunity to attend a 2-day certification seminar here at WSU. The seminar will be delivered by Andrea Leonard whom has written the 10th edition of the Cancer Exercise Specialist Handbook. Ms. Leonard has offered certification courses for over 15 years throughout the U.S. and internationally. We are fortunate to have her deliver this seminar to you at a student discounted price.

The seminar will be Saturday, April 11th & Sunday April 12th from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm in Maxwell room 369 with breakout practical application sessions in the Ex Phys & Biomechanics laboratories. The cost of the seminar will be $165, which include shipping and handling of the handbook. Two years ago we offered this same seminar and we did have a waiting list for attendance.

 

[DesertPT]

What would it certify you as and through what organization?

 

[Aero SSX]

Apparently a cancer exercise specialist? Anyone else have some thoughts? I don't know the organization either though. What I have there is basically what I know.

 

[DesertPT]

I don't think its going to make a large impact on your chances of admission to PT school. Its a good thing to throw in there, but your chances of getting in somewhere would be increased a lot more by applying to 2-4 more schools (which are $40 each on PTCAS plus the $40-60 fee if a school wants you to apply separately to their graduate college too, usually at public schools). So it just depends how interested you are and where you'd rather spend your money.

 

[DesertPT]

Or have you already applied? If you have you can't include it on your app at this point anyway. The best you could hope for then would be to try to mention it in an interview.

I say do it only if you are truly interested for personal reasons. But maybe some others will chime in with some more educated opinions than mine.

 

[DesertPT]

Looks like you can get certified through the ACSM...sounds somewhat legit is this is what they are offering certification in.

http://certification.acsm.org/acsm-cancer-exercise-trainer

 

[Watson27]

As far as PT admissions go, I don't think it would be that helpful.

But if it's going to help you in your class, I don't see why you wouldn't. $165 isn't that much - imagine that you are buying a text book. Personally, I would't feel comfortable representing myself as a "cancer exercise specialist" unless I had extra training in this area.

Are most of your classmates going to do the seminar?

 

[Aero SSX]

Thanks for the responses guys. Ok so just to chime in again. I have about 3 years of school left before PT school. I have completed about 90 cr. at a community college but didn't know what I was going to do until recently, so most of the credits completed are fluff.

That class it's talking about will be taken during my senior year, so two years from now. I'm not even sure when I'll be applying. I figure I may not load up the credits high each semester and give myself a little room for week and just not so much stress, in which case I'd be applying in 2017. If I stack up the credits, it would be 2016. This I'm not worried about. I'll do things at the pace that gets me the transcript I need to be competitive.

I'm not sure how many others will be doing this. Apparently there ends up being a waiting list. I imagine it as a classroom of 30 or so people, but I haven't a clue.

I know it could only help, even if just slightly. But, being a college student and all, throwing around money like that should be justified to at least some degree.

 

[caroliiine]

you need to find a seminar/conference with CME accreditation, so you can get CME credits as a MD. It's always better to be a part of the conference and get something more. Here some info about meetings with CME credits: Medcourses US - cme medical courses, conferences, events