In 2013, Shane Humphrey and a few of his friends began Rexburg College of Massage Therapy. They opened the school because BYU-Idaho was nearby, and the massage therapy industry was growing.
According to Isaac Billin, admissions director for Rexburg College of Massage Therapy, their first program consisted of about 33 students and was a big success.
He said it was, “Just [a] really great opportunity for the Rexburg area.”
Billin studied exercise physiology at BYU-Idaho. He was planning to go into physical therapy, but decided to do massage therapy instead after a friend encouraged him to do the program. His friend explained how he would be good at connecting with others, and it would aid his desire to help people.
For students interested in joining the program, they can apply online at https://rexburgcmt.com/application/. They can also sign up for a tour of the college and will be given a packet with the application inside.
“We’d love to have people just come and tour the school,” he said. “The tours are pretty quick. We will go over what you can do with massage therapy and any prerequisites, [and] answer all the basic questions.”
Students complete the massage therapy program in eight months and learn subjects such as: human anatomy, kinesiology, and pathology. They will learn how to do prenatal massages, sport massages and other various techniques.
“We offer a wide variety of classes, and there’s so many things you can do with massage therapy, we kind of give you a taste,” Billin said.
On average the school has around 26 students per class. They intended for it to be smaller so students can have more one on one interaction with the instructor. This follows BYU-Idaho’s model of having more student interaction. Each year the school enrolls students for January, May and September.
Students also have an opportunity to work with the community.
The student clinic is open on Fridays and Saturday for people 18 and over. They encourage you to call in advance and set up an appointment because they fill up quickly. You can also set up an appointment online at https://rexburgcmt.com/clinic-massage/.
This month, they helped at the Teton Dam Marathon in Rexburg and gave massages to the runners when they were done with their race.
Billin explained that massage therapy school is a good way to go if you like helping people, but you aren’t interested in pursuing medical school or don’t want to go into a ton of debt.
“If you’re interested, we’d love to see you down at the school to take a quick tour,” he said. “It’s a growing industry.”