Over the past six months of receiving treatment at the VACC RMT Clinic, I have felt that the clinic is operated too heavily around student education rather than patient-centered care. The process often includes excessively long diagnostics and treatments that feel unrelated to the patient’s actual condition, leaving me with fatigue and additional discomfort from lying still for extended periods.
For example, I had already consulted an external specialist and confirmed there was no neurological issue. However, this information was disregarded, and I was told, “Since we should not manipulate your nerve area, we will apply a heating pad instead.” As a result, I spent 25 minutes under a heating pad and only about 5 minutes receiving a massage that felt unprofessional and superficial. This approach leaves patients feeling misled and disappointed.
In a typical 75-minute session, about 30 minutes are spent on intake and discussion, followed by the student leaving for 5–10 minutes to consult with an instructor or rewrite assessment notes while the patient waits. Then 20+ minutes are spent with a heating pad, and finally an instructor briefly enters, palpates my body without clear explanation, discusses with the student, and leaves. The time allocation feels inefficient and unprofessional.
Another concern is the lack of continuity of care. The clinic advises patients to book with the same student for effective results, but in reality it is very difficult to schedule with the same person. This reasoning seems unconvincing because, in actual RMT practice, therapists often treat new patients and still provide effective care. If students are not yet fully capable, instructors should be more directly involved during treatment, not just in short, occasional consultations.
I have also heard feedback from friends who booked appointments after 4 PM, saying that the massage often felt ineffective — either due to fatigue, lack of skill, or lack of motivation — as if the main purpose were simply to complete hours rather than to provide meaningful treatment. This is disappointing and makes me regret recommending this clinic to others.
I sincerely hope the VACC RMT Clinic can reconsider its time management, patient communication, and instructor involvement to create a more professional and patient-centered treatment environment. For those seeking effective care, I would currently recommend trying the Acupuncture Clinic instead, as their approach has been more efficient and beneficial in my experience.
