Excellent communication skills, good coordination and a compassionate nature are essential to becoming a good Osteopath, along with a good head for business as many practitioners seek to run their own practice in time.

Osteopath’s use a combination of touch, stretching, physical manipulation, massage along with postural and exercise advice to treat patients with a wide range of issues with the aim to aid faster recovery and help with long term prevention. Common reasons why people choose to see an Osteopath are back pain, sports injuries, joint pain, pregnancy related issues and digestive disorders.

Studying To Be An Osteopath

Here in New Zealand to become an Osteopath it is necessary to have completed a Masters Degree in Osteopathy from Unitech in Auckland (currently the only accredited course provider).

As part of this process students complete a Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Biology) which takes three years full time, graduates meeting the entry requirements are then able to apply for the two year Masters programme. (Please note a B grade average is required in the final year of the Bachelors degree for acceptance in to the Master of Osteopathy).

Students are given hands on training from the outset with access to a dedicated student clinic, this practical experience is crucial to the training process and equips students with experience in real world situations.

Throughout the Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Biology) and Master of Osteopathy students will cover medical sciences with a focus on diagnosis and treatment using osteopathic treatment techniques and principles. This will include study in anatomy, physiology, pathology and general medical diagnosis. A research thesis in an appropriate area of interest is also undertaken by students in the final stages.

Once successfully completed graduates are able to apply for registration to practice as an Osteopath with the Osteopathic Council of New Zealand.

Maintaining a current Osteopath Practicing Certificate also requires the completion of a minimum of 25 hours of approved continued professional development each year.

Osteopath Vs Chiropractor

Often there is confusion around the difference between Osteopaths and Chiropractors and this is understandable as the professions are similar in many ways. Generally speaking, Osteopath’s focus mainly on gently moving muscles, bones and joints to help relieve pain and improve the overall function of the body, including treating problems that might not seem related to the spine or joints.

Chiropractors seek to maintain the health and wellbeing of patients through the care of the spine and nervous system primarily using manual adjustments to correct spinal, nerve and joint disorders. With the aim of assisting the body to heal itself, Chiropractors focus more on restoring joint position and function in order to resolve any nerve interference so the body can function at optimal levels.

However it is important to note that there are significant variances in the way that individual practitioners within both professions practice. Some Chiropractors practice holistically more like an osteopath might and some Osteopaths do not use massage or focus on rehabilitation, only the joints.

Osteopaths In New Zealand

To work as an Osteopath in New Zealand practitioners must hold a current Annual Practising Certificate and be registered with the Osteopathic Council of New Zealand. Australian registered Osteopaths are eligible for New Zealand registration under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act.

Self-employed Osteopaths are common in New Zealand meaning the expected income ranges are largely determined by the hourly rate charged, number of patients, hours worked and business overheads. The NZ Government’s Careers website places the average salary for an Osteopath in New Zealand who have less than five years’ experience around $40K-$60K per year. With Osteopaths who have more than six years’ experience sitting at around $60K-$100K per year.

Osteopaths in New Zealand work in conjunction with other medical professionals which may include referrals to general practitioners (medical doctors), specialists and radiologists. Osteopaths are registered ACC treatment providers (no referral required) and some private health insurers in New Zealand will also cover Osteopathic treatments.

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Learning English in New Zealand is often referred to as “ESOL Training” (English for Speakers of Other Languages). It is a popular industry of schools and organisations spread right across the country, with a very wide range of different courses and qualifications on offer. Experiences can vary from classroom and online based study through to lifestyle immersion; with some schools providing help with accommodation, social and employment opportunities. Most offer very flexible learning options, with either full, part time or online or distance learning options available.

Whether you are seeking help with everyday English to use with daily life, academic English for study or business English for work, New Zealand has a lot to offer. It is friendly and welcoming place where you can meet people from all over the world, experience first-hand the amazing scenery and landscapes, and enjoy the adventure tourism opportunities.

Here are some resources you might find useful in deciding what type of course will suit you and where you would like to study:

• www.english-schools.co.nz – a directory of English as a Second Language schools in New Zealand
• www.englishnewzealand.co.nz – an organisation of a group of established English language schools throughout New Zealand
• www.ccel.co.nz – one of the leading English language schools in New Zealand, with campuses in Auckland and Christchurch. Registered with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority
• www.newzealandnow.govt.nz – New Zealand government resource, helping people who wish to improve their English language skills
• www.nzqa.govt.nz – the New Zealand Qualifications Authority is a government agency ensuring consistency and quality of New Zealand Primary, Secondary and University qualifications

Remember practise is the key to developing your language skills, speak English as much as possible in your daily life, particularly at home, socialise with English speakers, read local newspapers and watch local television. Good luck!

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Pre-Trade Training. For many trade jobs such as construction, pre-trade training options allow you to get a taste of the industry without committing to it right away. If you think you might be interested in a certain area but want to try multiple options to make sure, pre-trade training is a good idea. It provides the groundwork for a certain job, and often a chance to gain some practical experience as well.

Apprenticeships. The next step from pre-trade training is an apprenticeship, though if you have sufficient knowledge and experience, you may be able to skip straight to an apprentice position. An apprentice works alongside an experienced company, allowing them to pick up all the practical experience needed to become a fully fledged member of that industry. Therefore apprenticeships tend to apply to practical careers such as builders, tattoo artists, certain kinds of therapists, or jewellers.

Industry Training Organisations. If you want to go into a particular industry, an Industry Training Organisation (ITO) can offer a comprehensive course in that particular area. There are a number of different ITOs in New Zealand, mostly covering a range of roles such as emergency response or infrastructure, with more specific courses within the curriculum. Undertaking a course from an ITO ensures you receive the practical experience necessary to handle the jobs you’ll be applying for once you graduate, so it ensures that you get a useful education.

Workplace Training. If you’re already working, a degree program might be difficult to undertake in addition to work hours. Inquire to your employer about the possibility of workplace training – courses designed to work in conjunction with your job to improve your skills. This has added benefits for your employer also, as they get a more competent employee.

If a degree course doesn’t seem to be for you, there are plenty of other options to consider that take less time and give you the specific skills needed to enter your desired industry.

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Coursera Introduction to Finance. This free online course is instructed by a professor from the University of Michigan, in which students will learn about essential concepts of valuation – how to create value from assets using both theory and real-world examples. Although some principles will apply more to business owners, time, money and risk are all factors everyone must consider at some stage in their lives.

OpenLearn Managing My Money. Over a 24 hour course, students will learn how to manage all aspects of their personal finance including budgeting, debts, investments, pensions, property buying and insurance. The information and statistics are all constantly updated (albeit aimed at UK users) so that the advice is current and relevant to you. The key focus is on you – managing the money that will affect you the most. If you’re finding it hard to cover the bills every week or are dealing with debt that doesn’t seem to get paid off, this is an excellent course.

Open2Study Financial Literacy. Financial literacy is the general term for understanding what money terms mean, and two professors from Macquarie University offer this course to not only help understand but also plan and set goals. Setting up a plan for your money, following through and seeing the results is all part of true financial competence – and once you understand the concepts involved, it becomes a fun challenge rather than a struggle.

If you feel like your finances are something beyond your control, a course in financial literacy could help give you confidence. It’s a skill we use every single day that impacts our entire lives, so it makes sense to be as proficient as possible.

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It can be a testing transition going from a lifestyle of complete independence to suddenly having homework, assignments and set classes again. A number of things can make this easier, here are some tips.

1. Choose a workload that fits into the rest of your life. Most study institutions are very understanding of students who cannot study fulltime, and will allow you to complete a qualification over a longer period with less intensive hours. It’s important that you balance your various commitments so that you make the most of your study time, as well as keeping up with living costs and demands. Some people may find it’s easier and less stressful to cut down on other work entirely and simply focus on study for a year, so you may wish to consider this option as well – some statistics show that part-timers can struggle to complete their qualification.

2. Get prepared and understand what the course will involve. Though most course guidelines will list reading requirements and essays, they may not mention week-to-week homework and assignments and how much work these will be. You can email the professor, teacher or tutor in charge of the course for a more comprehensive picture of the workload. If you can find reading lists, try to do as much reading as possible before the lessons begin – one of the things that often catches returning students off guard is the sheer amount of reading required.

3. Stay focused on your own path. It can feel strange to be surrounded by almost exclusively younger students, but the key is to keep focused on your own work and progress. You’re there for yourself, to grow your skills and develop new knowledge. It’s fine if you don’t become particularly involved in student events or life, as long as you feel comfortable and happy on campus. These tips offer some ideas for keeping focused and thriving on campus.

Returning to study can be a challenge for some, but it’s worth it to gain a new qualification or gain what you may have missed out on last time. Plan well, undertake only what you can balance with the rest of your life and stay focused.

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In order to find time to learn as an adult, consider the following strategies:

1. Start in the morning. It may be a difficult task at first, but simply getting up an hour or so earlier gives you much more time while your head is fresh and ready. At the end of a long day working or parenting, it can be tempted to say “I deserve a rest, I can do it tomorrow.” It’s true that you need to take care of yourself, but if you continue like this it will never get done. Jump into it first thing, even just half an hour, and for the rest of the day you’ll be thinking about what you learned.

2. Find what method works best for you. Everyone has a style of learning that suits them best, and the advantage of learning as an adult is that you can choose to only pursue methods that work for you. If you find it easiest to just read, sign up to blog lists or look for online resources. If you prefer audio and visual, there are educational videos all over YouTube covering a range of topics. This can be much easier and more relaxing if it’s the way you traditionally like to learn. You don’t need to test or overexert yourself if you don’t want to, as long as you’re meeting your own learning goals.

3. Try to integrate it into your work. For many adults, the primary obstacle to continuing their learning will be having to contend with a fulltime job as well. However in some cases, if you can demonstrate that what you’re learning is of some value to your company or employer, you can get them to cover the costs or give you some time off to complete them. They may say no, but it’s always worth a shot.

Learning as an adult is always a challenge, as it can be very difficult to make it a priority. Even without doing so, you can meld learning into your daily life in a way that doesn’t create too much stress.

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TeacherTube – Similar to Youtube, but with content exclusively by and for teachers. Users can upload their own videos, and the topics range from sample lessons and tutorials to guides for how to explain complicated or tricky concepts. There’s also content that focuses on issues outside of lessons, such as how to address bullying. There are also audio recordings, photos and documentation all created by other teachers to share on the web.

Learner. Learner provides a huge range of resources for teachers to help them in the classroom, with lesson plans and interactive resources for subjects ranging from maths and science to art and history, and caters to levels starting at year one and going through to highschool. There are also videos where teachers demonstrate a sample lesson, which can be a good way to get new ideas and pick up tips.

Free Curricula Centre. Designed for students but of equal use to teachers, the FCC provides free textbook-quality resources that can be copied as-is or reworked and redeveloped for teaching purposes. Some are directly from textbooks, while others are instructor-created guidelines and materials. All created and compiled by experts, its reliable and quality information to work with.

Online learning resources aren’t just important for students – they allow teachers to also improve themselves and add valuable skills to their everyday work. This helps them manage students, convey information more effectively, structure classes and deal with their responsibilities outside of lessons, such as preventing bullying and counselling students.

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Talk English. One of the top priorities will be getting your spoken English in good shape. Reading and writing can always come later if necessary, and aren’t so important for simply getting by day to day. Talk English is a website designed specifically to aid with the speaking of English, not just the theory but also the practical side of it. It also aims to encourage a “natural” style of speaking, helping learners understand which phrases sound normal and comfortable in a given situation.

LearnEnglish. Provided by the British Council, this comprehensive learning resource teaches the form of English also used in New Zealand, so it can be used for those looking to integrate into Kiwi society as well. There are special sections for Business & Work, Writing and Media such as video and audio, so you can find the resources and exercises that most suit the type of activity you’ll be doing most in everyday life.

BBC English. The BBC is known for providing amazing educational resources via documentaries and television, and they also offer a range of English learning options. These include general and business English, as well as grammar and vocabulary exercises. The best thing about the website is that it can be accessed in a number of other languages including Chinese, Turkish and Vietnamese, which makes it that much easier to navigate for those who are still unsure of themselves. It also focuses on “words in the news” style topical English, to help interact with the changing world.

English learning is an important part of acclimatising to a new country, and it’s an ongoing and highly varied process. These websites help in a range of areas, but require a lot of motivation and determination on the part of the student.

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Adult Learning Support. A New Zealand based website that seeks to support those studying as adults, by offering resources and contacts for learners of all levels. These include basic numeracy and literacy, as well as other areas. In addition to online services, they try to be actively involved with the community. They also hire tutors to help with this, and are always looking for volunteers.

Skillshare. For those looking to add a specific skill to their itinerary, such as learning a type of software or how to do a particular task with it, Skillshare is a good option. Rather than occupying your time with a huge comprehensive course, it’s broken down into bite-sized lessons and mini courses that let adult learners invest in the things that interest them most.

BBC English. Adults who have moved to New Zealand to start a new life for themselves and their families may find the language barrier causes them a lot of trouble. Improving English is important for finding rewarding work that utilises the qualifications from their home country, but it can be difficult to make time for courses and other commitments. The BBC English website offers a range of activities and exercises to do in your own time.

CV Tips. One skill that many adults could benefit from is being able to build a strong CV. There are services that will do this for you, but it’s worth the time and effort to learn to do it yourself, as you’ll be able to update it as time goes on. The Work and Income website offers a good resource, including places to build it online for free.

These websites are just some of the resources available to adults looking to increase their skills without making a huge commitment to an educational course or institution.

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1. Take on only what you can handle. Undertaking formal study or learning of any kind can be a huge commitment, and one that you need to be realistic about. Don’t stretch yourself to thinly, instead look for courses that offer a tailored learning solution that works with your current schedule.
2. Take rest time as well. Between study and life, you may find yourself struggling to catch your breath. It’s extremely important to make sure you do so however, or you’ll find both areas beginning to suffer. Sometimes it can just be a matter of taking an hour or so and going for a walk, or just sitting with coffee and a magazine – some activity that demands absolutely nothing from you. Try to schedule this in, and don’t allow yourself to think about the other things you need to do.
3. Provide a learning space for yourself. A quiet, focused environment is essential for successful learning. If you can’t get an entire room to yourself, a desk or chair in a secluded corner is a good compromise. However there will always be cases where even this isn’t possible, so it can be a good idea to go and find somewhere elsewhere to work such as a public library. These always have spaces available, and if you live near a university campus the libraries there are even more hushed and peaceful.
4. Take your time. It isn’t a race, and the fact that you’ve begun at all is a huge victory.

Getting back into study as an adult can be difficult, and requires more effort to make sure you as a person are in the right frame of mind and situation to be able to learn.

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