Life After Mac: Real stories of alumni finding their way — Falynn
When I graduated in 2014 I wanted to leverage my passion for spirituality and health and create a unique career for myself. I believed the merging of the two disciplines would create a better understanding of the diagnostic and healing processes of illness, since culture and religion are social determinants of one’s health. I thought I would be an educator and a researcher… but as life introduced me to new interests and opportunities, my dreams changed.
I was working as a Personal Trainer a year after graduation and one of the major challenges of the job was not being able to train my clients when they had minor injuries or uncomfortable aches and pains. I remember asking a few of my clients to get treated by a Registered Massage Therapist to help speed up their recovery time and improve their overall muscle function. I liked the idea of being both a RMT and a Personal Trainer so that I could be a one-stop shop for my clients’ exercise programming and recovery, so I did my research on the profession and did informational interviews. Prior to that, my first awareness of the profession was when I took a Health Studies class in my final semester at McMaster and wrote my final paper on “The Risks of Massage Therapy Use Among Older Adults with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain”. The summer after graduation, I also won a free weekend course ‘Intro to Massage Therapy’ at a reputable massage school in Toronto.
I absolutely enjoy being able to help people live pain-free and/or perform better in their daily lives. I love that my job is unpredictable on a daily basis and requires a lot of problem-solving to treat someone’s pain and/or limitations. The most challenging part of the job right now is the intake (asking questions about the patient’s primary complaint). It has gotten easier since my first day on the job, but it is important to be consistent and ask the right questions in a short window of time. This allows me to proceed with the proper assessments and treatment plan. I’ve learned to accept that people won’t always remember their past injuries or will omit information thinking it is irrelevant… so it’s important to build rapport so they eventually share the small details.
At the moment I am working on specializing as a specializing in sports therapy! Working towards specialization means I do a lot of volunteer work at competitions within the Greater Toronto Area to qualify myself for future major events like the Olympics or the Canada Games. I also plan on returning to McMaster for Medical Acupuncture within the next couple of years to enhance my skill set to help athletes and those living with neurological conditions.
I have a great group of friends I met at McMaster who have supported me from the beginning of this journey. The Religious Studies program has also developed my critical thinking skills which made me excel in my clinical internships. By speaking to professors and attending seminars by the Student Success Centre office, I learned how to network and create opportunities for myself. My life after Mac was unconventional: I took a postgraduate program that was not for me; I worked as a Personal Trainer and gained business experience; I volunteered in my community at a physiotherapy clinic; I started a wellness and spirituality blog; I exchanged energy at yoga studios; I networked online; and I attended weekend workshops and fitness conferences. These experiences led me to the job that I look forward to going to every day!
Falynn Shay, BA Religious Studies ‘14
Registered Massage Therapist
The Office of Alumni Engagement will be featuring recent grad’s career stories to show career paths are anything but linear. If you graduated in the last 10 years and are interested, share your story.
If you are looking to get started on your own journey, take advantage of the resources available to recent graduates through our partnership with the Student Success Centre.
