There's Only One Decision You Need To Make To Become a CHT
===
[00:00:00] Hey there, it's Hoang so excited. I've been on calls and I just wanted to share some insights with anyone who is potentially interested in taking the cht. and what are some of my insights? What are some of my insights? One of them that I was talking, I was talking to someone and one of the things that we were talking about was how.
[00:00:32] A bad work environment can really erode at your self-belief. Hey there, how are you? If you are currently working in a bad work environment, I would love to get your takeaway on this. So leave me a comment if you're watching this, , later, if you're watching her right now, let me know.
[00:00:54] Have you ever worked in a really bad work environment where there was [00:01:00] bullying, involved? Hey, Naomi from Spain. I love I want to go to Spain so bad. So many people I know are going and vacationing in Spain. I would love to go to Spain one day. I'm actually, the plan is to go to Paris.
[00:01:13] Naomi, would you like to meet me in Paris? I wanna go all over the world and just meet all these amazing hand therapists. But but yeah, but there's, as many amazing hand therapists, as many amazing places to work at, there's some bad ones too and so I was talking to somebody who spoke to.
[00:01:34] Like a while ago, and she was just in a bad place and she couldn't make the decision to, to join the program. She couldn't make the decision to even take the exam because her work environment was so bad. And in talking to her now and she's, gonna join, she's already actually in the hand therapy mentorship program and she loves it so far, but I'm like, if you want to study for the exam, this program is the key exam to get [00:02:00] you there.
[00:02:00] She was just remarking on the fact that, it like her, when you work in a bad work environment, like it makes you feel really bad, makes you feel really bad about yourself, and it slowly but surely erodes at your self-belief that you're capable of doing it, that you have the capacity to study and do it.
[00:02:20] So that's one. One thing that was playing in my head today, and I just wanted to really share that with you if you're thinking about taking the exam and taking it soon. The other concept is that here's some of the conversations I'm having with people who are just applying for the hand exam prep program on the idea that.
[00:02:43] Y you want to make a decision, right? You want to make a decision that, that this is gonna be the time that you actually study for it, and that you're doing something different than what you have done in the past. [00:03:00] So one recurring theme that I hear is I'm trying to do it alone. I have no me. I start, get started and get going, but I can't keep going.
[00:03:10] I can't get to the test to feel really good that I know stuff because of the way that you might be consuming the information. If you feel really overwhelmed, then it's hard to keep all that information, right? So the decision isn't to take it in November or to take it in. . The decision is just to work towards it and take it right.
[00:03:39] Who cares when you're going to take it? , but the fact that you, the decision has to be there that you will no longer wait and that your time is now and to be mentally prepared to take it. So we can create a plan that takes you to November, that takes you to the November [00:04:00] exam. But the idea is to be mentally flexible, right?
[00:04:06] You have to be somewhat mentally flexible. So this is like what. Do it when I speak to people to ensure that they're the right fit for the program. It's would you be okay to study? What's getting in the way of you studying for the exam for November? Can we create a plan?
[00:04:23] The answer is yes. Yes. Okay, so can you live with it if you didn't take it in November? So ask yourself that question. Can you live with it? If you don't take it in November, especially for the first time people take it for the first time. Can you live with it? If you didn't take it in November, and the answer is usually yes.
[00:04:44] So let's stay flexible, mentally flexible to say, I would be okay if I didn't take it November. I'm gonna study, like I'm taking it November, right? And then we create a plan, a study like I'm taking in November, but we create a. . And then can you be mentally flexible to [00:05:00] say, if I need to change it, I can change it to May?
[00:05:02] Sure. Because the decision has already been made that you're going to take the exam. You only need to make one decision and that's to come and take the exam. You have to study in a way that's gonna help you prepare so you can take the exam now, you know when you're taking it for the first.
[00:05:22] You want to study in a way that's gonna just help you pass, right? Nobody's, you just wanted to take it so you can prepare yourself to pass. And again, the a certain mental flexibility. So here was one of the questions I said, and listen, I've done this with, numerous people and so I'm gonna do it with you.
[00:05:40] So play along if you're watching if you're watching this on you. later. What am I trying to say? If you're watching an on replay, right? And if you're not really sure who I am I always forget to do this cause I just started talking to you and I'm like, I totally forget to introduce myself. My name is Wong.
[00:05:58] I'm an occupational therapist and [00:06:00] certified hand therapist, and I help other therapists prepare and study for the ch. Right now one person comes in who you know, wants to be a certified hand therapist, says that they don't wanna be a better therapist. Every therapist that I know, every occupational therapist, that every physical therapist that I work with, they always want to become.
[00:06:19] and a better therapist to provide the best care for their patients to get the best possible results for their patient. And I'm a true believer in the fact that when you start studying to pass this National Board certification to help you become this critical thinker, to help you make decisions about what treatments are best and of course they're all evidence-based like you.
[00:06:44] That's, that for the most part is a given, right? Even though, yeah, we gotta say it , but not one person says I just, don't wanna be a good therapist. Every person who comes in wants to be the best therapist. And by being the best therapist, by being that critical thinker and [00:07:00] problem solver and then decision maker, it's really that component that helps you to pass and become a certified hand therapist.
[00:07:07] But here's what happens, fear of failing. will stop people from taking the exam. But when you are in a community, a group, a program that helps you not just send, not just you're just not like doing stuff on your own, right? You're in a program, you're getting on calls, you're studying together, you have someone to ask questions, answer questions, and explain things to you in a way that helps you underst.
[00:07:36] no matter how many times we've gotta say it cuz we're gonna say it in a different way that helps you get it right, it helps you get it. Now, when you can study in that way, it will, it can help minimize the fear of failure. Because what is to do? It boosts your confidence. So when you boost your confidence, you're gonna reduce it.
[00:07:54] I'm not saying you're gonna get rid of it, right? You are just gonna reduce it. Here's the [00:08:00] question. So what's the downside? Of failing the exam. What's a downside? So you're gonna have to answer that question on your own. So if you're playing along, I would love to, and I know this might be a personal question, so I'm gonna ask you to leave a comment.
[00:08:20] I'm gonna ask you to slide into my DM and give me your. , what's the downside of failing the exam? What's the downside? And I swear one of the best answers, one of the best answers I got was she's if I fail, I'll just study again and take it again. It's just, the downside is that it's gonna require more time, and I'm just like, yeah.
[00:08:49] you met your goal, like you studied and you got there, right? You studied and you did it cuz we've now been putting it off for decades, right? But [00:09:00] now you're gonna be able to do it. Now you're gonna be able to have said, I've done it. So if the question is, what's the downside? Then the second question is, can you live with it?
[00:09:12] Can you live with.
[00:09:18] and with a response I'll just study again because at the end of the day, it's gonna help me be a better therapist. Oh my God. Crush my heart now, right? Let's go, let's study, let's pass. But of course I can live with it. I can live with, okay, great. Let's do. So that's all the decision that needs to be made is let's go, let's study, let's do this together.
[00:09:43] Let's aim for the exam. Don't kill yourself. Don't stop yourself in your tracks before you can get started, right? Don't stop yourself before you get. Give yourself a chance. And the only decision to make is I [00:10:00] want to take the exam. This is the only decision you need to make so that you can then take the steps, take the necessary steps to do the work.
[00:10:11] You can't just decide Hey, I'm gonna take it and then not do the work. The work is required. The work is a necessity. , you don't get better without the practice of it, right? The practice, you don't get better with treating complex hand cases. You don't get better treating flexor tendon cases. You don't get better with treating, shoulder cases nerve cases without practice.
[00:10:39] And then, with the practice comes the study. And with the study comes more practice and it just goes run and run around. That's how. So only way to become an expert's the only way to be really good. You cannot make this faster. I would really love to, lose weight off of one salad, right?
[00:10:58] But it's a [00:11:00] process. I would, your patients will come to you. I will, I talked to them about this other day. , you would think you would love it if you came to therapy and it only took one visit and you were boom done after a surgery. It doesn't work that way. It's a process and you cannot rush a process.
[00:11:22] So you becoming the expert, you studying to become a therapist takes effort, takes intentional. , steps this process that you have to go through. But you ha you only decision you have to make really, honestly, is just to decide to take it. And then, if you're interested I can help you create that plan.
[00:11:44] I can help you devise that plan, stick with that plan and then help you get to the goal of taking the exam right. And really that's my goal. So if you can take the exam it's gonna help you be a better therapist and boost your confidence. [00:12:00] So many good things. But yeah, if you want to and you need some help, go ahead and send me a message.
[00:12:05] The hand exam prep program actually closes tomorrow. We get started, 7:00 PM. We get started at 7:00 PM in the intensive portion of the program. So the hand exam prep program is open for, it runs for six months, right? It's a six month access program, and some people join early, some people join.
[00:12:28] Right now I've got like several people joining right now and some people come in, they. The exam in November. Some people come, they plan for the May exam. It's a six month program, and right now we're in the intensive portion of the program. Why is it intensive? The program, the way I'm designed it, the curriculum I'm designed is so that you can come in right before the exam in November.
[00:12:52] We increase cadence to get you prepared and we just go. hard and heavy into the [00:13:00] nuances of the topics in a very orderly fashion. And we meet every Tuesday for 12 weeks. And then we get you ready for the November exam. Now those people who are coming in now in the November, now and they're not going to take the exam in November, they'll take it in May.
[00:13:20] Then they'll just start, get the cadence up, get going with the, their study, and then they'll start to taper down and slow down a little bit and do all the other work that's in. catch up on stuff. There's so many, it's a huge amount of topics. It's become a certified hand therapist really says that you're an expert with very particular types of cases.
[00:13:43] Majority of them being surgical cases, majority of them become being complex cases. What's so great about being a certified hand therapist is that you also can work with non-surgical cases and those, there's so many non-surgical cases. Of various [00:14:00] types of hand and arm injuries conditions, diagnosis, that we really do need to know how to treat them well, how to treat them effectively so we can avoid them going into having surgery, right?
[00:14:13] Or being able to know when to catch it that they, oh God, they need surgery, right? So we're the people that we guide our patients, and because we are the people who guide them. , you gotta know your shit. And studying for the exam helps you to get to that level where you really know your shit and you know what to say, you know how to say it, you know the treatment methods in which to pick to get great results for your patients.
[00:14:44] So we do have a cadence. If you have any questions about that, please. As soon as possible. If not now, right? If not now. I'll open the wait list cuz I'm closing it Tuesday. That's tomorrow. I'm closing a Tuesday. And then we'll start a wait list [00:15:00] and and get you in for the next time we open it.
[00:15:01] All right but keep that in mind. You only need to make one decision. And that's become, that's to take the exam. Everything else falls boom, right into place after that. Okay, I gotta run. I gotta go get something that I should have gotten the other day because I'm really excited how I'm gonna be like changing up some of the stuff that I share and how I'm teaching and stuff like that.
[00:15:26] Wish mek. Wish mek. All right. Thank you so much for joining. If you have any questions about studying for the hand exam, if you have any questions about anything hand therapy related, my name is Huang and I'm happy to help it. Just send me a message or you can always leave a comment below. All right.
[00:15:44] I'll talk to you guys tomorrow. I'll probably come on and share some stuff tomorrow. All right, bye.
[00:15:50] Hey, thanks for listening to Hoang's world podcast. If you are brand new to the hand therapy world, head over to my website, www . Hand therapy [00:16:00] secrets.com, where you can get started with some of our free guides and paid programs for both OTs and PTs diving into the world of hand therapy. Or if you've been listening for a while watching on our YouTube channel and you think you could benefit from developing and moving your career further along in hand therapy, reach out to me and my team at info @ Hand therapy.secrets.com and tell us exactly what you're looking for, By the way, if you know someone who could benefit from today's show, please share.
[00:16:27] Thanks. See you on the next episode.
