Let us predict the future… ?…the future of pediatric music therapy, that is.
Growing patient’s needs and a growing body of research deserves well-informed and ever-growing music therapists! The more we stay up to date with different medical procedures and protocols that children are undergoing, the more essential we become to the medical team because we are experts in what we do.
The more you know, the more we can continue to grow as a community! Watch Amy as she dives in to talking about what the future holds for the field of pediatric music therapy by hitting play below:
Beth: What do you think is possible for the future of pediatric music therapy? What do you think is going on now that is limiting us as a field that could potentially be broken down and overcome the next 10 years? And what would you say to any music therapy student professional who’s considering a job in medical music therapy?
Amy: I think that we are just broaching the beginning of what pediatric music therapy is going to look like and that’s so exciting. Even when I was an intern, eight or nine years ago now, this field has grown so much. To see these new news articles and research coming out all the time, it’s so exciting to see how it’s growing, but we have to make sure that we’re growing with it, right? If there are new research articles coming out, we want to be on the forefront of that. In my website, Pediatric Music Therapy, we’re going to do a monthly journal club where we’re keeping up with that literature and understanding how that impacts our care.
I think one of the biggest barriers is this language piece and this research piece. I think pediatric music therapists, in general, are called to hold a lot of different responsibilities. We’re providing care to our patients, we’re constantly advocating. We are trying to be a part of the interdisciplinary team while also holding different administrative responsibilities. If we’re in different types of departments that might come with its own responsibilities. On top of all of that we need to stay up with this literature. We need to stay up with the different medical procedures happening, the different protocols that our children are undergoing, because that’s going to allow us to really be a part of this medical team and being a important part that people are going to come to for expertise, because we are experts in what we do.
I think if you’re considering a job in the medical field, I say go for it. What we need is more music therapists who are interested in this medical field. There are so many different areas where it’s growing right now and that’s super exciting. Find something you’re passionate about in the medical field and share your knowledge with the rest of us so that we can continue to grow as a community.
Pediatric Oncology CMTE Course
If you’d like to REALLY dive deep into pediatric oncology, then check out Amy Love’s course on Understanding & Navigating Pediatric Oncology for Music Therapists!
By taking the course, you will:
- Discover the impactful role music therapy can play in pediatric oncology
- Gain confidence and competence in the medical terminology
- Learn crucial information for navigating the setting such as diagnoses, treatment options, and symptoms
- Explore your role as both a clinician and member of the patient’s interdisciplinary team
- Enhance your understanding of current cancer care from various healthcare providers