Axiom brings the personal touch
Students attending Saskatoon’s newest adult college may have the opportunity to experience the ultimate in hands-on education.
Axiom Career College offers courses in medical administrative, dental office administration and medical massage therapy. All students, except those in the dental office program, take courses in anatomy and physiology, with access to a medical dissection lab. The medical massage students even build a body using clay.
Regardless of the program, Axiom offers a unique, personal approach to education, say founders Rebecca Bekolay and Lee Braun. “You will never be treated as good as you are treated here as a student,” says Braun. “The number one thing is that we care about our students and we try very hard to create a nurturing environment where [students] want to be,” Bekolay adds.
The college first opened in 2015 in Aberdeen, Saskatchewan, about 40 kms north-east of Saskatoon. “We saw there was a need in the market and we had the skills and the organization and the ability to be able to deliver a good quality education,” says Bekolay. After a successful three-year run in Aberdeen, the college made the move to Saskatoon. “That was our dream, to be here in Saskatoon to establish and grow,” Bekolay says.
The Saskatoon college opened in the fall of 2018 and Braun says the response has been amazing. “We work together really well as a team, and it’s fantastic,” she says. Bekolay adds that, if anything, the only worry is the level of success, with 30 students currently enrolled. “We’re almost outgrowing this space that we have, because the amount of students we’ve attracted has exceeded our expectations. It’s a great problem to have,” Bekolay says.
The main courses the college offers are the Medical Massage Therapy Program, the Medical Administrative Professional Program and the Dental Office Administration Program.
The dental office program is the only such course offered in Saskatchewan and focusses on the specific needs required in that kind of office. “It is a completely different kind of office to work in than any other medical office. Everything is completely different,” says Braun. The six-month course is considered a “blended” program in which students do the majority of the computer-based work at home online, coming into the college to do the hands-on portion of the course.
The Medical Administrative Professional Program is a ten-month, full-time course. Students in the program learn all aspects of computer usage and also take classes in anatomy, medical terminology and other aspects of the administration.
The longest program offered by Axiom is the 18- or 22-month Medical Massage Therapy Program. “It’s a very high intensity program with a lot of practical applications. It’s certainly been successful,” says Bekolay. Those students can take their education even further by taking a workshop on maternity and pre-natal massage.
Saskatoon and area residents can also, literally, try their hand at medical massage at the College’s Introduction to Massage Workshop. This is a one-day introduction course for beginners who are interested in massage or in a career as a therapist. The course presents the basic concepts of human anatomy, terminology, theory and practical application of massage. Participants will earn a certificate, which does not contribute to obtaining a diploma or qualify a person to work as a therapist.
On the other hand, residents wanting to feel the benefits of therapeutic massage can do so inexpensively at Axiom’s student massage clinic. “Our student massage therapists need to get practical experience to get the required hours to graduate and people can have a professional massage at a reasonable rate,” says Bekolay. It is even possible to book a spot at the clinic online at
As the college is an accredited education instruction, students can access student loans and other financial assistance. Mature students are welcomed, as well, with prerequisites adjusted to take into account life experience. Potential students are also invited to visit the college and sit in on some of the classes.