N o matter where you are in your chiropractic training, the day will come when you leave school and join us as professionals in the field. I, for one, am excited to have you. As students, you represent the very best and brightest of what our schools are teaching. You are being taught and graduating with current clinical knowledge, which you will share with your patients, colleagues, and your profession. You are our future. The day you receive your diploma will be glorious and filled with excitement. However, in the back of your mind, this exuberance is usually tempered by a genuine concern for how you are going to make it all work. This is normal and expected. Being grounded in reality is not a scare tactic: it is meant to motivate you to succeed. Practice is challenging, but it is immeasurably rewarding. It is worth the effort on your part to formulate and live the practice of your dreams. It"s time to get serious about how you want to live your professional life. Let's discuss how you can be involved in chiropractic by utilizing the time before and after graduation. I would love to see you blossom right from the start of your DC life. I want to see you gain confidence and skills quickly, and 1 have some suggestions that 1 hope you will take to heart. My focus is on helping you gain as much confidence as early as possible. During school: As long as it does not critically interfere with your course load, take as mam clcctivcs and weekend seminars as possible. Mam seminars are free for students or are discounted to make them affordable. Do you think you want to be an Activator doctor, use orthotics. or get into veterinary orthopedic manipula tion? Take the seminars and get ahead of those who won't bother making the effort. School is important, but so is making the transition to being out in the field. Seminars get you in contact with field doctors who will make the bridge to practice easier. Volunteer in a few chiropractors' offices, and try to make sure there are different types of doctors with different practice styles and patient bases. Don't talk yourself out of a particular technique or methodology because you think you won't like it. Just experience as much as you can so you can formulate your vision of how you want to practice. You not only learn vital information, but also gain experience by making or observing mistakes in a clinical, "real" setting. 3. Go out for scholarships. Did you know there are scholarships for many different types of chiropractic students? Your school will have some information, but just do a Google search—there is free money out there! As you are close to graduation, or if you are a recent graduate: Figure out if you arc going to open up your own office, take over some else's, or work as an associate. There is no right answer here except for the one your heart tells you. Having the opportunity to open up a new office or the fortune of being able to take over an existing office can be rewarding, but you may not be ready for all of that responsibility, and that's OK. You may prefer to work for someone and let him or her have all of the worries. Think about this and steer your learning and skill acquisition toward that vision. It is not too late to keep volunteering or working for someone else while you get started. Take as many seminars as your schedule allows. Now that you arc out of school, your skill set must be honed. You are now fully free from the binds of schoolwork and tests. No more excuses! Time to get better, and the sooner you do this, the fewer patients you will look back on later and say. "I wish I could have treated them like I treat patients now! I am so much better." Many seminars still have good rates for new graduates. A good mle of thumb you will learn: the more techniques you know, the more patients you can help. 3. Get involved with your local state chiropractic organization; they need you. Chances are there is a cliiropractic asso- ciation you can join and support in the state where you practice. Most have discounted rates for new grads. I am not just talking about support for your association, but support for you. too. Many have services set up to make practice easier, including seminars, professional resources, and close contact with fellow. local chiropractors that can be vital to your success. You can't afford not to be involved. 4. Join a local business-networking group, such as BNI or Lc Tip. or service clubs, such as Rotary Club. Lions Club, or Ki-wanis Club. Public exposure and networking with local business professiomils is the key to your new business"s success. Joining Toastmasters or another type of presentation club helps you with your public speaking skills, which are also important. 5. If you are passionate about any aspects of chiropractic, consider going into teaching. 1 started teaching right after graduation in 1996. and I have never looked back. There is no reason you cannot begin practicing and teach at the same time. Set up your schedule so it is conducive to your teaching and practice goals. At first. I taught part-time at Palmer West and practiced. Now. 1 teach more than 100 hours a year while practicing full-time. If you love what you do. it can be done. I am excited to welcome you to our ranks. The next time you catch me at a seminar, come up and say. "Hello." I am ready for you to join us in the field, are you? Dr. Kevin Wong is an expert on foot analysis, walking and standing postures and orthotics. Teaching patients and chiropractors is a passion for him, and he travels the country speaking about spinal and extremity adjusting. Dr. Wong practices full-time in Orinda, California. Contact Dr. Wong at 925-254-4040 or [email protected].
