Dr. Terry R. Yochum, Releases a Personal Memoir
FEATURE
How I Got Here and What Shaped my Life
The American Chiropractor
Dr. Terry R. Yochum (TRY) is a trailblazer in chiropractic! By being the first chiropractor to author a book that was accepted and used, in the medical profession, Dr. Yochum has opened doors for many others to follow. The first edition of Dr. Yochum's text, "Essentials of Skeletal Radiology", is a benchmark publication for the profession. This textbook sold over 130,000 copies since 1987. It is the required text in radiology at all 50 chiropractic colleges worldwide and is being used in over 100 medical schools around the world. He was honored with an appointment to the Department of Radiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine as a skeletal radiologist, where he has been on staff since January of 1991. This interview captures the essence of Dr. Terry R. Yochum, his dreams and lessons learned from his childhood to the present day. The American Chiropractor (TAC) was able to get a preview of his mw book, a memoire, aptly titled, "I Should Have Been Left Handed where he rehashes and depicts all of his experiences in his personal and professional life, and captures the struggle to achieve his goals. It is important to note that the profits from the book will be donated, to three charities.
TAC: Where did the idea for this book originate and when?
TRY: The idea to write this book was given to me by Mrs. Sandra Phillips, the wife of Dr. Reed Phillips, ex president of the Los Angeles Chiropractic College. It was her
"it was important to archive the entire journey of how Essentials of Skeletal Radiology broke the prejudicial barrier for medical publishing houses to interact and publish books by chiropractic authors."
idea that perhaps my life has been unique enough that it could be an inspiration to young athletes and young students that are about to enter the profession of chiropractic.
The original thought process for me to consider writing this book was given to me approximately 12 years ago. The project in writing this book was started and stopped over a 9 year time span.
TAC: Why did you write this book?
TRY: The reason why I have written this book is to tell the story behind the story of the production of Essentials of Skeletal Radiol-
ogy. The chiropractic profession is unaware of the major prejudice that was against chiropractic publications by medical publishing houses throughout the entire United States. I felt it was important to archive the entire journey of how Essentials of Skeletal Radiology broke the prejudicial barrier for medical publishing houses to interact and publish books by chiropractic authors.
TAC: What purpose does this book fulfill?
TRY: The purpose of this book I believe is to let the reader perhaps be inspired that just an average boy with a burning desire can accomplish something far beyond his
wildest dreams. Those accomplishments can be on the athletic field as well as any vocational choice that a young student athlete might make. I do believe that the success of Essentials of Skeletal Radiology did in fact part "the Red Sea" for many of the other chiropractic authors to have the opportunity to publish sophisticated textbooks. These authors would be Dr. Jim Cox, Drs. Bergman and Peterson, Dr. Tom Hyde, Dr.Claudia Anrig, Drs. Foreman and Croft, Dr. Ron Evans, and there are many others. I think I am most proud of the fact that Essentials of Skeletal Radiology was the flagship publication that was able to break this prejudicial barrier providing publication opportunities for other scholarly chiropractors to publish their works.
TAC: Please tell us about your website and the many interviews that you have conducted with dignitaries within the profession and celebrities within the St. Louis Cardinals organization. How will people be able to access them and what is the purpose of these interviews?
TRY: I have conducted approximately 23 interviews with various people who have had a significant impact on my life. These interviews will be accessed through my website which is www.teriyryochumdc.com These interviews have been conducted by Mr. Fred Weissmann, the
person who has written the preface for this book. There are notable people in my life that have been interviewed which includes my wife Inge, my son Philip, my daughter Dr. Alicia Yochum, my high school football and baseball coach Ray Cliffe, Mrs. Loretta Booth, a treasured mathematics teacher from my grade school and high school years, Mr. Kent Greenawalt, my sister, my professor Dr. Joseph Flowe and Drs. Guebert and Kettner. I am especially proud of the fact that Mr. Whitey Flerzog, ex manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and a Cooperstown Flail of Fame inductee 2010 has done an in-depth interview for this book and there is a chapter exclusively 011 Whitey Herzog and my interactions with him at the Cardinals Legends camp in Jupiter, Florida. An additional unique interview has been performed with Mr. Al FIrabosky, one of the play by play announcers for Fox Sports Midwest in St. Louis, MO. There is a longer list of people who have been interviewed but that is a sample of those that will be available. These interviews will be available on the website at no charge to anyone. I will not be asking anyone to purchase the book in order to be able to hear these personal interviews. These are my gift to all who access them.
TAC: I understand your daughter is in the profession. Can you tell us something about her and
what are her professional plans for the future?
TRY: Yes, I am happy to tell you my daughter Dr. Alicia Marie Yochum (AMY) first trained as an intensive care unit registered nurse. She graduated from Logan College of Chiropractic suma cum laude in December 2011. She completed her radiology residency at Logan College under the direction of Dr. Joseph Howe, Dr. Norman Kettner and Dr. Gary Guebert. She finished her residency and has passed the Diplomate examination in radiology and received her DACBR credentials in fall 2015. She has also just completed a fellowship in musculoskeletal diagnostic ultrasound and has recently taken and passed the medical certification exam in that discipline. Alicia will be returning to Denver to join my practice in early June and I could not be more proud of her. She also plan s to practice chiropractic and treat patients here in Denver. She is now a third generation chiropractor and the FIRST second generation DACBR in the history of my profession.
TAC: Can you please tell us where the profits for the sale of this book will go and why have you chosen to donate the profits to charity?
TRY: All profits from the sale of this book are going to be donated to three charities: 1) The United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation to support research for the disease that has overwhelmed my daughter Kimberley's life; 2) the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress of which I am a founding Board member that supports the continued promotion of the benefits of chiropractic to the public; 3) the Whitey Herzog Youth Foundation which assists with baseball equipment and upgrading fields in the greater St. Louis and southern Illinois area. The choice for donating all profits to these three charities is very close to my heart. I particularly believe that it is important for me to give something back to the baseball community that taught me such great lessons on so many of the baseball fields around the St. Louis area.
"i would like to believe I have taken the
competitive edge I had and the lessons I learned in athletics into my profession."
TAC: How long will this book be and will there actually be photos within the book?
TRY: The book will be approximately 330 pages long and there will be 20 pages in the center of the book with approximately 88 photographs. The pictures allow a pictorial window into my early childhood life, high school life, college career, my family roots, my parents, my lovely wife and children and a number of pictures of me pursuing my career in baseball. There are additional pictures of me spending time and competing at the St. Louis Cardinals Legends Camp in Jupiter, Florida with Whitey Herzog, Al Hrabosky, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith and Willy McGee.
TAC: Clearly you were and remain very passionate about baseball. Have you translated that passion into your professional life?
TRY: Yes, I have played men's senior baseball in the 40 and Over and 50 and Over division in Denver for over 25 years. At one time I pitched batting practice for the Milwaukee Brewers AAA team here in Denver prior to the Colorado Rockies beginning their inaugural season here. I would like to believe I have taken
the competitive edge I had and the lessons I learned in athletics into my profession. Sports and athletics allowed me to learn how to win in life and how to lose in life. It also taught me a lesson that after you have lost a battle, to get back up, work harder and fight harder to win the next one. I have had many people say to me that Terry Yochum is still pitching, he's just pitching chiropractic and radiology.
TAC: Do you have any plans to stay active in your profession and in baseball?
TRY: I have no plans to retire. I will continue to play in the men's senior league here in Denver and I have finished my 13th year of umpiring 5A varsity high school baseball which has been quite a challenge for me. There is an actual chapter on umpiring baseball and my short lived career in doing so in Denver. I am hoping to continue rendering lectures and writing scientific articles, most of which I look forward to doing with my daughter, Dr. Alicia Yochum (AMY). She has been lecturing with me now nationwide for the past 3 years and what a delight it has been to be able to share the podium with her.
TAC: Who will be publishing this book and will there be an e-version of this book?
TRY: The book has been selfpublished through Amazon and there will be an e-version. All of that information is on my website www.terryryochumdc.com
TAC: I understand that you are a second generation chiropractor and your daughter Alicia third generation. Where did your father Dr. Kenneth Yochum practice and what impact did your father have on your career?
TRY: My father Dr. Kenneth E. Yochum (KEY) graduated from the Missouri Chiropractic College in 1936. That school merged with Logan College where he became an adopted alumnus. My dad practiced at the Wilmington Clinic in south St. Louis less than a mile from Carondelet Park. My dad and I both went to the same high school in south St. Louis which was Cleveland High School. My father had a profound effect on my entire life and career. It is best described in the chapter entitled "The Roots." In this chapter I detail the impact of my father, mother and sister on my overall life. My dad told me that there were only two ways you could live your life and I have stated this clearly in the second and third editions of my book where I dedicated those publications to my dad. My dad often said "There are only two ways you can live your life, you can either Make Dust or You Can Eat Dust." I just chose to make my own dust and not eat anyone else's in my career in both baseball and in the profession of chiropractic. The most profound statement my father often made was to raise me with character and honesty and to be a person that always would be doing the right things in life as I would interact with other colleagues, patients and friends. The statement that I have so often quoted through almost every chapter of this book is echoed in my ears from my dad. My dad said "Son, always remember to do the right thing. Never be on the wrong side of a circumstance. You should always remember that RIGHT IS RIGHT - AND WRONG IS NOBODY"!
For more info go to www.terryryochumdc.coin
