A Preview of "Cultural Competence for the Chiropractor"
NEWS
INTERNATIONAL CHIROPRACTORS ASSOCIATION
DALLAS, TX, April 11-13, 2024 - The following is taken from a conversation Taylor Carter, ICA Communications Manager, had with Dr. Charmaine Herman, a featured speaker for the ICA 98th Annual Convention - Serving Those Who Served. Dr. Herman is a multi-faceted professional, serving as a member of the ICA Board of Directors, Full Professor at Life University in the College of Chiropractic, and published researcher, in addition to maintaining an active practice in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Taylor Carter: Could you give me a quick definition for what cultural competency is? I know it can be a complicated thing, so just a couple sentences -
Dr. Charmaine Herman: It’s not that complicated, I like to keep it simple. Cultural competence is realizing, appreciating, and educating yourself about your own culture and the cultures of people that surround you. That’s as simple as it is. People seem to think that to be culturally competent, I need to leam everybody’s culture around the world. No, that’s too hard. But what it means is, I evaluate and know my culture, so I know the things that may be comfortable. Once I realize those things that don’t make me comfortable, for the sake of being a doctor, I learn how to put those things aside so I can treat my patients fairly and provide the services that they need.
TC: I really love that definition - a lot of people hear the words cultural competency or diversity, equity, and inclusion, and they get this kind of kneejerk reaction of, “ooh, I don’t know if I want to talk about this,” or they think people are focusing on it too much, but I think when you boil it down to that, just looking at your community and making sure that people at least have a comfortable and safe environment around you -
CH: And being willing to be inquisitive enough to find out more about their cultures.
TC: Yes!
CH: Most people don’t realize their own culture. For me, I’m a black female, I’m a chiropractor, I’m an educator, I grew up in the north, I live in the south, I’m almost 60 years old - all of those things are dynamics that make up your culture. People are a combination of their experiences and their environment. Veterans have a separate culture all their own and it’s important to understand that they have some stresses that come out of that. I love when people say we just need to adjust. No, you can’t just adjust everything. You have to also be willing to talk and listen and hear and realize that people’s experiences can shape how they come to your office. I’ve never been in the military, so all I can do is hear what they have to say and have an understanding ear and a willingness to leam what they’ve been through, what things are important to them, so when they’re on my table, I’m paying attention to things that are also important to them. I think that’s a big part of any time we work with anyone, but especially our veterans.
To read the full interview, visit www. chiropractic. org DrHermanlnterview.
