End of 1st Quarter, Beginning of 2nd Quarter Blog
Well, one quarter
down, a lot to go. The past 11 weeks absolutely flew by. I learned a lot of
information and am really excited about completing the rest of the program.
Going into chiropractic school, a prospective student has a lot of questions
about the class load and how to get everything done in such a short amount of
time. After completing the first quarter, I learned how to manage the course
load and be successful with the academic portion while staying focused on the chiropractic
aspect of the program. A Doctor of Chiropractic definitely does his/her fair
share of studying the basic sciences. The curriculum for the first 18-24 months
is extremely similar to Medical School. Actually, we put the same, if not more
class hours than the M.D.’s. See chart below:
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The only difference is there are
philosophy classes and technique classes integrated into the chiropractic
program. The first quarter curriculum consisted of the following classes:
-
Anatomy
I with Lab
-
Histology
and Fundamental Pathology
-
Biochemistry
I
-
Toggle/Palpation
I (Where students learn the basic fundamentals essential for the toggle
adjusting technique, and the basics of static palpating the entire human
spine).
-
Ethics
and Jurisprudence
-
Chiropractic
Philosophy I
-
Medical
Terminology
These classes totaled for 360 hours over a course
of 11 weeks, including final exams. The chiropractic student becomes very
well-rounded in the basic sciences and must complete the 3.5 years while
passing all five of the National Board Examinations in order to be licensed in
the United States. With all of the basic studies and multiple exams every
single week, it is sometimes easy to lose focus on why we are actually here as
chiropractic students. However, it is very important to go to seminars outside
of class and talk to mentors to keep you focused on your goals and keep you on
the right path.
Another
thing I learned while being in school for only 2 months so far is that every
chiropractor or future chiropractor has their own philosophy and/or their own
story on how a certain technique or experience got them to where they are today.
There is no set in stone way of doing things. Once students complete their
first two years of the program with all the in-depth science courses, they
begin their clinical internships and externships for the final year and a half.
Once students are in the clinic, they are basically on their own while being
under the supervision of licensed doctors and professors. They can do whatever
technique they want and can teach the philosophy to their patients in any way
that they choose. I’ve learned about a lot of different techniques and a lot of
different philosophies about chiropractic over the past few weeks. With what
I’ve learned so far is, Upper Cervical Care is the most logical, scientific
backed, and produces the best results. I have absolutely nothing against full
spine chiropractors. I hear miracle stories about full-spine chiropractors all
the time. I myself swore by them at one point a few years ago. However, Upper Cervical
care just seems to make the most sense logically and seems to help the most
patients with all sorts of problems, including myself. Full-spine chiropractic
indeed does help situations such as muscle stiffness or lower back pain or in
my case, it was energy levels and focus. However, Upper Cervical Care helps
with all sorts of conditions, diseases, and restores the entire body to normal
function. You’ve already read my miracle story, for myself personally, I didn’t
need much more convincing.
When the brainstem is free of any pressure or
subluxation and the brain can therefore communicate at an optimal 100% with the
rest of the body; our body is working at its highest potential. When our bodies
are working at the highest levels, there is no telling what the human body is
capable of. With that said, Upper Cervical Care is not something you choose
when you are feeling ill or experiencing some kind of pain like I did. Upper
Cervical Care is a lifestyle. Now, I get checked at least once a week, and am
beginning to hold my adjustments two weeks at a time. Like I said, it’s a
lifestyle. It’s you living to your fullest potential while having the human
brain communicate with the rest of the body the way it was created to. (In
addition, after studying anatomy for only a matter of weeks and talking with my
fellow classmates at school; the human brain is by far the most complicated
organ in the human body. No matter how many years of science and innovations
arrive over the next decades, I believe nobody will completely be able to
understand how the brain entirely communicates and operates). So, wouldn’t you
want something that amazing to that magnitude communicating to your body the
best it can? Take care of your bodies. Take pride in your bodies. Be sure to
live life to the fullest. Along with a lot of textbook information and exam
material, this is what I have learned in my first quarter in Chiropractic
School. There is no telling how much more I am going to keep learning the next
three additional years. See you next quarter!
“For
you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise
you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I
know that full well.”
Psalm
139:13-14
God
Bless,
Dr.
Josh Dalessandro
