Student's Journey of Becoming an Upper Cervical Doctor (1st Quarter)

     With dramatized TV shows all over the place now, we have a pretty good idea of what a Medical School student goes through during their schooling and residencies. We hear about the different ups and downs of law students constantly reading tons of books and preparing for their Bar exams. However, does anybody really know what a student goes through to become an Upper Cervical Chiropractor? This was a question that was thought up by my mentor and really good friend Dr. Chad McIntyre of Triad Upper Cervical Clinic in Kernersville, NC. He wanted me to document my experiences as a student going through the 3.5 years of post-graduate work in order to become an Upper Cervical doctor. The program consists of 14 quarters (instead of 7 semesters), so I wrote a blog or diary entry before the start of every quarter reflecting on the past, present, and future. Looking back now, it cracks me up regarding what I decided to write about back then, but that’s where my mind and heart was at the time during the journey. The program consisted of many ups and downs, mountains and valleys, and a lot of sacrifice and time away from my loved ones. But, it was all worth it because now I have the blessing of bringing the power of Upper Cervical Care to anyone wanting to take control of their health in a natural, safe, and scientifically proven way of doing so. Without hesitation, this is what I wrote several years ago before my first quarter at Sherman College of Chiropractic. 

Pre 1^st quarter blog

My name is Josh D’Alessandro. I am about to embark on the journey of what is Chiropractic School. I was born in South Bend, Indiana and moved to Mooresville, North Carolina in 2002. After graduating from Lake Norman High School, I attended UNC Wilmington and received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. All of my family and friends can tell you that I am a huge sports fan and health freak. I love exercising whenever possible and am constantly trying to learn the most I can about health and wellness. As we dive into my journey as a chiropractic student, first allow me to tell you a little about my personal Upper Cervical Story.

My Upper Cervical Story

During the early summer of 2010, I was working at a car manufacturing plant for some summer cash. I was lifting heavy tarps that easily weighed over 60-70 pounds constantly from 7:00 am- 3:00 pm. After work, I would go lift weights or run with my younger brother, and also played in a men’s league softball team. This just wore down my body in a matter of two weeks and I developed a severely painful and debilitating case of sciatica. Sciatica is very common and varies in severity with every patient. It was incredibly painful to sit, twist my torso, bend down, or roll over in bed. Every day continually got worse. I was going to a full-spine chiropractor EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK, getting STEM therapy, massage, and adjusted five times per week. However, after every adjustment, it got worse and the sciatica was even more debilitating. Within a matter of weeks, I couldn’t even get out of bed without tearing up from the pain. I spent a few good hours looking for the best surgeons from all over the country who could fix this for me. By the grace of God and only the grace of God, I had heard about Upper Cervical Care before in the past. I kind of put that in the back of memory and never thought anything of it. However, in such a desperate situation and in so much severe pain; I decided to try an Upper Cervical Chiropractor before going under the knife. I drove 2 hours to get examined by Dr. Chad McIntyre of the Triad Upper Cervical Clinic in Kernersville, NC. Immediately after my first correction, my entire body started pulsating. My face felt like it was about to explode. I knew we were on to something with this so-called Upper Cervical Care. Dr. Chad was very and had a very personable way of educating me about how the Upper Cervical Subluxation affects our bodies. He made it very easy to understand that although ALL the pain was in my low back and leg, that wasn’t the problem. He showed me how the brainstem is what controls every function of our body and how all of the brain’s healing messages go down through the brainstem in order to get to the rest of the body. Acting like a switchboard operator, if there is a glitch, kink, or complication at the level of the brainstem, the body is simply going to functionally and structurally break down.  Within two days, I was bending down with ease and going up and down the stairs without hesitation for the first time in what seemed like forever. After receiving my second correction a week later, I was back to full strength. I went from not being able to tie my shoes or roll out of bed, to playing softball and running sprints within seven days from receiving my first Upper Cervical correction. It was truly a miracle. I was forever hooked and fully convinced that this is what I need to do with the rest of my life. If I can make a specific correction to help alleviate pain and suffering for ONE PERSON, this world can be a better place. For TWO PEOPLE? That would double my impact. For THREE? Triple it. I think you get the point. It would be amazing to help this world become healthier and less sick.

My pre-school thoughts consist of both excitement and nervousness. After researching all of the different schools, it was a no-brainer that Sherman College of Chiropractic was the best choice for me. The fact that I will be with the same fifteen or twenty people for about thirty hours per week sounds great. I am looking forward to building many relationships with my fellow classmates. The nervous part comes into play when dealing with the course load and time management. I got through undergraduate without too much harm done. I had to study a lot more than the average Biology student, but I put in the work and got the job done in three years. I am aware that I am going into a doctorate program and it will be very challenging and stressful for an additional 3.5 years. However, every chiropractor and chiropractic student I have ever talked to has told me while it is challenging, it is definitely rewarding. That reassurance is always helpful to hear. I am going to have to put a lot of time in and am ready for the long haul. At the same time, another piece of advice that every Sherman student has told me through Career days and tours is that “the time flies.” It seems like yesterday I was moving into my freshman dorm to begin undergraduate college. Now, I am a freshman all over again.  But, the light is at the end of the tunnel and in three and a half years, I will be able to change people’s lives on a daily basis. That makes all the hard work, nervousness, and anxiety worth it. Thank you for listening to my story, and I cannot wait to write again in three months to tell you how my first quarter as an Upper Cervical Chiropractic student turned out. 

A picture of my little brother and I graduating the same month. (Me graduating from UNCW and him graduating high school and off to Appalachian State).

God Bless,

Dr. Josh Dalessandro
www.ucwilmington.com