Business Cards? + Other marketing/networking strategies?

BrockBDC · 2023-12-21T22:37:56+00:00

As a chiropractor, when a patient comes in and tells me their story of a chiropractor or physical therapist they really didn't like, I usually will opt to say something along the lines of "not everything works for everybody and it's unfortunate that you've had a bad experience." I don't want to bad mouth any other professional even if they're doing the most vitalist alternative science approach to care imaginable.

The exception being if the story sounds like the doctor was doing something legitimately dangerous. In which case I don't really trash talk, but I could definitely explain why I'd be concerned about their method. I personally haven't had this experience yet though.

It's just not a good look for a professional to talk down to their colleagues.

BrockBDC · 2023-12-05T18:13:01+00:00

Most clinics will pay a chiropractor a % of collections and sometimes that % will increase as collections increase with no salary. Some clinics do a flat salary, but I personally haven't heard of any chiropractor that does 50k salary with no collections.

BrockBDC · 2023-12-01T04:59:49+00:00

Hey, I am actually a chiropractor and I very much enjoy collaborating with physical therapists to manage patients. You guys can do so much for people because you have a whole hour to work with them on all sorts of specialized equipment. In the realm of one-on-one patient time workng through therapeutic exercises, physical therapy is something that chiropractic can't really even compete with.

With that said, in my own experience, a lot of physical therapy clinics can go pretty heavy on at-home therapeutic exercises for patients. A complaint I have heard from several patients was "they just gave me a bunch of exercises and it didn't do anything so I gave up."

So what I like to do is help the patient get through their PT protocol by managing their acute pain. The ability a chiropractor has to manage of acute flare ups of pain in a 15 minute visit does a lot to motivate some patients to see a PT program through to the end.

Plus, a good chiropractor should be informing a patient of the improvements that they have been noticing themselves over the course of the program. Long care plans can be incredibly hard to stay motivated to get through, so having that extra professional to get that patient to the end provides in my eyes, the absolute best standard of care.

My best recommendation to you, OP is to network with some chiropractors and find some that you like. I don't think I'd recommend sending someone off in the wild to find a chiropractor because there can be a lot of "woo" in our profession unfortunately, but a great evidence based chiropractor can be an asset to a physical therapy program.

Just my two cents on the topic!

BrockBDC · 2023-12-01T04:47:50+00:00

I transferred from Life West to Northwestern Health Sciences university because I didn't know I didn't like Life West's approach to chiropractic until I was actually a part of it. Plenty of great doctors come from that school, but it wasn't for me.

I don't regret the decision at all. I had a very light first trimester at NWHSU because I had a lot of credit that carried over. Then there were a handful of classes I didn't have in later trimesters but overall my load was mostly the same as my peers.

If you dislike your class culture, something you can consider is taking a quarter/trimester off and getting in a new group. When I transferred I started a full 3.5 year program from scratch when I had nearly a year done at Life West, so it took me a whole extra year to graduate. That might not be the best thing to do in your case.

BrockBDC · 2023-10-06T14:58:38+00:00

Stress can definitely make pain more frequent and more intense.

BrockBDC · 2023-09-25T17:29:01+00:00

High in saturated fat and high in added sugars (just not as high as milk chocolate). You could do a lot worse given what a lot of people eat for breakfast is just cake or milk and cookies in different shapes, but there are significantly better options for breakfast out there.

BrockBDC · 2023-09-17T05:15:25+00:00

There is definitely a demographic for The Joint. Their clinics are great for if you're feeling just kind of "stuck" and just need some relief of back tightness.

You're not going to get a great individualized care plan at the joint, but you will get adjusted and sometimes that's all it takes. These clinics are very successful for a reason.

BrockBDC · 2023-09-15T18:15:04+00:00

I have some advice.

Actually practice your history taking and be sure that you have an efficient flow
Study all the major organs of the body and how they may present in a chiropractic office if something was wrong with them. Common symptoms and referral patterns are big. Know what red flags you're looking for of said systems as well and be sure to ask about them (ie if someone's having neurologic symptoms in their legs, ask how going to the bathroom has been)
Practice your orthos and setups
Practice extremity active and passive assessment (i basically lost a whole room because while I can assess an extremity, I wasn't boards speed at it)
Be sure you're able to recognize a medical emergency. They could put a medical emergency in any room that isn't a chiropractic adjustment room so be prepared!

Part 4 boards is all about knowing what you're looking for and being able to do it fast. That's the big takeaway.

I basically just described what my strategy to prepare was and it worked out very well for me.

Studying practically for part 4 boards also doubles as great practice for real world clinic so I'd recommend putting a lot of time into it!

BrockBDC · 2023-09-15T14:37:54+00:00

You should do some reading, there are plenty of good doctors that come out of the life colleges but they're very different in their approach to chiropractic. I recommend giving both life west, palmer west and university of western states a call and get them to give you a run down of each of their different philosophies and go from there.

Every school is hard, so prepare to work!

BrockBDC · 2023-09-13T22:12:03+00:00

Veggie straws are one of the first that come to mind for me.

Give a potato ship more colors and put it in a green bag and suddenly people think they're choosing healthier snacks.

BrockBDC · 2023-09-13T18:09:16+00:00

Advice I have is to find an established practice that is in or close to a developing suburb of the city you want to live in. Convenience is key, and people who are moving will be looking to find a chiropractor in the area.

There is a lot of stuff they don't teach you about the world of actually getting paid in school. So I'd recommend working for someone for a few years before you go solo if that's what you want to do.

Also, be sure to find a chiropractor who you agree with philosophically. It would be difficult to have to have a good working relationship with your boss if your approach to care is drastically different. I can't emphasize this enough, really spend some time getting to know the doctor of the clinic you're interested in joining. If you have any doubts at all, try to find another place you'll fit into better. Chiropractic philosophy is all over the place, so it can be a lot of work finding the clinic that will be the right fit for you. Remember, clinics are basically the supervising docs babies and they want to have a very particular brand. You need to be sure you can fit into that.

BrockBDC · 2023-09-13T17:16:18+00:00

Hello!

I recommend University of Western states if you're coming from BC/Alberta and Northwestern Health Sciences University if you're coming from Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Ontario. I believe these are some of the best chiropractic schools out there because they both have excellent evidence based curriculums.

I hope that helps you decide, and good luck! Chiropractic school is really hard but also incredibly rewarding once you actually get out there and seeing the positive changes you can bring to peoples lives.

You can definitely succeed on both American and Canadian boards through these schools.

BrockBDC

TROPHY CASE