That exact same question pertains to why you are here in chiropractic school or the naturopathic program. Out of all the health care professions in the world, why did you choose this specific path?

The Journey Ahead

It is absolutely imperative for you to remember that initial spark, because this journey gets incredibly difficult. The schedule is brutal. Studying day in and day out is mentally and physically exhausting. There will be days when fatigue sets in, doubts creep in and you find yourself questioning if you can keep going. (I鈥檝e already asked myself this, so you’re not alone!)

Remember Your WHY

When you hit those walls, your “why” becomes your lifeline. Remembering why you started is not just a motivational phrase; it is the fuel that keeps you moving forward when willpower alone fails. You chose this path because you have a passion for healing, a unique vision for patient care, and a purpose that the world needs.

So, when the study sessions feel overwhelming, take a deep breath, say a prayer and remember. Let your “why” quiet the stress, hone your focus and give you the strength to stay the course. You are capable, you are here for a reason, and the destination will be worth every difficult step of the journey. Keep pushing forward.

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It is easy to feel overwhelmed, but this trimester is entirely survivable. I learned the hard way, so you don鈥檛 have to! Here are three essential strategies to help protect your mental health and your grades!

1)聽聽聽聽 Staying Active

As future health care providers, we know how important it is to stay physically active. Yet, when school gets busy, and it鈥檚 always busy, physical health is often the first thing students sacrifice. Keeping on top of your physical health is just as important as taking care of your mental health鈥攁nd staying active improves both.

Aiming for 10,000 steps a day is a great baseline. Hit this goal by taking a lap around campus during lunch, walking during phone calls, or pacing the hallway between lectures. A few of my classmates even invested in a walking pad so they could get their steps in while studying!

Getting your steps in provides proven physiological benefits, but more importantly, it gives you a much-needed mental break from the heavy workload.

2)聽聽聽聽 Reviewing Daily

When you finally get home after a full day of back-to-back classes, the absolute last thing you want to do is open your laptop. It feels like extra punishment. However, waiting to cram weeks of material right before an exam is a recipe for a meltdown. Speaking from experience.

I will be honest: I didn’t truly get the hang of daily review until the very end of the trimester, and I regretted waiting so long. Spending just 30 to 45 minutes every evening reviewing that day鈥檚 notes makes an enormous difference. Transitioning some of the information from short term to long-term memory. When exam week arrives, you won’t be learning the material for the first time; you will just be refreshing it. Future you will thank you.

3)聽聽聽聽 Making Non-negotiable Time for Things You Love to do

It鈥檚 easy to fall into the trap of studying, studying and more studying. But burning yourself out by week four will not help you become a better chiropractor. You must intentionally make time for the things that bring you joy outside of school.

Whether your outlet is playing sports, sitting by the pool, doing crafts, or losing yourself in a fiction book: schedule it. Treat these hobbies like mandatory appointments. I鈥檝e found that giving my brain a break from chiropractic adjustments, neurophysiology and anatomy, I was able to focus better when I returned to studying.

The second trimester is a marathon, not a sprint. It demands a lot, but by implementing daily reviews, protecting your hobbies and keeping your body moving, you can do more than just survive, you can thrive. Take it one day, one step, and one adjustment at a time!

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During my research, I found numerous studies proving the relationship between correct spinal alignment with increased strength and response time. While these studies speak for themselves, I realized that most applicants would take this exact same clinical approach. I wanted to standout, so I decided to be different. Below, I am sharing the essay I submitted. In a few weeks, I will update you to let you know if my alternative approach paid off!

鈥淔or four years, my office was the sidelines of professional and collegiate football fields. As an athletic trainer, I lived and breathed the “25/8 grind,” managing the care of athletes subjected to high-velocity trauma on a Saturday night and expected to perform at the same elite level again just six days later.

Unique Environment

In this environment, athletic trainers excel at balancing minimally invasive interventions that elicit a healing response with the management of the resulting inflammatory process. We constantly teeter on the edge of doing just enough but not too much, all to ensure these athletes are on their A-game come the following weekend. Still, I frequently hit the glass ceiling of what our care could offer.

These are athletes at the highest level of their sport, people who are in tune with their bodies almost to a fault. But who wouldn鈥檛 be when physical health is how you put food on the table? Although I primarily provided care for injured athletes, I also worked with the healthy players who were structurally sound but felt functionally inhibited. There was seemingly nothing “wrong” with them, yet they would express deep frustration when noticing their physical reaction times lagged. Within my scope of practice, I did what I could with the tools in my toolbox: utilizing manual therapy to break down tissue and designing rehabilitation programs to “reteach” those fibers how to function.

The Chiropractic Point-of-View

It wasn鈥檛 until I was speaking with a chiropractor about my frustrations regarding one of these athletes that he asked, “Have you checked their joint position?” I explained that the range of motion was good and there was no generalized pain with movement. By the end of the conversation, I asked if he would be willing to look at the athlete, and the following day he did just that. During his assessment, he discovered that the fibular head had shifted anteriorly, and he corrected this by utilizing a subtle adjustment to realign the joint. I continued with our standard treatment and rehabilitation. After practice that afternoon, the athlete turned to me and said, “That’s the best I鈥檝e felt on the field in a while.鈥�

That sentence right there is what every Athletic Trainer lives for.鈥�

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Take a deep breath. It鈥檚 going to be okay!

You are here to master chiropractic care, prepare for board examinations and gain clinical experience. Naturally, you might ask yourself, 鈥淲hy on earth do I need to add clubs to my plate?鈥� The answer is simple: chiropractic school is going to be as good as you make it. Using your lunchtime to join a club is one of the smartest investments you can make in your future career. Here鈥檚 why.

Building Your Network

The first and possibly most important reason to participate in campus clubs is the opportunity to meet students in upper trimesters and build a rapport with professors. Walking into a new school knowing absolutely no one is nerve-wracking, even for the most extroverted individuals.

By participating in clubs, you meet upper-semester students who have already survived the exact classes you are stressed about. They can offer advice on study tactics to use, show different palpation techniques, and truthfully, tips on how to stay sane. Clubs also have faculty advisors and occasional guest doctors that allow you to build professional relationships outside the formal lecture.

Developing Your “Chiropractic Hands”

Another great reason to get involved is hands-on experience. Practice makes perfect, right? Being a chiropractor is a manual job. You cannot learn the feel of a joint restriction, or the feel of muscle hypertrophy solely from a textbook.

Joining a club gives you a safe space to train your hands and provides the opportunity to palpate a range of different body types and compositions. Practicing on a classmate who is 5 ‘2 ” requires a completely different setup and leverage than practicing on someone who is 6’ 4″. Clubs allow you to make mistakes, ask questions and refine your psychomotor skills long before you ever step into the clinic.

Avoiding Burnout

Last, but not least, clubs offer a much-needed mental break. Surviving a 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. class schedule every single day for over two years is exhausting. Stepping into a club for an hour during lunch forces you to change your environment and move your body. It provides a community-driven break to actively learn, connect and re-energize. Chiropractic school is a marathon, not a sprint. If you do not take intentional breaks to enjoy the process, you risk burning out before you even cross the finish line.

Make the Most of Lunch Hour

Your time is your most valuable asset, so try not to look at it as 鈥渓osing鈥� an hour of study time. You will build a community to lean on, develop the muscle memory your future patients will rely on, and give your mind the break it desperately deserves. So, look at the club schedule this week, grab your lunch and step inside. Your future self and your future patients will thank you!

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The Art of the Journey

As I reflect on this journey, I am filled with gratitude. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, follow along and engage with my writing over the years. It has truly been a privilege to share not only the highlights, but also the challenges, the long days, the moments of doubt, the small wins, and the milestones that once felt out of reach. Writing these posts has allowed me to process my own growth while, I hope, offering something meaningful to those reading along.

If there is one thing I hope you take away from my experience, it is that progress is rarely linear, but it is always possible. With consistency, resilience, and a clear sense of purpose, even the most demanding paths can lead to incredible outcomes. Wherever you are on your own journey, trust that your effort is building toward something worthwhile.

Looking Ahead

To the future 911爆料 student bloggers: I look forward to following your stories and perspectives. This platform is a unique opportunity to reflect, connect, and leave a lasting impact. I urge you to embrace it fully. And if you ever need guidance or support, I am more than happy to help.

Thank you all once again for being part of this experience with me. This may be the end of my time as a student blogger, but it is only the beginning of what comes next.

Wishing you all continued success,

Dylan Kahn

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Education: Expanding the Understanding and Scope of the Profession.

More specifically, patient education, while a crucial part of both informed consent and good clinical practice, ensures patients understand our role in health care. This includes how and what we treat. However, it often feels as though this responsibility extends only to our patients.听听听听听听

How do we improve?

I believe this presents a significant oversight. We may not be doing an adequate job of informing our fellow practitioners on the allopathic side about what our scope and degree truly entail. As a result, physicians and nurses may not feel comfortable referring patients to us–or presenting chiropractic care as a viable option–even for those who may be excellent candidates.

I want to be clear: this gap is not always due to malice, negligence or self-interest. After working with many of the physicians and staff at MOI, I have seen firsthand how patient-centered and empathetic their care is. If even in this environment there are small gaps in understanding regarding the role chiropractic can play. I can only imagine how much greater those discrepancies may be in non-interdisciplinary settings, where allopathic and chiropractic medicine as disciplines are often completely separated.

Taking Responsibility.

For many years, stigmas surrounding chiropractic care have persisted. Often, they are unintentionally reinforced by health care professionals who may not have been introduced to the profession by chiropractic physicians themselves. It is our responsibility to help move the profession forward and ensure more people have access to chiropractic care, starting with education. How can we expect to be seen as a necessary member of a patient鈥檚 health care team if our role is not clearly understood by the other members of that team?

This is my second-to-last post as the 911爆料-Florida chiropractic student blogger. With only three weeks until I graduate, I felt it was important to reflect on this topic, as just one of the many lessons I will carry with me from my internship. Chiropractic, as a profession, is continuing to move forward through evidence-based practice and is becoming more widely accepted because of it.

With that progress comes responsibility. I urge each of you to take ownership of that responsibility. Not only by providing high-level care to your patients, but by actively educating both your patients and your colleagues. By doing so, we not only strengthen individual outcomes, but also solidify chiropractic鈥檚 role as an essential part of modern, collaborative health care.

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Preparing for the BIG DAY!

With this honor comes the responsibility of speaking at our commencement ceremony, an obligation that carries both meaning and pressure. I will be representing my cohort while addressing graduates from multiple 911爆料 programs, along with their families, loved ones, faculty and staff. Although we were fortunate to have public speaking emphasized in our business and marketing course with Dr. Freeman, which helped develop our skills, the magnitude of this moment is still, understandably, a bit daunting. This experience has led me to reflect on today鈥檚 blog topic: patient communication and public speaking.

One lesson that has been consistently emphasized throughout my education is that clinical skills alone are not enough; effective communication is just as essential. It is not only about explaining conditions or treatment plans in terms patients can understand, but also about conveying empathy through both verbal and nonverbal communication. As future practitioners, we encounter patients at all stages of pain, recovery and vulnerability. I have seen firsthand how pain and physical limitations can influence a patient鈥檚 demeanor.

For example, I have encountered new patients who initially appear disengaged, skeptical or simply eager for a quick fix to a chronic issue. In those moments, it can be easy to misinterpret their behavior. However, after a thorough evaluation, thoughtful treatment, and most importantly, when they begin to experience improvement, their entire demeanor can shift. It often feels like interacting with a completely different person. Pain can make it difficult for individuals to express warmth or openness, but that does not diminish their need, or their right, to compassionate, attentive care. And that level of care always begins with strong, intentional communication.

The Power of Words.

As I prepare to step onto the stage at commencement, I have come to realize that public speaking and patient communication are deeply connected. Both require clarity, empathy, presence and the ability to connect with an audience, whether that audience is one patient in a treatment room or an entire graduating class. This next month represents not just the end of my academic journey, but the beginning of applying these skills in a meaningful way. One takeaway I will carry forward is that how we communicate can be just as impactful as what we know. Whether in practice or on a stage, our words, and how we deliver them, have the power to inform, comfort and inspire.

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Cerebral palsy exists along a spectrum, meaning the severity and presentation can vary widely from one individual to another. While the condition is not curable, it is also non-progressive, meaning it does not worsen over time due to the underlying brain injury itself. Many individuals with cerebral palsy are able to live long, fulfilling lives, often with the help of therapy, assistive devices and lifestyle modifications. Our patient, for example, reports experiencing meaningful relief and improved function through consistent chiropractic care, which he has incorporated into his overall health routine.

The Clinical Perspective

From a clinical perspective, several of the patient鈥檚 symptoms have been particularly notable. He demonstrates spasticity with hyperreflexia, essentially tight, stiff muscles accompanied by exaggerated reflex responses. When testing these reflexes, clonus is often present, which appears as a rhythmic, pulsating contraction following the reflex stimulus. Clonus is a series of involuntary, rhythmic, muscular contractions and relaxations, usually triggered by sudden, sustained stretching of a muscle. It is a sign of nervous system damage. Observing these neurological findings firsthand has been an important reminder of how dramatically neuromuscular conditions can influence movement patterns and reflex activity.

The patient also presents with an altered gait pattern and ataxia, meaning he experiences difficulty with balance and coordination. Watching how these challenges manifest during movement has provided a valuable opportunity to think critically about functional mobility and how different neurological conditions impact everyday activities such as walking or maintaining stability. Perhaps the most interesting finding to me personally is his ability to demonstrate a positive Hoffman鈥檚 test, an orthopedic and neurological maneuver used to screen for upper motor neuron involvement. Seeing this response in a clinical setting reinforces concepts that are often discussed in lectures but rarely observed so clearly in practice.

The Importance of Patient-Physician Collaboration

Beyond the neurological findings themselves, what has made this experience particularly meaningful is the patient鈥檚 willingness to work with us. He has been incredibly generous with his time, allowing Jacob and me multiple opportunities to modify our examination procedures so they better fit his physical needs and limitations. This type of collaboration is invaluable for students learning to transition from theoretical knowledge to patient-centered care.

Experiences like this highlight an important lesson in clinical practice. It is easy to become comfortable using the same adjustments, positions, and examination routines with most patients. However, not every patient will fit neatly into those routines. Conditions such as cerebral palsy remind us that flexibility and creativity are essential skills for clinicians. Being able to adapt examinations, modify treatment positions and approach care from multiple angles ensures that we can provide effective care for a wide variety of patients.

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The Value of Clinical Rotations.

As I have previously mentioned when discussing the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) experience, we are afforded the opportunity to complete rotations and shadow other specialties within the hospital. I specifically wrote about my time observing a knee reconstruction in the operating room, but I have also been able to assist with and observe nerve conduction studies and EMGs, osteoporosis management and most recently, podiatry. These rotations have been incredible, not only for the exposure to different patient populations, but also for the opportunity to see how various specialties approach health care.

One of the true highlights of my time here has been experiencing chiropractic within a multidisciplinary setting. Every new doctor we have had the opportunity to shadow and work alongside has been both welcoming and eager to teach. This environment has led me to reflect on how essential cooperation within the health care profession truly is, and how we as chiropractors fit into that larger system.

Understanding your own scope of practice, as well as the scope of others, is imperative when making clinical decisions regarding both treatment and referrals. While I have always respected the roles we can and cannot play in patient care, and appreciated where medical or surgical interventions are necessary, these rotations have deepened that respect. They have strengthened my desire to continue learning from other physicians and specialists, as well as from mentors like Dr. Miller, even beyond graduation.

The Gift of Collaboration.

As I prepare to transition from student to doctor, I recognize that the most meaningful growth has come not just from mastering technique, but from understanding collaboration. Health care is not practiced in isolation, and the best outcomes occur when providers work together with mutual respect and shared purpose. Carrying that perspective forward will be one of the most valuable lessons I take with me from both MOI and 911爆料 as I soon transition into practice.

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Orthopedic Exams

In addition to taking patient vitals and perhaps performing relevant neurologic tests, orthopedic tests can provide some of the most valuable insight into a patient鈥檚 presenting condition and can often rule in or out what our prior verbal history may have been directing us toward. Orthopedic exams are often taught in clusters, meaning a few tests performed together can provide an adequate scan of a particular region or pathology. Here at , Dr. Miller has shown me another, perhaps even more efficient, method of performing a physical examination known as combination testing.

In school, we are taught a host of orthopedic exams, usually based on a specific region of injury or presentation. For example, we learn lumbar orthopedic exams in our lumbar examination and management class in trimester three, whereas we receive our cervical orthopedic exams in our cervical examination and management class in trimester four. What makes this particularly interesting is that there are often multiple orthopedic tests with completely different names and purposes that involve the exact same motions. The only difference between these exams is often simply the 鈥減ositive鈥� test finding.

For example, the straight leg raise (SLR), often considered a foundational orthopedic exam for chiropractors. While raising the leg into hip flexion with the knee extended may be uncomfortable for the patient, it is imperative to understand that reproduction of radicular symptoms at 30 degrees of hip flexion may indicate a nerve root lesion, while discomfort in the back of the leg at 70 degrees of hip flexion is considered 鈥渘egative鈥� for the SLR, but still provides some details involving the patient鈥檚 hamstring tension. Another great example is the portion of the slump test that involves cervical flexion. By lowering the head to the chest, this motion mirrors a multitude of orthopedic tests, including Soto-Hall鈥檚, Lhermitte鈥檚, Lindner鈥檚 and Brudzinski鈥檚 tests. These tests range in application from meningitis all the way to multiple sclerosis. By performing this maneuver during the slump test, the absence of symptom aggravation also helps rule out positives for these other exams.

The Rationale

In Dr. Miller鈥檚 article* titled 鈥�,鈥� he explains step-by-step how his version of the slump test directly mirrors several orthopedic tests, including: straight leg raising, Kernig鈥檚, Braggard鈥檚, Lindner鈥檚, Lhermitte鈥檚, Soto-Hall鈥檚, Brudzinski鈥檚, Fajersztain鈥檚, the sitting straight leg raise test and Bechterew鈥檚. By positioning the patient in this advanced manner, the absence of symptom elevation can rule out many positives in one swoop. However, should the position create pain beyond average discomfort, it becomes time for the investigative mind of the doctor to engage and break the test down into its rudimentary segments to determine which component is responsible for the pain.

This is what being a doctor is all about. Anyone can be instructed on how to position a patient. It is the understanding of how a single motion affects all of a patient鈥檚 tissues, whether joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, vasculature, or even the meningeal tract, for which we go to school. It is absolutely imperative that we take a moment to visualize how anatomy moves in unison, and while we would prefer an orthopedic exam to be specific to one pathology, it is often not that simple.

As someone once wisely said: 鈥淏e the doctor, doctor.鈥�

—

Read more about the MOI internship experience from 911爆料 alumnus Irving Leon, DC 鈥�25.

*鈥淭he slump test: Clinical applications and interpretations,鈥� was originally published in Chiropractic Technique, 漏1999 by the 911爆料 College of Chiropractic, Volume 11, No. 4, November 1999.

Photo caption: 911爆料 Florida DC student interns Dylan Kahn and Jacob Rivard outside of MOI.

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