Hello all, hope everyone's weekend was a relaxing one. Last week
finally concluded nearly three weeks of midterms for us. It was a
stressful three weeks, filled with just about everything but sleep
and free time, but we got through it and now look ahead to
finals.
(L-R)
Guy Reshamwala, Brandon Fields (Trimester 5 student), and myself at
the SACA meeting.
I've spoken before how National's focus on the sciences and
clinical application of our skills tends to set it apart from most
other chiropractic schools, but these aren't the only tools
National teaches us to succeed. As far as I know, National is one
of the only institutions that focuses on the business end of our
profession throughout the curriculum as well. It is very easy to
get lost in the incredible amount of clinical knowledge and skills
we are amassing from trimester to trimester, and forget about an
extremely important part of our lives after school--making money.
Everyone that gets into the medical field has that underlying urge
to help people, unfortunately, a good heart and good intentions
don't often pay the bills.
This trimester's gambit of classes includes a business marketing
class, which is preparing us, and forcing us to think about what
kind of practice we want to open. Are you going to have a cash
practice? How about sports medicine driven clinic? Is pediatric
chiropractic something you are interested in? What is going to set
your clinic apart from all the others in your area? We will be
physicians when we graduate NUHS, but we will also have to be
business people and small business owners as well.
The best advice I can offer here is to do your research! It's
never too early to scout the area you plan to practice in. Begin to
notice the major demographics of the area, and then start to focus
on a field of care for them. Seek out some chiropractors in the
area that have successful practices, and try to spend some time in
their offices.
I personally I have three docs in my area that I cycle through
and work with for a few days here and there during our breaks. This
is not a profession for the shy. The saying, "It's not what you
know, but who you know," does pertain to an extent. Try it out;
you'd be surprised how much you can learn from other people's
experiences.
Have a great week. The MLB all-star game is Tuesday; be sure to
cheer on the reps from the Tampa Bay Rays!
Take care,
Dex