With the conclusion of Trimester 8, I have finished my lecture and lab coursework at National University of Health Sciences. Over the two-week break between trimesters 8 and 9, I had clinic three days per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday just like during the trimester.
Over the weekend of the first week of break, two of my colleagues and I attended the Florida Chiropractic Association’s National Convention in Orlando, Florida. This was the second year in a row I attended the convention and it did not disappoint. There were many influential doctors lecturing, and I attended lectures regarding sports rehabilitation, nutrition, research, and management of internal disorders. I also took a photo with one of my favorite former NUHS professors, Dr. David Seaman who is now teaching postgraduate full time and promoting his own line of supplements through Anabolic Labs.
The following week, I used two personal days on Wednesday and Friday before returning to clinic on Tuesday for Trimester 9. With Wednesday, Friday and Monday off for Labor Day, I had six days off in a row and I used it to take a trip out to the Grand Canyon.
I flew into Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday morning and drove 6 hours to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I woke up the next morning and began my run at 4:30am. I ran rim-to-rim, which is 24 miles in 10 hours. The top of the Grand Canyon is over 8,000 feet above sea level. This could pose a problem for someone with altitude sickness. Prior to this trip I have never been to such a high elevation so I was unsure if I would get altitude sickness or not, so I decided to find out what supplements would help if I was so unlucky. I supplemented with Gingko Biloba, an herb we learned about in botanical medicine. There are some research studies that provide evidence that Gingko Biloba may help prevent altitude sickness. I didn’t suffer from altitude sickness during my adventure. I am not sure if the Gingko Biloba helped but it certainly didn’t hurt.
I went rim-to-rim in 10 hours with an elevation change of 10,700 feet, as the top of the north rim is 8,300 feet, the bottom of the canyon is 2,200 feet, and the top of the south rim is 6,800 feet. It was an intense run, probably the most intense run I have ever done.
I returned to Florida the following week to begin clinic full time. It is really exciting that I will only be treating patients now. This trimester I have parts 3, 4, and Physical Therapy, of the National Board of Chiropractic Exams. I will also discuss how I manage life in the clinic and the lessons I learn.
Thank you for reading my blog, if you have any questions about student life at NUHS please email me at [email protected].
0 Comments