This past week in Sports Council, we had a guest speaker come to talk to us about life in practice. Joe Giovatto, DC, spoke about his experience running a sports practice and working for the U.S. Olympic teams. Dr. Giovatto discussed the modalities he uses in practice and how it is important to have as many tools as possible to treat patients. At NUHS, we also stress using a variety of tools when working with patients. Chiropractic adjustments are a powerful tool, but as a physician one needs to be able to do a functional assessment, use an instrument for soft tissue, adjust extremities, stretch shortened muscles, tape when necessary, and use manual muscle release techniques. 

Dr. Giovatto also spoke about working with other professionals and understanding your role in an interdisciplinary setting. I had the pleasure of speaking with him after the presentation and it turns out we are both from New Jersey and actually attended the same university. We are so lucky to have successful practitioners come and speak to us about their life in practice and in a small enough setting that we can get one-on-one time with renowned professionals in the chiropractic field.

I am happy to say my sister came to visit me this past weekend as well! It was great to see her and finally get to show someone firsthand what life is like in St. Petersburg. We did all my favorite things. While I was in clinic, she was enjoying the amenities at my apartment complex, including the pool. That night we went out to eat by the beach before heading downtown to visit the local bars. The following day I took her to the botanical gardens in Largo. Being from New Jersey, neither of us have had the pleasure of seeing such diverse gardens. The subtropical climate is perfect for all different species of plants and I was happy show her all the unique sites at one of the many parks in the area.

Later that day, we went to Madeira Beach, one of the many beautiful beaches in Pinellas County. It was overcast skies but the weather was still enjoyable. Afterwards we walked along John’s Pass boardwalk and checked out some local shops. We ended the evening back downtown for the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer game. The Rowdies won 2-0, which was a lot of fun.

The next day, I took my sister to the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts and we spent all afternoon there seeing many of the priceless pieces. My sister likes to paint in her free time and was astounded by the detail of many of the pieces. Afterwards, I took her to the Tampa airport, which is a 20-minute drive away. It was a very fun weekend. It is nice to have an international airport nearby because family and friends can easily visit from anywhere.