This morning, I sit at my spot by Lake Janse and watch my
classmates walk into their last few exams as I do a small
walkthrough of my last final for the trimester, Minor Surgery.
I think of all the preparation, stress, notes, charts, diagrams,
decision trees, memorizing, practicals, dissecting, adjusting
lab...ahhh! Adjusting?!?! I'm going to be a ND, why in the
world do I need to know how to adjust somebody?!?! This was
something I heard, and even said, early in my education here at
NUHS, a historically chiropractic school.
Well, as things turned out, adjusting was highly important for
me to remember in my first trimester as an intern. Three of my
patients required manual adjustments along with physiotherapeutic
treatments (ultrasound, etc.) and soft tissue (i.e. muscle, tendon,
etc.) manipulation. As a result, I was forced both to remember and
to go back to dig through old notes on modalities I thought I would
rarely, if ever, use in my practice.
The extensive therapy that these patients each needed to return
them to a basis for health included physical medicine, part of the
naturopathic therapeutic order, as well as some supplements and
analgesics specific to their needs.
My patients, through their needs, visits and therapies, helped
me to complete my physical medicine and manipulation requirements
for graduation in my first trimester in clinic! These are
modalities that are typically completed much later in the
naturopathic internship. My physical medicine patients this
trimester have taught me a number of invaluable lessons.
- Pay attention in the early manual adjusting classes here at
NUHS.
- Keep your notes and procedures from the early manual adjusting
classes.
- Work with a chiropractic student when studying for adjusting
practicals (and offer to study with the chiros for Botanical
Medicine classes, where ND students are more engaged).
- Mostly, in your early career here at NUHS, remind yourself to
be prepared for ANY patient that walks through the door. You may
not know the specifics, yet you can get a good foothold on the
complaint and be prepared to take it on if you apply a "big
picture" view, even when the classes are information specific.
My experience with the physical medicine aspect of our training
here has given me a bit to think about over this coming break and
in the coming months. I am now considering, considering mind you,
pursuing a chiropractic degree upon completing my naturopathic
training here at NUHS. I feel that having both degrees will give me
a more complete tool kit to offer patients as a Natural Medicine
Primary Care Provider. Of course, time and financial resources are
considerations in that "consideration."

Finally, I feel it's important to mention that this past week
was President Joseph Stiefel's first graduation ceremony at NUHS. I
enjoy sharing a "Good Morning" and short conversation with Dr.
Stiefel as we pass on his walk from his home to his office each
morning. In the photo, each of us is getting a "dry run" on the
graduation portrait--his for about 200 graduate photos at the
ceremony and mine for roughly 8 months from now. I enjoyed seeing
him speak to our graduates and their families and am proud to have
Dr. Stiefel as our new President. (Small trivia fact: Dr. Stiefel's
wife, Dr. Holly Furlong, was the very first blogger for NUHS.)
So, with only two trimesters to go (or possibly more if I return
for the chiropractic doctorate), I am looking back at what I have
learned, what I need to brush up on and explore new skills for my
future practice. This is what I will think about when traipsing
over the mountain trails back home over the next two weeks. Until
then, may the rest of your summer be relaxing, fulfilling, and help
you make the decisions you need to guide your future in the proper
direction for you.