An important advantage of National University’s Florida site is its ability to offer unique opportunities for DC students to work together with students and faculty from a wide variety of health specialties.

In Florida, NUHS is part of the University Partnership Center (UPC) at St. Petersburg College (SPC). The partnership brings together multiple universities for networking and resource sharing, including universities with diverse health education programs.

For example, NUHS recently invited SPC EMS/paramedic students into its cadaver lab for a collaborative learning experience. NUHS demonstrated cadaveric dissection, while faculty from both programs demonstrated emergency endotracheal intubations and cricothyroidotomy procedures for both DC and EMS students.

DC and EMS students also drill together in emergency response simulations with standardized patients. The patient simulates an emergency condition, and the NUHS students must complete an initial history and intake and transfer care to the EMS students who then transport the patient to the hospital.

While NUHS has its own exclusive curriculum and facilities for its DC program, DC students from NUHS share educational and clinical experiences with other professions in a wide variety of ways:

• DC interns provide pre-entry physicals for students in the nursing, EMS/paramedic and medical assistant programs.
• DC students give presentations to nursing and dental hygiene students on proper lifting techniques, injury prevention, posture and ergonomics, in addition to an overview on complementary and alternative medicine.
• NUHS offers cadaver-lab workshops to students at SPC/UPC students twice a year, hosting 250-300 students each session.
• NUHS students, faculty and staff attend inter-professional lunch and learn events with students and faculty in physician assistant, nursing, dental hygiene, EMS, respiratory therapy and radiography programs. NUHS is often a presenter for these events.

“Being part of the UPC here at St., Petersburg College allows us to offer these unique opportunities,” says Dr. Daniel Strauss, dean of the College of Professional Studies at NUHS in Florida.

“This interaction between so many health education programs allows students to understand what each other’s strengths are, and what roles each serves in the delivery of health care. NUHS is using this unique opportunity to help educate other mainstream health professionals about chiropractic medicine and the role DCs can play on an effective health care team.”