The College provides us with a wonderful foundation to begin a career as a chiropractor, but many of us are apprehensive about the prospect of moving from the academic world into the real world. By chronicling my post-graduation experience, I  hope to provide valuable lessons for students and new doctors preparing to enter the profession. See you on the web!

August 15, 2008:

Graduates of Cleveland Chiropractic College have a variety of career paths available to them. Some new doctors immediately open their own practice; and others become an associate working for an established doctor. Another possibility you may wish to consider is the Preceptorship Program.

What is a Preceptorship?

The Preceptorship Program provides an opportunity for the student or graduate (the intern) work side-by-side with a field doctor (the preceptor). The college offers two forms of the program: the Regular Preceptorship Program and the Extended Preceptorship Program.

How do the programs differ?

Regular Preceptorship Program
Cost: None
Eligibility: For interns enrolled in their final trimester
Length of program: A minimum of four weeks and a maximum of eight weeks.

This option is available to students in their final trimester who have completed all coursework and all clinic requirements and who are in good academic standing. The student must have the approval of the College to participate.

Extended Preceptorship Program.
Cost: $500 (Financial aid may be available)
Eligibility: For interns enrolled in their final trimester
Length of the program: a minimum of 12 weeks and a maximum of 15 weeks.

This option adds an extra trimester. You will walk the stage with your graduating class in the graduation ceremony, however, your student status will be maintained and your official date of graduation will be delayed until you have completed the program. You will receive your diploma at the conclusion of your internship approximately 16 weeks later. For the additional trimester, you will receive financial aid. Check with Caprice Calamaio at ext. 1733 to find out how much you are eligible to receive.

Why should I participate?

There are several reasons why you may wish to participate in Extended Preceptorship Program. In addition to the reasons listed above, it can be a great way to buy yourself some extra time if you are unsure of what your post graduation plans are, or if you have remaining portions of the board exams to complete after graduation. Delaying the onset of student loan payments by one trimester is a nice way lowers your stress level as you sort through the next steps! Also, you can benefit from having the additional financial aid money to help start your practice. Participating in the extended preceptor ship program can be an excellent way to continue your education beyond the classroom setting and I encourage anyone who is not quite sure about their direction, to see if it is right for you. For more information on the program contact Dr. Larry Beem at ext. 4852.

June 12, 2008:

Hello and welcome to my blog! So, you're a student at CCC and you're working hard to pass your classes and board exams. On the weekends you might go out with friends if you don't have to study, and if you have some tri money left. Graduation seems like it's forever away, and so does being a working chiropractor. This is a very typical student experience, at least it was for myself and many of my classmates. As I put on my cap and gown to graduate, I reflected back on all of the fantastic experiences I had while at Cleveland, and on all the wonderful friends I had made. I thought of all the hard work I had put in to get this far, and I swelled with a sense of pride at what I had accomplished! But I was also shocked at how quickly the time had passed and I was increasingly aware that the next phase of my life would be quite different. I wasn't worried though, because I knew exactly what the next phase would be like since I had planned my post-graduation experience while still a student.

So what can you do now to position yourself for success when you graduate? When I asked myself this question several years ago, I was reminded of one of the tenets listed in Stephen Covey's book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People" to "begin with the end in mind." In other words, when you begin any task in life, such as cleaning your room, getting in shape or beginning a career, you will be much more successful if you start by knowing what you want the end result to be. You assess that your room is dirty and you work to clean your room with the goal of having a neat, organized living space. Any personal trainer will tell you that assessing your current level of fitness and setting fitness goals are the essential first steps to getting in shape. Goals guide your daily actions, and give you a way to measure your progress.

The goal of becoming a successful chiropractor is even more important! After all, you're investing a huge amount of time and money into it. Start by asking some basic questions: How well do you know yourself? Are you a people person, or more business minded? Do you want to own your own practice or be an associate? Do you want to practice in a big city or a small town? Do you want to do only manual adjustments or activator only? The list goes on and on, but the earlier you can figure these kinds of things out, the more time you will have to plan. Consider taking an on-line personality survey to help you find out more about yourself!

In my next blog entry, I will discuss the preceptorship program at CCCKC. Until then, onward and upward!

Richard Day is an April 2008 graduate of CCCKC. Sending e-mail to everydaychiro@gmail.com is the best way to reach him.

Referenced Links:

Summary of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"

Personality Inventory Test