Cleveland Chiropractic CollegeKansas City

Here at Cleveland, like the majority of chiropractic colleges, students attend school year round. The ‘trimester’ schedule is used to promote an efficient four year graduation plan.Students do receive two weeks off three times per year, and also a one week spring break.

Although students don’t get a ‘summer vacation,' the Cleveland staff does put on some fun activities for students during the year. Last week was the Welcome Back Barbeque, which was hosted on campus.  Students had a great time catching up with friends and enjoying some good food. Photos have been uploaded to the Cleveland Facebook ...

It's that time of year again! Time to apply for a Campus Ambassador position!

I can't believe that I've been a CA for almost a year! It seems like I just started. Being a Campus Ambassador has been such a blessing but it has come with a few challenges as well.

Even though I don't mind public speaking I still get really nervous before each event. But when each event is over I always feel that I have overcome my fears and that not only makes me a better person, but helps me to be a ...

Although my class schedule may seem light compared to previous trimesters, I am busier than ever at the Helth Center. Each new patient needs a physical and that may take up to four hours depending on how many complaints they have. But, overall, I like the challenge of trying to figure out what’s going on with patients. The most exciting part is correlating their symptoms to a finding on a film. I like educating patients in regards to what I think is going on and how chiropractic care can help improve their condition. 

My goal this trimester is to ...

After working so hard, we all deserve to have a little break from school. A lot of my friends are traveling during the break.  I’m not planning on doing any traveling during the first half of my break. I’m going to spend that time here and treat a couple patients at the outpatient clinic. Not only will I treat patients, but I also have a few outpatient physicals. 

During the second half of my break, I plan to go back home. I cannot believe that I have not been home since January. Whenever I go back, I usually ...

I went to my first community health event this past weekend and I really enjoyed it. Cleveland Chiropractic College had a table and it was full of interns from the college (most of them were in my class). I went there not really knowing what to expect. While I was at the event, I was amazed at how many individuals were willing to stop by the table and learn more about chiropractic. I met a few individuals who were tired of taking their medication because all their medication did was take their symptoms away for a short period of time ...

Finals...I kinda feel like the Jaw's theme song should be playing as I write this. But, in all seriousness finals aren't really that bad. For me, it's mostly the nerves before I take my final that are the problem.

The best thing about finals is that after you are finished you get to go on break! I haven't yet decided what I'm going to do with all my free time. But the fact that it will be spent outside a classroom is very exctiting. Just got to push a little bit more and I ...

Last week the College celebrated National Public Health Week. The theme this year was “Join the Movement!” Each day in the dining hall students participated by submitting a healthy checklist to show their support and commitment to a healthier lifestyle, and also to win some great prizes. Poster presentations from the Public Health class were displayed each day covering various topics of healthy living.  

This is only one of many events at Cleveland that celebrates healthy living. If you’re looking into a career as a Doctor of Chiropractic, please come to campus to learn more about why a healthy ...

This week is usually tough because it’s full of exams and quizzes from most of our classes. It can be a stressful time for all of us but the upside is we are closer to end of the trimester. Luckily, our finals do not start until next Thursday so that gives us a fairly decent amount of time to start preparing for those. 

This weekend I will not be concerned too much with preparing for finals. I’m excited because I will have the opportunity of attending my first chiropractic healthcare screening event. During this event, we will meet ...

Finals are just around the corner. I can't believe it's that time again. I think this trimester went by faster than any other but that's probably because of Board exams. I haven't got my scores back yet, but I feel that I have accomplished so much this tri.

That's one of the things I love about school, the feeling of accomplishing my goals. There are times when school can be a little overwhelming, but then when you are past the storm you realize that you are capable of accomplishing your goals and your confidence increases ...

Of course chiropractors treat low back pain, headaches and that kink in your neck, but what about those achy wrists and ankles? Well, if you don't already know, let me tell you that doctors of chiropractic will gladly treat any arm or leg that ails you, fingers and toes included.

This weekend, the students at Cleveland will have the opportunity to attend a seminar focused on the art and science behind adjusting the extremities. Dr. Charrette will show us several advanced protocols to treat your "bum knee" or that "tennis elbow."

One of the many perks of this seminar ...

I sometimes think back to my first year of school here and I think to myself: “Wow. I had so much going on.” Your first year in school is full of lecture classrooms and labs associated with a plethora of basic science material that you need to pass part I of boards. Hence, with such a vast amount of material to memorize in various subjects, it’s common to feel overwhelmed. My only advice is to just keep going because as you progress through the curriculum, your classes will focus more on diagnosing and treating patients. 

By the time I ...

This past weekend I attended the ICPA seminar Perinatal Care: Webster Certification. This seminar was taught by Jeanne Ohm, DC. I would highly recommend this seminar to anyone who is interested in caring for pregnant women.

The Webster Technique is a diversified technique that is used to analyze and adjust the sacrum. Dr. Ohm uses this technique on every pregnant woman that comes into her office. What I really liked about this technique was that it was so simple to learn and to perform. I feel that it will be a valuable tool in my own practice one day.

The ...

Registration was March 19-23, and for some of us here at Cleveland that means picking electives for the next trimester. Cleveland offers a great variety of electives and it can be difficult to pick which one you want to take.

Last trimester I took Thompson Technique with Dr. Agocs. It was such an interesting class and I'm really glad I took it because I feel that it will benefit me not only here but later when I have my own practice. This trimester I'm taking Graston Technique. This technique is a soft tissue techniqe that most patients really ...

My break was primarily spent on studying for board exams. After I was done with my last board exam, I felt so relieved. Preparing for boards can sometimes be more stressful than actually taking them because of the vast amount of material that we have to study. But it pays off when you recognize questions on the board exam from your board review book. Overall, I felt like the board reviews did fairly well in preparing us for most of the exam. 

Besides studying for boards, I also had the opportunity to spend some time with my wife. The most ...

I coach wrestling at a local high school and I’m loving it! I grew up wrestling and wasn’t able to wrestle in college because I broke my collarbone during my senior year of high school. I ended up playing football and running track at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan. Those were a few good years, but now I’m back on the mat. For me, wrestling is a huge stress reliever, but not so much for my wife. I had always talked about how tough it looks to have cauliflower ear and she doesn’t understand why ...

Life can be pretty unexpected. It's full of all kinds of surprises. But I think that's what makes it great. Not really knowing what's going to happen makes it more like an adventure.

Just recently my husband expressed to me his desire to join the Air Force JAG after he graduates from law school. Well, I certantly never saw that coming. So, what does this mean for me as a future chiropractor? I don't think it really changes anything actually, because everywhere you go people need a chiropractor.

That's actually one of the reasons that ...

Cleveland Chiropractic College works hard in keeping the school up to date with today's ever-advancing technology. Most likely, many of you have already liked or become a friend of the college's Facebook page, but have you viewed Cleveland's YouTube channel?  You can find videos of Dr. Cleveland III (our school president), Dr. Jeff Spencer (our keynote speaker at homecoming 2011), student testimonials and much more!

Our newest online venture is the Twitter account for Cleveland College Admissions. Follow admissions and get notified when we come to your school, and get updates about admissions requirements, activities and other ...

I cannot believe that our board reviews start Wednesday afternoon. My class will be reviewing material for Part II, Part III and PT (physical therapy). I am glad that these board reviews are given on campus. Due to these reviews, I will not have any of my classes that normally meet throughout the day.   

I’ve had a number of people ask me: “Do board reviews help?”  Last year, I found the review to be very helpful.  Specifically, it helped me focus on my weaknesses.  Hence, I hope to do the same this year.   

For the past 2ish years I have been in denial. We all know that at some point we will have to take the Nations Board Exams, but knowing is different than the realization that it is about to happen.

The board reviews are this weekend. I will be going to review for Part I. I really can't believe that I have made it to this point. Time has really flown, it seems like yesterday I was begining Tri I.

But even though I am nervous about taking Part II have gotten so much encouragement from the upper Tri students ...

The keys to success are in your hands! Chiropractic is a field that has so much variety in methods with one common goal in mind: facilitating healing. There are many different schools of thought on what works best which continually changes as technology and research uncover new secrets to unlocking the complexity of the human body. Our student loans cover costs of extracurricular activities like seminars on more specific techniques, nutrition, and broad-scoped chiropractic. This weekend is part II of my very first seminar and I am pumped! It’s great to apply what we learn here at CCC.

"Hi, I'm a Mac. And I'm a PC." This unforgettable phrase was the infamous tagline of the televised battle between Apple and Microsoft. These two tech giants continue to fight over customers all over the world.

So, are you a Mac or PC? 

Here at Cleveland Chiropractic College you can find all kinds of devices: Macs, PCs, iPads, Android tablets, and of course the classic blue-lined paper and a trusty #2. Why the diversity? At CCC, all course material is made available to students via the internet. Through campus wifi or at home students can login to their ...

I haven't always liked babies, I have always preferred children who can talk to me and tell me what they need. But last March and again this November I became an aunt and my perspective changed!

As I have spent time with my niece and nephew I have realized how wonderful babies are and I also realized that I really have a passion for little ones. That's why I am so excited that the ICPA seminars are coming to Cleveland. Pregnant mothers and children need chiropractic care just as much as adults do and yet most people don ...

Back to school and I’m already facing a crisis! My wife started school here at Cleveland. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to see her around every day. The problem is that we are very competitive. The first thing I hear is how she’s gonna get better grades than me. That’s just not fair. She’s a better student already and has her bachelor's in science (mine is in accounting). I want to do all I can to help her succeed in her classes, but if it’s gonna get rubbed in my face ...

It feels like my break went by so fast. When I went back home, I had the opportunity of working at the dairy. Besides earning a little extra spending money, it was a great opportunity for me to touch bases with my old co-workers. But, before I knew it, I was back at Cleveland starting my next set of classes. 

I’m really excited about this trimester. I just completed all my pre-requisites required to move on from Student Clinic. This means that I can start seeing individuals from the Health Center. Speaking of which, I am really excited because ...

It would be so nice to be on a beach somewhere sipping a drink with a little pink umbrella in it instead of starting to study for my first board exam. I can't believe that I am finally at this point in the DC program. It seems like just yesterday I started here at Cleveland. It is hard to believe that I'm half way done with my education!

This realization is both exciting and at times overwhelming. It is exciting because soon I will be in the student clinic putting to practice all that I have learned so ...

After a semester of being in the student clinic, I feel like I learned a lot. It feels like yesterday when I was treating my first patient in the clinic. I must admit, I was little nervous because everything was so new to me. There is a lot of paperwork involved with treating patients and I was fairly new to it all. But as time progressed, I became more comfortable in the clinic and I suddenly felt more at ease. I know where most of the paperwork is at, and I have become familiar with most of the protocols. By ...

My chiropractic career started in high school, but I didn’t know it. I’ve always been big on hugs and recently saw a study on how hugs stimulate the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin is a hormone that is speculated to have many constructive effects on the body. Google it!

I wrestled in high school so every man hug I gave I felt the need to give the guy a good squeeze so he knew I was the dominant male…(that’s what psychologists would argue), but I really did it to see if I could make them gasp for ...

As I sit here a few weeks from graduating, I reflect back on the last few years here at Cleveland Chiropractic College. I see myself walking through the doors for the first time, with butterflies in my tummy and excitement running through my veins. I always knew I wanted to be a chiropractor, but to see it unfold in front of my eyes was amazing. One class, one professor, one trimester at a time we worked our way through the halls of CCCKC. The best way I can explain it to anyone is a rollercoaster. They are a blast to ...

With the help of an accounting consultant and private-company data provider, Forbes assembled a list of the 20 most profitable small businesses in America for 2011. The offices of chiropractors made the list at #2, beating out dentists (#5), orthodontists (#7), optometrists (#12) and physical therapists(#19)! 

Chiropractors come in just 1% behind certified public accountants (#1) for profitability. I guess it’s no surprise many Americans are more concerned about their wallet than their health. Even so, chiropractors in America enjoy a hefty 15.3% profit margin. 

It’s no mystery why DCs can turn such a high profit ...

This past Tuesday, I had the pleasure of traveling back to K-State in order to give a presentation to students who were interested in CCC. The first thing I thought about when I stepped on campus was: “I can’t believe it has only been two years since I graduated from here.”  Seeing the other undergrad students hanging out at the union brought back a plethora of memories; they included bowling with my fraternity, attending club meetings, and listening to mariachi music (lol it's true).

Anyway, on to my story about the students I met. It turns out, I ...

Ever since I started chiropractic college and started eating well, I have gotten a cold maybe twice. Last week was the first I’ve heard of Drive-Thru Vaccination Clinics. Then I thought: what good has ever come out of anything “drive-thru"? The Golden Arches, overpriced coffee, alcohol, Krispy Kreme, etc. (Although, one could argue a glazed donut from Krispy Kreme does more emotional good than physical harm.)

Vaccinations seem great in theory, but they may be causing more harm than good. Like most issues, money is a big influence on whether or not corporations or the government backs vaccinations. They ...

Hail to the Chiefs!

On Halloween night the Chiefs of Kansas City claimed victory over the San Diego Chargers. The Chiefs are now tied for first place in the AFC West! 

After losing their first three games of the regular season, the Chiefs finally kicked off their four-game winning streak by beating the Minnesota Vikings. What made the difference, from 3 Ls to 4 Ws? Cleveland Chiropractic College, of course! That’s right, Oct. 2 was CCC Day at Arrowhead, giving all Cleveland students an opportunity to invade the stadium and root for the first win of the season. Cleveland ...

This Friday we have our DC Discovery Day (which is basically an open house). We have these all throughout the year and it’s a great time for our visitors to become familiar with our campus. The routine for our DC Discovery Day is a little different than our usual routine. Perhaps the biggest difference is that visitors will have the opportunity to listen to a guest speaker who graduated from CCC.    

 Perhaps the best part of all is lunch. I like this time because I get the opportunity to connect with some of the individuals who visit the campus ...

Two weekends ago I was able to go home and visit my family for my mother's birthday. I always look forward to going home, I miss my family a lot but I also like the excuse to not study and take a little break for once! I also like that I'm able to get away from school and recharge from the hetic schedule that we keep. It also gives my an opportunity to talk to my family and friends about what I'm studying in my classes. It seems that the further I get in school the more ...

This week was a success academically. I had my first Nutrition (aka Biochem III) exam and dominated it! It's one of my favorite classes thus far in the DC program. The only down side is that research is forever finding the latest and greatest enzymes, discovering adverse effects to something previously thought to be beneficial, and changing the whole paradigm of a “healthy diet.” That being said, textbooks take years to write and professors are torn between teaching ideas that the government wants us to believe or teaching what current research has proven to actually be good for us ...

Where did the last two weeks go?! I think the expression "running around like a chicken with its head cut off" explains exactly how I feel. Between all the tests, quizes, Homecoming, my birthday, and planning to go home for a quick visit life just got away from me.

I think it is important to remember that while we are students here at Cleveland our lives don't stop. We just get better at planning and time management. (Or at least we try to be better.) It's so important to take time out for yourself during the week. Even ...

Kinesio-what?

I couldn’t even spell that two years ago. With a background in accounting I entered a world where they spoke an entirely different language. I’ve read that the best way to learn a foreign language was immersion, so that’s exactly what I did.

CCC offers a plethora of clubs from Motion Palpation to Animal Chiropractic. Getting involved in a club was the best decision I made when I started at CCC. When I first started my prerequisite classes I went to MPI (Motion Palpation Institute) and went to every single meeting. I had no idea what ...

I’m currently taking a course on CPR and emergency methods and it has been quite fun so far. Our instructor mentioned to us that as future doctors, we will be held to a higher standard. Hence, we have to be prepared in case of an emergency.  When somebody is in need of help, they yell: “Is there a doctor around?” We will fall under that category in the future and others will expect us to know how to perform life-saving emergency methods.

The American Heart Association (AHA) is responsible for setting all the guidelines we are learning about in ...

Round 1 of tests is almost over. We had three tests this week and I made it out alive. Whew! It may not have felt like it when I was fighting to stay awake to study, but this week went by fast. I realize that it’s only Thursday but it’s kind of Friday because tomorrow is Homecoming here at CCC. Instead of having regular classes, the school brings in speakers for the day. We get to listen to a variety of presentations about health and science all geared toward chiropractic. Homecoming lasts all weekend and we can attend ...

I recently went to a regional college night where I had the opportunity to meet a lot of high school students.  Talking to them reminded me of what it was like when I was in their shoes.  I remember I hated when family members would ask me: “Where are you going after you graduate?”  I dreaded the question because I was looking at more than one place.  Similarly, some of the students I talked at the college night were having trouble deciding where they wanted to go.

Regardless of what road we took, we suddenly find ourselves here at CCC ...

This is my favorite time of year! I love fall. The trees changing colors, football, the weather getting cooler, and pumpkin flavored everything. It all just makes me so happy!

The other thing I love about fall is Homecoming. This will be my second Homecoming here at Cleveland. Last year's was very interesting and I learned a lot about all the different personalities that make up a workplace and what to look for when hiring employees.

This year's Homecoming promises to be just as interesting. There will seminars all weekend long that focus on sports and chiropractic. This ...

Class is cancelled! Music to my ears. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it makes my day. I’m in trimester 3 of 12 and there is so much that needs to get done. I can’t imagine being in the 10-trimester program. I did tri 1 of 10 and it was a lot to handle, but I was able…and single. Now that I’m married and have to consider my wife’s schedule, I have to be home more often and have more responsibilities. The people doing 10 trimesters work extra hard. Most of them ...

It's true, I bleed orange. I graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in nutrition. I absolutely love OSU. So when I got the opportunity to go back to my alma mater and talk to students about Cleveland I jumped at the chance!

It was a long five-hour drive to Stillwater, Okla., but it was completely worth it. Tracy from the Admissions Office came as well and we got to talk to a class of about 35 students. We told them about the College and about all that chiropractic has to offer as a ...

Hello all! My name is Ashton and I have lived in Overland Park now for almost two years. They have been crazy, exciting, sad, rewarding, amazing years and it all came about because I chose to come to Cleveland!

Coming from a small town in Oklahoma I knew that Kansas City would feel big and a little scary, so I was suprised to find that I really love it here. Starting the DC program was so overwhelming but I have met so many wonderful friends that have inspired and encouraged me.  

About a year ago my grandmother was diagnosed with ...

Personally, I was really excited before I started school.  I was eager to learn, and I wanted to make some new friends. One of my favorite classes in Tri 1 was Spinal Anatomy lecture/lab. I really liked the way we had the opportunity to apply what we had learned in lecture during our lab time. Specifically, lab was exciting because it was my first time working with cadavers.  Besides Spinal Anatomy, I also enjoyed Technique 1 because it helped me work on palpating various structures of the spine.   

If I could go back and give myself some advice, it ...

Where have the past 12 months gone? That’s right, my name is Eric Walker and I’m a Tri 4 student in the DC program at Cleveland Chiropractic College; one year come and gone.

Having lived in Provo, Utah, for the majority of my life, my idea of Kansas was Dorothy, Toto and tornadoes.  Fortunately, a full year in Overland Park has changed my point of view. Aside from the tasty barbecue, Kansas City sports and Worlds of Fun, the people here are remarkably friendly, especially the students at Cleveland. My peers have set high goals for themselves, and ...

To me it’s not homework unless it’s due tomorrow. Procrastination is widespread across every level of school in every culture. Who wants to study when the Monday Night Football is on?

This Friday I have my first exam in Extremities. I intended on studying a few hours this weekend to prepare, but I fell short of that goal. It seems to be a recurring theme in my academic career.

The classes here at Cleveland usually have a ton of material per test which means you have to start studying a week prior to a test at least. Cramming ...

I need to catch up on some sleep! This week has been very busy. Usually around the third or fourth week of the trimester things start to pick up the pace. The material is no longer intros or reviews, and the first round of quizzes and tests begins to roll around.

My softball team recently got back from Panama City Beach, Fla., where we were playing in a big tournament. We drove both ways and I did not get much sleep. Sleep is extremely important for your brain to stay happy. Without sleep, it is harder to focus and retain ...

A common question that prospective students ask is: How much time do you have between trimesters? I tell them that we are on break for roughly two weeks (give or take a few days). Because we go to school all year, we are on a rigorous schedule. Although two weeks go by really fast, it’s not that bad going to school year- round. That means we can graduate within roughly three years. If we had summers off, we would graduate in roughly four years rather than three. Hence, I’m kind of glad it’s set up the way ...

Moving forward with the Q&A series… A common question I often am asked as a student intern is, “So do you have any advice on diet/nutrition to help me with my (you-name-it) condition? And the answer of course is… YES! Here at CCC you go through an extensive course curriculum of biochemistry (looking at the intricacies of how our body utilizes carbs, lipids and proteins for fuel), nutrition (going through healthy food sources), and finally clinical nutrition (where you can begin to learn specific recommendations for diseases, ailments, and conditions). In addition to eating a healthy, lean diet ...

It’s always exciting when I meet someone for the first time. In particular, I enjoy meeting new people when they come to visit campus. The most exciting part is giving them a tour!  I enjoy showing them the various rooms throughout campus and sharing my experiences with them.  Usually, the tour lasts an hour and it’s followed by a good meal. I enjoy the meal because it's more relaxing than the tour because we can talk about anything.  

I remember the first time I came to CCC. It was on a Friday morning and the campus was ...

Continuing with the Q&A series, the next question I’m often asked as a student intern is, “So I’ve heard that chiropractors just pop the back right? What about muscles?” When new patients ask me this question it often brings a smile to my face because I love teaching them about the interactions of the human body. First of all, the little “pop” sound that you hear when joints are adjusted is simply a release of gas within a restricted joint due to an increase in pressure placed upon that joint. It’s the same sound you hear ...

I can’t believe it! The first trimester I stepped foot on this campus I remember getting a random Wednesday off of school. I never knew why at first; however, later on I found the reason and it intrigued me! It was a day off for everyone but the senior interns who had to stay at school taking an exam all day in preparation for Part IV Boards!! I remember thinking that is so far away and I love having these days off every trimester. However, I took them last week. They went great but I am so glad they ...

I have made lifelong friends with a few of my patients. One of them is an 83-year-old man who we will call Bob.

Bob’s wife is dying in front of his eyes with the disease of Alzheimer’s and other complications along the way such as a stroke, broken hip and broken arm. He is so in love with his beautiful bride that he goes to see her at the assisted living house every afternoon! He is extremely emotional when talking about his wife and her condition and how much he misses her living at home with him. He ...

I finally made it! I am officially done with all my numbers we need to obtain in the student clinic and Health Center! I would think that this is an exciting time - which it is!! However, I made such good relationships with all my patients that it will be so hard to leave them. Not only the patients that got better and think that chiropractic is now the best thing ever but also the patients that tell you their life stories.

I hear all the time how I have changed peoples' lives either by helping them get out of pain ...

After a great weekend at home, I returned to Overland Park to get some serious studying done! We started the week off on Tuesday with our first Geriatrics exam and Wednesday we had our Toxicology midterm. Both classes had a lot of information for their respective tests and needless to say left me a little sleep deprived. I am also continuing to see patients in the Cleveland Chiropractic College Health Center and am learning more with each patient visit! Finally, tomorrow (July 8) is our DC Discovery Day Open House! It’s one of my favorite events of the trimester ...

So we’ve been at this blog thing for almost a year now and I’ve covered many topics throughout the course of time, but I thought for the next few ones I’d have a little fun! With that being said, I thought it would be great for you all to hear the most commonly asked questions that I get asked as an intern here at CCC. I hope it will shed some light on what we see here on campus day in and day out and what you can expect to see as a practicing professional.

First item ...

It’s been several weeks since my last blog and I feel like the month of June has been a complete blur. I started the month by finishing up my last student physical and being cleared to begin seeing patients in the Health Center! I have finished one new patient physical as well as several adjustments. I am continuing to see student patients as well and even though I’m pretty busy, I love the challenge. My patients seem to keep me on my toes! As I am looking forward to the seeing more patients, I also find myself excited ...

Why do we as chiropractic professionals adjust the spine? I often get asked what exactly is happening when an adjustment takes place and why you get such a relief of symptoms without using any medication at all. It’s crucial as a profession that we help to shine light on why it’s so important to get our spines checked and how joint dysfunction can drastically impact our bodies. When joints become irritated they can impact the nervous system’s function to properly communicate with the rest of the body. Think of the nervous system as a network of telephone ...

Well, it seems like yesterday when the semester started. I must admit, I thought the semester was going by really slow. I had this mindset because during the summer, we do not have as many breaks from school as we do in the Fall or Spring. But, it has been a great semester so far. The latest I’m here at school is 4:30 pm (which is not bad at all).  

Some of the activities that I enjoy doing over the summer is playing ball with my brother. We go out and shoot some hoops in the evening along ...

What an emotional week! Working with patients in the Health Center really makes me realize how blessed I am and how blessed I was raised. With that being said, I am so lucky to have the patients that I do. They are all so neat and have such different personalities. If I have a bad day and I go into the Health Center, no matter what patient I treat or what they have going on, I always leave in a better mood just knowing that I helped someone and changed someone’s destiny with chiropractic care!

Life is such a ...

It’s crazy how often I get asked the question, “So… You’re telling me that kids need chiropractic care too?” And it amazes me at the response I get when I tell them “ABSOLUTELY!” If you stop and think about it, kids should actually receive even more care due to the vast external and internal forces placed on their bodies as they age. Children often have abnormal biomechanical stressors placed on their spine as they experience spinal growth, development, and maturation.

One great experience you’ll have here at Cleveland Chiropractic College is in Tri 8 of 10 (or ...

Classes are going great! We are in an ethics class this trimester, which really challenges me. The change is not in a way that the class is hard, or there are a lot of tests/assignments, but rather it is challenging to look inside your own heart and soul on what your true-life values are. We have class every Tuesday for two hours, however the time flies by. The class is structured around class discussion and I love it. The professor will begin the class with a statement or a thought and we discuss from there! There are times that ...

This last week, albeit a short week, was full of new experiences and excitement. I was able to finish up my student physicals and be cleared to treat patients in the Cleveland Health Center! I also started my first physical on a patient from the community in the Health Center on Thursday. It’s a very exciting time! I am still seeing several patients in the student clinic because it allows me to truly see how my treatment plans are working for them. Since I’m just getting starting in the Cleveland Health Center, I decided to set goals for ...

Life is great! I am continuing my dream of treating patients! However, this week is a bit different! For some reason all my patients are magically getting better and not having pain anymore, so they are not wanting to come in. I try explaining to my patients that pain is the first thing to go and the last thing to show up! This meaning that you can be doing a lot of harm to your body physically without you knowing it. I then explain that when you go to a chiropractor we correct the problem at the source and not ...

Well, it has been great the last couple of weeks in school so far. It has been full of excitement, movies, and hanging out. Unfortunately, it’s all coming to an end because I have my first set of exams next week!  Hence, I will spend a lot of time this weekend preparing for my exams. Thus, I will have to manage my time appropriately because I also plan on going to a Meridian Therapy seminar this weekend. 

Besides studying, I also plan on showing my sister around town. She just got out of school and she is spending a ...

What a great life! I am finally in Trimester 9 of 10; I only have one, maybe two classes a day and the rest of my time I get to treat my patients like a real doctor! I love being able to make my own schedule throughout the week. During the mornings I have a business class where we discuss what and where we want to be next year after graduating. Dr. Fray is a Cleveland Chiropractic College graduate who practices full time and teaches our class all about the “real world!” He does a great job at motivating us ...

Learning all the tools necessary to achieve success in the chiropractic profession and finally applying all the knowledge to each individual patient has been the joy of my week! It’s sort of like baking a pie… you need the right mixture of not only ingredients, but also you must be able to master all the baking tools and add your own little flair to the pie!

Lucky for me, I’ve had a great set of tools to surround me the past few years here at CCC and by that I mean some great professors/clinicians. I’m always ...

It’s officially Friday and my weekend is one class away from starting. The only class I have left is Clinical Neurology. Our current topic is interesting and the class as a whole is attentively engaged.  Before I tell you what it is, lets play a little game to see if you can guess the topic. 

The topic has to do with a pain that can range from very mild to severe. Sometimes the pain is so severe, that individuals choose to isolate themselves in a dark room. Most of the time, the onset of pain is unknown because there ...

I can’t believe it, walking into the school for the first time this May it really struck me that I am in TRIMESTER NINE! People are looking up to me, asking me questions and all I can think about is, “I can’t believe it! This experience went so fast!”

Over break I kept busy with wedding planning and spending well-needed time with my family! I met with the flower lady a few times along with the cake lady and got a few more details figured out. However, I did have my first Bridezilla moment over break regarding my ...

As classes are kickin’ off and things are finally starting to feel like they’re in a groove, I think I can speak for my entire class by saying that some of us got thrown for a loop. The other day in Psychiatry we were presented with the simple task of listening… little did we know that task would prove to be much harder than it seems!

Have you ever taken the opportunity to fully engage in a conversation with 100% attentiveness? It’s exhausting! I’m talking more than just eye contact and nodding your head… but rather using ...

Every time prospective students come to visit CCC, I inevitably talk about the close knit community that my class and hopefully all classes have formed. As I enter my last year at Cleveland, I’ve had some time to reflect on what that statement really means to me. It’s not to say that everyone will be best friends, instead you will see somewhat of a family dynamic. Together, as a class, we grow, learn, laugh, tease, argue, agree to disagree and challenge each other to improve on many occasions. We have celebrated birthdays, passing boards and many other milestones ...

So I was sitting there with my friends eating my lunch and one of them said: “Man I hate rainy days!” I replied: “Is that so? Rainy days happen to be my favorite.” I don’t know why but maybe it's because it hardly ever rained in southwest Kansas (that’s where I grew up). The point is, when it’s raining, it puts me in a good mood. For other people, it might be the exact opposite and they would rather have a bright sunny day. 

I am really excited about a lot of my classes this trimester ...

It’s nice to come back and catch up with everyone.  Over this break, a lot happened! Two of my friends that are in my trimester got married, and one of them got engaged! I’m happy for all of them and I hope that they will continue to live in happiness with their significant other. Besides weddings, my in-law had her baby shower during the break. She is due in two weeks so we are really excited for them because it’s their first baby! They still don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl so ...

Just so the rest of you know… I plan on kickin’ off this semester with a bang! I’m so excited for this trimester (Tri 8 of 10) to begin because I’ve been dreaming of the day when I could treat outpatients here on campus since Tri 1!!! Don’t get me wrong, it was great to have a nice relaxing break, play a few rounds of golf with my grandpa, and ride my motorcycle a little bit… but I’m so excited I’m back here on campus!

For those of you fellow students who are pondering which ...

A new trimester is upon us again. I’m now starting Tri 8 of 10 which means I will get to start treating patients in the Health Center as soon as I finish up a couple of physicals. I’m very excited for this trimester! Every trimester has its own set of challenges and I can’t wait to see what this trimester brings! My class schedule is also a little different -- I have class from 7:30 am till 12:30 or 1:30 every day and then the rest of my schedule is pretty open to give me ...

Well, I finished my last final at 8 am this morning! All I have to do now is wait for that last score to be posted.  Overall this trimesters finals were pretty stressful, but they went well. I’m excited to see what the next trimester will bring. I still have a couple of student physicals left to do, but then I’ll be ready to start seeing patients in the Health Center!

As much as I am looking forward to Tri 8, I’m also looking forward to these next two weeks of break! I can’t wait to ...

I just finished my gastrointestinal/genitourinary diagnosis final and soon I will be off to study for my dermatology and chiropractic case management finals that I have tomorrow morning. It’s hard to believe that we have reached the end of yet another trimester; these last two weeks have flown by. Last week I only had a couple of exams, but I was able to do some traveling with Admissions to promote chiropractic! I went with Leanne to present to the K-State Kinesiology Club on Tuesday and Friday morning I presented to a class with Tracey at the University of ...

This morning kicked off with my first final at 7:30. But it’s only the first of many to come so I have to stay focused! Sometimes it’s hard to stay focused during finals week for a couple of reasons. First off, the excitement of not having classes anymore! Classes are fun and all but it’s nice to know that you have all day to only focus on finals. Second, it’s hard to focus on finals week because our break is just around the corner. Sometimes when I’m studying, my mind will wander off into ...

As the trimester is coming to an end, I’ve had a lot of time to look back and realize all I’ve learned. It’s been a whirlwind of emotions filled with excitement, enthusiasm, frustrations, trials and tribulations, but I can look back and honestly say that I’ve never learned more in my life. Being new to Student Clinic was definitely an eye-opener as far as the steepness of the learning curve, but it also has been the most rewarding aspect of my experience here at CCC.

With that being said, I’m excited for the journey not ...

I can’t believe there are only two weeks until finals start! This trimester has flown by, at least most days. Last Friday was the highlight to my month! We hosted DC Discovery Day and saw a large group of prospective students come to visit the campus. I love being able to share my love of chiropractic with prospective students! They often have a wide variety of questions which keeps me on my toes, but also allows me to share my experiences with them.  I hope everyone who visited had as much fun attending as we have putting on the ...

This week is going so well. I just love being in the Health Center treating my patients! I feel that this week I have finally got my patients on a regular schedule!

For my exciting news for the week: 

We have to meet so many requirements before we graduate on the levels of adjustments, evaluations, physicals, X-rays, blood work, etc. With that being said, at the beginning of the trimester I set goals for myself to obtain this trimester so I won’t be so stressed out!  My goals were set high, since we still have a full schedule of ...

What a great time we had at the Open House here on campus on Friday! We had a wonderful time! The excitement from the perspective students was great! They had awesome questions and were so excited to check out the school. As Campus Ambassadors we all had a station to be at. My station was the Health Center downstairs. I was in the lobby and explained that this is where people from the community come in and get treated. I also explained that these rooms are more closed off and private for the patients who don’t want to get ...

I cannot believe this semester is almost over! I’m really excited about my break because I will be heading back home to see my family. It’s been since December since I’ve seen them so I’m ready to go back and catch up with everyone. Besides going back home, I also plan on hanging out with 2^nd graders (my wife is a 2^nd grade teacher). Every year, I visit her classroom and I get to know some of the kids. I really enjoy visiting the 2^nd graders because they are all so much fun ...

So those of you that have been reading these blogs habitually probably know that I like to write about what’s relevant in my curriculum at the time, but do you really know what drew me to CCC? It wasn’t the campus/facilities, the location of the school, or even friends bribing me to go here. Nope. It was the PEOPLE who I now consider an extension of my family. Cleveland has an amazing support group of faculty and staff who do care tremendously not only about our education, but also about our future as practicing professionals.

With that ...

As I draw within a few weeks of my graduation from Cleveland Chiropractic College, I wanted to send a letter expressing my appreciation and gratitude to the many different facets that were involved in my education.  

First I would like to thank my fellow students at Cleveland College. You have all played a role in my experiences over the past four years of education at Cleveland.  To my classmates, thank you for the times of comfort and strength when we faced so many tough challenges, changes and tribulations.  Your friendly encouragement and quizzical sarcasms were all needed to help remain ...

I’m excited about this weekend for a couple of reasons. First off, I plan to spend some time with my wife and my brother. We just got the game Call of Duty: Black Ops and I’m really enjoying it. At first when I started playing, I got pawned a lot by the other players. My wife would keep making fun of me everytime it happend so that didn't help. Hence, I plan to keep improving my skills this weekend.

Besides having a good time playing video games, I plan on cleaning my fish tank. I have a ...

What a week this has been! On Tuesday my fellow classmates and I encountered a new, exciting/nerve-racking experience along our journey to becoming the next generation of health care professionals: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE). Not only was it a chance to show off our newly acquired skills, but it was also gut-check time to see just where we stand with our competency of the steeply elevated learning curve we’ve had this past trimester.

Let me set the scene for you… You’re gathered around your fellow classmates usually in groups of about 14. Nails are being munched ...

Getting ready for spring break should be exciting, however I won’t be doing much besides studying for my boards that I have to take at the end of the week! However, with that being said I feel that we are really lucky that classes and the clinic can be put on hold for a week for us to sit and focus on studying for boards! There are a few schools where people are in classes and are taking other tests right up to taking the boards! So even though I am not excited to be studying, I feel really ...

I feel that I have officially turned the leaf of wanting to be done with classes and studying forever -- all I want to do and focus on is my patients and their health. It has been so hard to get started studying for boards. I am taking Part II, III, and PT this time around here March 18-20. I am super nervous but haven’t hit the stressed out mode yet. It will defiantly be good to get over and the results back. Going through chiropractic college and to be able to practice we have to take and pass four ...

Now being in the clinic for a half of a trimester I am more excited than ever! There are so many things that I get to do throughout the day that makes me think, “Wow this is so much fun.” I feel that all the hard work that was done the last two years in the classroom was so worth it! I look back at those classes and the two years that I spent here at Cleveland Chiropractic College and I can’t get over how fast the time went.  There were definitely times harder than others, and times that ...

This week I am so excited to get to be treating on a regular basis and not doing more and more physical exams. I am now seeing about eight patients on a regular basis! I am so blessed to be getting the opportunity to be on clinic floor more and more! I am learning so much everyday! My patients are so wonderful! They are all super excited to be getting adjusted. My favorite part of it all is that everything and everyone is so different! My days are never boring and always so by so fast! I love that everyday ...

Yep. It’s official. I’ve taken my first true X-ray films of a patient and let me be the first to say… totally awesome! I know it seems fairly simplistic, but learning how radiographs are produced is far from easy. In fact, an entire class (X-ray Physics) is devoted to building an X-ray machine from the bottom up and you’ll get to learn all the intricacies along the way. Not only that, but you’ll also have to learn proper patient positioning for each film series, how to set up the machine accordingly, and when to know if ...

The last two weeks have been crazy, but the good news is that Spring Break starts tomorrow! Last week I had an X-ray Physics test and several quizzes. We also had  Wednesday off for Clinic exit exams, or OSCEs -- gotta love those four-day weeks. The only down side is that it messes with my scheduling of my student patients and I had to find another time to fit some of them in, but it all worked out in the end. This week has been pretty hectic as well. I had a gastrointestinal/genitourinary diagnosis test, CPR certification test, a dermatology ...

Previously this week I was introduced to terms that I feel should be incorporated into every chiropractic student’s growth and educational development in order to become a well-rounded health professional. The terms are as follows:

Beneficene -- promotion of well-being by taking actions that serve the best interest of the patients.

Autonomy -- rights of individuals towards self-determination (aka patient’s rights).

As future professionals I urge you to take the time to fully incorporate these terms into your future practices. In order to maintain an ethical patient-doctor relationship, it is essential to understand that every patient has the right to ...

Don’t tell anyone… but I actually have fun at school! I know it’s a shocking concept. Well, you see, one of the reasons why I have fun is that I don’t always study in a traditional fashion. Honestly, my favorite ways to study are either through song, dance or story. Seriously! For a couple of the classes I’m in right now (like microbiology and toxicology) a group of my friends and I like to come up with stories that help us to remember the details of all of the bacteria, parasites, viruses, biochemistry and physiology stuff ...

I always look forward to Spring Break because it gives me the opportunity to go work at the dairy. Unfortunately, I will not be heading back home this break to work. We have boards during Spring Break so most of my time will be spent studying for that. My goal was to start preparing for boards earlier, but it’s difficult to study for boards on top of studying for classes. 

But why get down about it right? If other students have done it, we can too! That seems to be the attitude right now but I guess we will ...

What happens next?

You spend the early part of your chiropractic education learning basic sciences, wondering, “When will I ever learn the REAL chiropractic stuff?” You start learning that stuff and anticipate the time when you’ll really be able to try this stuff out. So you get into student clinic getting prepared for taking care of real patients. Then you get into clinic, and you just can’t wait to graduate.  

So I talk to a lot of my friends that are graduating and it is very common for many of them to NOT know what is next. Of ...

It seems like we just started this trimester -- it’s hard to believe it’s already midterm week. This past week was another four-day week due to President’s Day on Monday. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to relax a whole lot last weekend. After my seminar on Sunday, I headed for home, as in Illinois, and six hours later I was in the dentist’s office getting a tooth drilled. Oh well, it needed to be done and I’m lucky to have an amazing dentist back home! It was also really nice to see my family for an ...

The word doctor comes from Latin, meaning to teach.

I’ve really noticed how the “teaching” component of my care has created sustained improvements in my patients. It is very rewarding to see patients with greater mobility, decreased adhesions and increased well-being. It is great hearing them praise me for how good my treatments are.  

But, I also recognize that I spend one hour with my patients. The other six days and 23 hours of the week, they’re on their own. So I make it a point to teach my patients about 1) What is going on in their ...

If you could have one dream to pursue, what would it be? As a youngster I pretty much covered the board as to what I wanted to be when I grew up. I went from an astronaut to a computer programmer while having the thought of a teacher, a lawyer and a coach along the way. In fact, I was writing my graduation speech when I decided to change my mind and pursue chiropractic. That decision was the greatest one I’ve ever made in my life.

Being a student intern now makes me realize that even though my younger ...

I hate to burst your bubble, but there is no such thing as a funny bone :(. I know that we were all raised on the belief that when you hit your elbow and pain shoots through your forearm, then you have successfully hit your funny bone. This is not really accurate and I am here to set the record straight.

Over the weekend, my 10-year-old brother was playing a game on his leapfrog and I heard the toy announce “Find your funny bone.” My ears perked up and I listened as my little brother proceeded to answer the question correctly ...

This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the MSCA District II conference that was held at the Holiday Inn. My job was simple: Stand by the CCC table and answer any questions alumni may have. I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of CCC alumni at the event. A lot of them had stories related to how CCC was a lot different “back in the day.”  They always followed up by complimenting the new campus and saying “you guys are lucky.” They also had stories related to how boards and classes have changed from when they were ...

What a long past few weeks. I sat in board reviews for the last seven days, on top of going to classes and seeing my patients. It was a stressful time trying to balance my life on top of having to study and review for boards, however I am so excited to be where I am at in my career. Looking back at the last few weeks of board reviews I reflect: they went a lot better than I thought that they would. On top of that, there was a lot more information I knew already, making me feel more ...

This week has been a lot quieter.  I had a Clinic I quiz, CPR quiz and a Gastrointestinal/Genitourinary Diagnosis exam. The student clinic has been pretty quiet this week as well probably because a lot of students were in board reviews at the beginning of the week or at NCLC in Washington, DC. Yesterday at lunch, the student clinic was packed again, so everything is back to normal! Tonight many of my classmates and I have Physiotherapy board reviews for four and a half hours -- it will help to better prepare us to take our PT board in a ...

I asked one of my patients today, “Has anyone ever explained to you what goes on in your body during a Graston Treatment?” My patient said, “No.”  I later asked my patient, “Has anyone ever told you what goes on in your body during an adjustment?” My patient said, “No, no one ever has.” Then I asked, “So, do you keep on coming back just because it helps you feel better?” My patient said, “Yeah.”

And maybe some patients just want to feel better and aren’t interested in why a particular treatment works.  That’s great, however, I feel ...

A break in the weather has finally given us a chance for some much-needed warmth around the Cleveland-KC campus. Not only is it heating up outside, but also the learning curve within the walls itself too! I’ve never been this busy in my entire life. Scheduling and treating patients, studying for tests, giving campus tours, and visiting other colleges to discuss the benefits of chiropractic care have kept me on my toes this semester. Nonetheless, never in my life have a felt that I’m venturing down such a rewarding, inspiring career path.

Health and wellness seem to be ...

Who knew that a chiropractor could be a dentist’s best friend! Yes, I am talking about TMJ. TMJ stands for temporal mandibular joint (your jaw) and is a common, yet serious problem for a lot of people. If you have a problem with your TMJ, it can seriously impair your talking and chewing, making life uncomfortable. Dentists see this problem in their offices a lot, but are usually unequipped to deal with it since it involves a subluxated joint (a chiropractor's specialty). This is one of the many areas where different health care professionals can work together to ...

This last week was a bit hectic to say the least! Due to the snow days we had for the big blizzard, our exams from those days were moved to this week. So I started the week off with a quiz in X-Ray Procedures, followed by an X-Ray Physics test, a Dermatology exam, and a  Chiro Case Management paper and exam. It seemed kind of crazy for a few days, but we made it through week without too much trouble!  

Friday was my birthday, so I went to dinner with a few friends! It was a nice evening out and ...

This weekend will not be as exciting as my usual weekends. Part of the reason is, I will be spending most of my time at the review for Part I Boards. The rest of my peers will also be there so it can’t be THAT bad right? Well, I guess I will have to wait and see! I talked to Megan about boards and she said the reviews are actually kind of fun because the instructors try and make it fun for the students.

Besides reviewing for boards, I plan on celebrating Valentine's Day on Saturday. I have ...

So I’m in my last trimester of classes, and I discovered one of the most powerful learning tools - REVIEWING MY NOTES!  OK, since Tri 1, I’ve heard instructors say, “You should review your notes every day. You won’t have to study as much come exam time.” And I did look at my notes after the lectures, however the value of this strategy has never really hit me until recently.

While attending the Parker Seminars in Las Vegas in January and an International Chiropractic Pediatric Association seminar earlier this month, I kept hearing the presenters say, “How many ...

Wow, what a great week last week! We had the worst snowstorm in 50 years, I heard. We didn’t have class on Tuesday or Wednesday. It was nice to have a few days off in the middle of the week, however I couldn’t get out of my house so it made me go cabin crazy! With that being said, I did get a lot of wedding planning done, so I was really happy to get the time to organize and get small details done that I didn’t think I would. 

When we did have school it was ...

It’s been another crazy week. We had two more snow days compliments of the Blizzard 2011! Even though snow days can be a nice break, I think we’ve had enough.  We were supposed to have an exam and a quiz this last week, but now they have been moved to this coming week. This week will be a little crazy. I have three exams, a small paper and a couple of quizzes and the rest of my schedule is filled with treating patients. It seems like I’ll be very busy, but I’d rather be busy than ...

Despite the bone-chilling weather here at the Cleveland-KC campus, things are really beginning to heat up! Tests are already underway, patients are stacking up due to inclement weather, and time is not waiting for us to catch up. I guess you could say that we’re entering the heart of the trimester and it’s time to put on our thinking caps. With all the busy-bee work I still have to step back sometimes in awe when I realize that I’m helping patients to allow their bodies to heal with just my hands. One should never underestimate the power ...

I can’t believe February is already here! Man, it feels like school is just flying right by me. Speaking of February, our board review is coming up soon so I’m kind of excited about that. I’m nervous about boards, but at the same time, I want to get them over with.  Speaking of boards, the last class who talk Part I Boards dominated! Hence, the pressure is on because now a lot of instructors are expecting us to do well on Part I. 

I’m looking forward to this weekend because I have my Meridian Therapy seminar ...

Did you know that sitting for longer than 20 minutes at a time without getting up and moving around can lead to disc herniations or even worse back conditions?! Scary right! The good news is that it can be easily prevented. This was one of the interesting topics that Dr. Craig Liebenson touched on when he came to speak at the Cleveland-LA campus last week.

More people now than ever before are having back pain… could this be because our lifestyles are more sedentary than they have ever been before? Definitely! Our bodies were not designed to sit at a ...

Ethics & Jurisprudence, Shawn Steele’s class, is probably one of the most interesting classes that you will encounter @ CCCLA. Mr. Steele’s family is full of chiropractors, and his law office works with many chiropractors. He brings a very lively charisma to his class. His teaching style forces all the students to participate in the lecture.

In today’s class, he discussed diagnostic codes. Under almost all circumstances, this is a really boring subject. However, he managed to get laughs out of the class, kept us engaged, and entertained us. And it is a really important topic. Many chiropractors keep ...

I had the opportunity in our rotation program to work in the University of Southern California Health Center, and it was a very fun experience. Patients were scheduled in 15-minute appointments. Compared with the half-hour and hour appointments that we have in the Cleveland Health Center, it sounds like a sprint. However, what I learned was that by being direct, to the point and urgent, I could take a quick history of, assess, adjust and demonstrate an exercise to a patient, with plenty of time to spare.  

In the end, it was all about confidence and decisiveness. I needed to ...

What a week! I went from being so extremely busy last week, with paperwork, student patients, transferring to the outpatient clinic and getting new patients from the community -- then I get to this week. This week started off really slow, only having a few outpatients, being done with classes at 12:30 pm, and no paperwork to get caught up with I had more time than ever. However, I didn’t waste my time doing nothing, I made up a flyer of myself and started to promote me being in the clinic and chiropractic around my neighborhood. I was thinking ...

This week has been crazy! It was our first full week of school since we started, which made it seem like a very long week! We’re about three weeks into classes and it’s time for us to start preparing for some quizzes and a test or two.  We have our first quiz in our clinic class and X-ray procedures this week as well as our first X-ray physics test. This past week has been full of firsts and excitement. I have now treated several patients in the student clinic! It’s a great experience as well as providing ...

Today is definitely going to be the highlight of a wonderful week here at CCCKC as we hold the ceremony to obtain our name tag and business cards as student interns! It’s such a wonderful experience to know that all the blood, sweat and tears you’ve poured into the past few years is finally being rewarded. Sitting in class you can feel the excitement around the room as our family and friends will soon be here to celebrate this special occasion with us.

With all the hustle and bustle of such happy times here on campus it reminds ...

Our Winter Formal event will be held this Saturday at the Doubletree Hotel. The event kicks off at around 6 pm and it concludes at midnight. Besides having dinner, there will also be an awards ceremony followed by a dance. I have a feeling the event will turn out to be a great success because a lot of people have been working hard to prepare for this event. This will be my first formal so my wife and I are excited about it. 

Besides going to formal, I need to start preparing for my neuromusculoskeletal exam. Dr. Virji has covered ...

As I watched my Steelers clinch the AFC Championship title this past Sunday, the announcers kept commenting on the frigid temperature: -10, -4! I reminded myself how lucky I am to be waking up to sunshine every day here in LA. And how I do not miss all of the cold weather-related chores I used to do: shoveling my car out of snow, layering on clothes before leaving the building, and lugging my snow boots around with me everywhere I went. 

My schedule has been extra-busy this week due to our in-house board reviews that I’ve been attending after ...

Did you know that in one day your heart beats about 100,000 times? Amazing isn’t it! Well, February is National Heart Health Awareness Month, so this week my public health group has to create a board on heart heath awareness and I thought that I would share some of the heart-healthy tips that I learned with y’all. You only get one heart, so you have to make sure that you take good care of it. I know that science is constantly expanding and figuring out more ways to reverse the effects of diseases; but if you could ...

During the winter months, it is expected that people will get sick more frequently. Here at school, clinicians, interns and students will be missing days more during this season than in the spring, summer or fall. I’ve thought about this, and I’ve thought, “How do I take care of patients, when I myself am sick?”

Maybe this is a reactive question. Maybe I should be asking, “What do I need to do to stay healthy, so I can treat my patients, so that they too will be healthy?” I guess this is more in alignment with chiropractic thinking ...

Nothing like having white blankets of snow come in and cancel all classes! Except for the fact that I love every minute of my classes this semester and with snow cancellations the make-up time is much needed. I guess it’s giving us interns a chance to have real, life-like scenarios because I’m definitely feeling the added stresses of scheduling and rescheduling patients due to the weather. It almost feels like every time we finally get to where things are smooth sailing, old Mother Nature has to come in and throw us for a loop. It’s still great ...

Wow. What a great week, or was it? Every other student would have been so excited about the week that we had -- No School Monday and Snow Day Thursday. However, it was a little more stressful for me not to have school, than if we did. Being in the clinic now I feel that there is so much paperwork that needs to be done, but it has to be done in school. This is a good thing, I love doing the paperwork and I love that I am this far in my education so I can’t complain!! Even though ...

Yet another winter storm hit KC last night, which has provided us with about five more inches of snow and a relaxing day at home. I would normally be trying to get caught up on my studying, but I don’t have that much to do right now. So I did some reading for my radiology classes and just made sure I had all the notes I needed printed out. I’m still getting used to my schedule this trimester, it’s hard to get used to since we haven’t had a full day of classes yet. Today was ...

Well, the three-day weekend is over :( and it is back to the books. Having an extra day off though this past weekend was awesome! I have to admit, no I didn’t study much… I decided to take a personal wellness day instead. Surprisingly, taking that extra day to just indulge in whatever it was that I felt like doing has considerably helped my focus and disposition this school week.

It dawned on me from this experience that we Americans are overworking ourselves! We need to turn our focus back to our health instead of trying to see how much ...

This four-day week will be anything but dull. I am in the midst of completing my first physical of the trimester, sitting courtside at the Clippers game tomorrow night, and bowling Thursday with fellow CCCLA-ers. While I’m not doing that, I’m planning on spending some QT in the clinic to try to line up a few more new patients! After a week like that, I’m looking forward to just relaxing all weekend – just kidding!  I am attending seminar #1 of a seven-part extremities series all the while I’ll be anxiously counting the minutes until my Steelers ...

I’m so pleased to tell you that I’ve officially worked my way up to student clinic and have already began scheduling, treating and following up with patients. It’s such an exciting time to be a student surrounded by wonderful clinicians who are here to help guide and navigate your path as a student doctor. The learning curve has definitely steepened, but I look forward to the challenges that come my way!

Outside of the classroom life in the Kansas City area has been… well… cold! We’ve had already had a cancellation for classes because of a ...

This week started with a snow day on Monday! So unfortunately we didn’t have our clinic class, but on Wednesday Dr. Moore gave us a crash course in how things work in the clinic and released us all to start treating patients. My patients are still getting their physicals done, so I will hopefully begin treating them next week. It’s been a week of craziness as we get used to our new class schedules and try and schedule patients too. I think this trimester will prove to be a busy one, but also one full of new experiences ...

I enjoyed this week for one particular reason: We had a snow day! The most exciting part of my snow day occurred at around 5:00 in the afternoon when my wife, brother and I went sledding. In case you are reading this and you are not familiar with college, we have one of the best hills for sledding. When we arrived at the hill, it was packed with others who wanted to enjoy the ride. Hence, we decided to scout for another hill and we found the perfect spot right next to the Cleveland YMCA Express. 

As for this ...

What a way to bring in 2011 than to finally be a student intern! Words cannot describe how truly excited I am to get a chance to combine all the new found knowledge I’ve gained and implementing it into care for my patients. Classes have already started off with a bang and this semester has already been buzzing with my fellow classmates. We’re busy learning new schedules, occasionally showing up in the wrong classroom, and working together to get our patients scheduled. It’s a first step to the journey of becoming the doctor I truly aim to ...

Wow I can’t believe it! I am back in school being in Trimester 8 of 10. I can’t believe how fast the last seven trimesters went and how fast this next year is going to go! I love my schedule: I have class from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm everyday and then I am done. I then get to treat my patients and educate them about all the knowledge that I learned these last three years. I can’t wait to start seeing more and more patients and getting more and more comfortable with my terminology ...

Welcome back to school everyone!... Or for those of you on the classic undergrad college schedule and aren’t back to school yet, have fun sleeping in while it lasts :) Break was amazing, but unfortunately went very fast. I feel like I blinked and it was time to buy highlighters and notebooks again. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive about how my classes would be this tri, but as soon as I came back and started joking around with my friends I knew that it wouldn’t be a problem. I didn’t realize how much I missed ...

I don’t know about you guys, but my Christmas break flew by and it’s now time to start another trimester! This semester is really exciting for me and my fellow classmates. We are getting ready to treat our first patients in the student clinic in the next few weeks. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit nervous, but my excitement definitely outweighs the nerves. Our classes are just getting underway and so far I think I’m going to enjoy most of them!  

It’s been great to be back at school ...

I really enjoyed two weeks off from school but it feels good to be back. I must admit, I missed talking to my friends and I always enjoy meeting new professors. The first day of school is fairly standard throughout the college. The instructor will go over the syllabus and occasionally cover some introductory lecture material. Hence, I would classify the first day as relaxing because most of the time, the instructors will tell us a little about themselves and vice versa. 

Tuesdays and Thursdays are my late days because I have my elective from 4:30-5:30. I chose ...

My last winter break at Cleveland has come to an end.  It was a very relaxing two weeks in Pittsburgh, and I was able to attend the Winter Classic (for you hockey fans out there!). Being home for two weeks allowed me time to shadow chiropractors in the area while leaving plenty of time to spend with friends and family. I was able to learn a lot by observing successful doctors in action, such as seeing how they dealt with minor crises that pop up unexpectedly to diagnosing complicated cases for patients.

It’s my first day of school for ...

Two trimesters left. I can’t believe I’m almost done! I saw a couple of patients yesterday. It was really nice that we had a break, because my patients are excited about coming in to be treated again. This is good, because it is a new year and a new opportunity to become the healthy people that we want to be.

My break was great. I had a chance to spend time with family, begin working out again, and most of all sleep.  I also read the book The 4-hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris. By far, this is one ...

I’m excited that I am on my last day of finals! After I finish my practical at around 4:30, I will be ready to start enjoying my break. I plan to go back home to Liberal and work at the dairy farm. I enjoy working at the dairy for a couple of reasons. First off, it gives me the opportunity to “reboot” myself so that I can be ready for school again in January. Second, it gives me a chance to be productive over my break. Sometimes if I’m not busy over an extended period of time ...

One final down, seven more written exams and three practicals stand between me and Christmas break! You know it’s bad when the people at Borders start to recognize you! We’ve been spending a lot of time studying there lately, so much so that I think I may just camp out there one night. Since my HEENT final this morning I have spent most of the day studying for my CPE and CFA finals that I have tomorrow morning. My weekend will most likely be spent studying a little skeletal radiology because that final is Monday. The week and ...

Finals officially began for me at 7:30 this morning with Microbiology II. I must admit, it was difficult because the exam tested our knowledge from day one up until the material we covered last week. But now, I have to start preparing for my next two finals. I have to study for Toxicology (which is more like Pharmacology) and History of Chiropractic. If I was to describe finals in one word I would say it’s stressful but at the same time it’s a rush because it really pushes you to your limit to see what you can ...

LAAAAAB FIIIIINALS!

How crazy is it that we're counting down the days till Winter break already? 

This week begins the chaos of lab finals followed by next week's bigger stress encore of lecture finals. So far so good, though...two of four lab finals down, eight lecture finals to look forward to. While sitting and taking my Neuroanatomy lab final, with a hemisection of the brain in my face, I started reflecting once again about how amazing our bodies and mind are. (Hint for future tri's: if there's only one lil bump that looks like a ...

Christmas is getting so close that I can almost taste it and all those delicious holiday goodies… I just have to survive finals first. :) No worries though, just a minor hurdle to jump over before I can truly enjoy the holidays. Honestly, I love everything about Christmas: the lights, the cookies, the music, the overall feeling of happiness, the cool, brisk weather, and baby Jesus of course! I love baking over the holidays too and my specialty is candied pecans. Every year, I change up the recipe just a little bit because I can’t quite remember how I made ...

Whew, what a week....or at least end of the week. Every trimester it seems as though the week before final exams begin is full of exams and assignments that need to be finished. This week I had a skeletal radiology test on Thursday along with a functional assessment quiz and a clinical neurology test on Friday.  

The general attitude around school seems to be one of excitement for Christmas break coupled with a good dose of stress. Thanksgiving break gave us a chance to unwind a little before finals which is always nice. On Wednesday we had the annual ...

I’m at the point where I am so glad it’s the weekend!  It has been a tough week but I am glad it’s over with.  The reason this week has been so hectic is because it’s the last week that instructors can give a test before finals begin. The hardest part is keeping up with the material but all it takes is a few late nights. As far as my weekend goes, I plan on studying for some of my finals. 

Besides studying, I also want to take my wife and brother out for some Chinese ...

Wow… I cannot believe that this trimester is almost over! It has absolutely flown by and I’ve been so lucky to learn critical information to develop my skills in a profession I truly am devoted to. This is the end of a road for me as a Tri 6 of 10 student, because starting next Tri I will be a Student Clinic Intern! Along with the excitement and enthusiasm I have for getting a chance to use my chiropractic knowledge and practice on students, comes a little nerve-racking stress for the responsibility I now have obtained. It’s time ...

Man, I am stuffed! I just got back from this trimester’s Dean’s List Luncheon which was awesome… so I wanted to say thank you to all of the professors who helped organize it for us. I sat with three of our clinicians and probed their minds about clinic. I know that I am still about a year away from being in clinic, but I am already soooooooo excited! Not only will I be able to put my doctor skills to good use, but I won’t have to sit in a chair from 7 am-3 pm everyday!!! But ...

It was so nice to be able to be home for the long weekend with my family.  It was a busy weekend, however we got so much done! Thanksgiving with Aaron’s family was so nice. It was good to see them once again and get to know them better. Friday we got to go wedding dress shopping all day. It was such a wonderful time. I tried on so many dresses and at the end of the day I definitely knew what one was “The One!” The funny thing, “My Dress” was actually the first dress I ever tried ...

It’s the middle of Week 13 and that only means one thing…my finals are fast approaching. Lab finals are next week with lecture finals the week after. I have discovered that the fall trimesters seem to fly by faster than spring or summer; however, when Week 13 rolls around things come to a halt. Returning from Thanksgiving break, students are relaxed and rested as though they packed their lunches with leftover calm alongside their turkey and mashed potatoes. The calm fills the building, and one would think that this would make for a quicker week but it’s ...

Something that I seriously hate in life is car troubles.  This weekend, my brakes started this ugly grinding sound on the driver's side and a high-pitched squeal on the passenger. Thought I had jacked up my rotors.  When I inspected them, I saw that I'd pretty much gone through all my brakepads. Car troubles suck.  Luckily this time it was easy to diagnose. But how many times have we taken our cars into the shop with the nebulous "Check Engine" light on and the mechanic has to run through an assortment of tests to diagnose?

It's kind ...

Well, I hope that you all had a mighty fine Thanksgiving! I sure did! But I also neglected to follow my own treatment plan; I ate way too much pie... ;) Other than that, it was awesome!

Getting to spend time with my family though was the best part by far. After we ate, some of the little ones were rough-housing and I heard someone groan.I ran over to see what had happened and my little brother was on the floor (before I finish telling my story, I wanted to let you know that he was fine; he just bumped ...

Well I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving break!  Personally, I went back down to southwest Kansas and I spent a lot of time with family. My break started off on Wednesday and we arrived at Garden City at around 2:30. After my parents picked up my brother, my wife and I headed over to Deerfield where my in-laws reside. We spent the night there and we had our turkey meal at around 3:00. After the meal, we watched the movie Grown Ups (which turned out to be really good).  At 6:00, we said goodbye and we ...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family! Hopefully you also survived Black Friday if you so chose to partake. I didn't do too much shopping and I definitely did not get up early to join the mob. Instead, I went to town to shop a little later in the day after the crowds had cleared. The rest of the afternoon was spent helping my dad with some yard work! All in all, this last week has been pretty calm. I didn't have any exams to worry about earlier in the week and I didn ...

Graduating high school back in '95, I never thought I'd be where I am now. Back then, my main focus was graduating college and getting a nice paycheck. After completing undergrad at UCLA with a BA in Psych, I worked in advertising for a decade and fulfilled my high school goal.

Why I bring all this up is because, although I've had some of the best education, I was never a good student. I recall a whole quarter of one of my classes where I'd get to the lecture hall, sit next to my friend, and promptly ...

It's so amazing how time flies by while we're in school.  It only seems like a few weeks ago where we were getting ready to re-start school and here we are heading into the Thanksgiving weekend! Everyone always talks about how fast school goes by. I've personally disagreed with this statement, but thinking back, I guess I've been in denial. Perhaps it's the long nights of studying that make me feel like time has stopped. I don't think I've been awake this much for half my life! (half kidding). However, my fellow students ...

This week in class, Dr. Faye taught us how to do seated cervical adjustments… basically it is exactly what it sounds like, adjusting someone’s neck while they are sitting in a chair instead of lying down. It was awesome! I have been waiting to learn this adjustment for forever and it didn’t disappoint. It is the most humbling feeling to be able to heal someone with your hands! Then in anatomy lab this week, we had to find the ear bones; and since they are the smallest bones in the body, it was kind of like this cadaver ...

I love having a three-day school week! What a great feeling of knowing that you get to spend a long weekend with family and friends! I love it! My week went great, everyone is getting in the holiday season and the energy here in school is wonderful. Classes and exams are over for the week and they all went well also. I am so excited to take off and drive to Iowa for Thanksgiving. The weather is not looking the best so I am planning on taking off earlier than I originally planned! I am going to my fiancé’s ...

I started off this week with a rather difficult exam on Monday, and then another tough test on Tuesday. So, needless to say, I got the worst part of my week over and done with at the start! I actually prefer my exams to be earlier in the week rather than later because I am able to study ahead for upcoming exams at the end of the week – this also makes for a better weekend! I will be able to watch my Nittany Lions and Steelers play this weekend knowing that I already have a jump on my quizzes scheduled ...

I passed the Clinic Exit Exam!

There has to be something said about practical clinic entrance/exit/board exams and their effect on people taking it. Before the exam started, I experienced heightened senses. The mental chatter picked up.  What is on the exam? Should I have studied more?  What if I don’t pass? 

Maybe I am an adrenalin junkie, because although my sympathetic nervous system always goes into overdrive during these moments, I find these experiences to be refreshing. Actually, I find them to be very peaceful. 

Once the exam began, it became an exercise in performing the ...

Yesterday I had the opportunity of giving a tour to a prospective student.  He is currently attending Washburn but he wants to transfer here to finish his undergraduate degree. He was really excited about coming here and he asked some really great questions.  After he left, it was 12:25 so it was time for me to head up to Microbiology II class. We had a quiz scheduled at the beginning of class so as soon as I arrived, I took my notes out and glanced them briefly. His quizzes are fill in the blank so it’s very important ...

This week has been crazy! You can tell the end of the trimester is fast approaching. On Tuesday I had an exam in Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis II, a HEENT test on Wednesday, and my Intro to Clinic final, Chiropractic Functional Assessment quiz and Cardiovascular Pulmonary Endocrine Diagnosis test all on Thursday. Thank goodness it’s Friday! The good part about this week being hectic is that I only have one paper to write for next week before heading off for Thanksgiving break. We only have three days of class next week!  

Last weekend was very relaxing for me, but this weekend ...

I had no idea that coming to Cleveland I would learn the vast amount of things the human body has to offer! It’s crazy to think that being inside the human body is like diving into a whole new world. You first get a basic understanding of human function through its various systems here at CCC, then you get to jump head-first into the field of pathology (which is one of my favorite parts). With pathology you can never cease to be amazed by what the human body can undergo and the innate capabilities we have to withstand the ...

Finally, they are over; the big clinic entrance exam is behind me, OSCE. For you who do not know much about the clinic entrance exam, it is done in the middle of the trimester of student clinic, and is something you have to pass in order to get into the outpatient health center. There are three parts to the exam and within each part there are about seven stations you have to go to. It is all hands on practical exams except for the Lab workups, such as blood work, where we had to diagnosis and explain a treatment plan ...

Today I am writing my blog to you from the student clinic while my intern, Breanne Hinz, is doing ultrasound on my knees! My week has been very hectic so I’ve got to do some serious multi-tasking to make sure I get everything done.   spent last weekend at a seminar in St. Louis and also got to spend a little time with a good friend from high school. Needless to say I didn’t get a whole lot accomplished for school this weekend but I did learn a lot of new information. I love seminars because they get me ...

We have all experienced the excitement of the first day of school, but what happens after the excitement wears off? Well, you start to realize the trimester will have its ups and downs like any other trimester. But the good part is all these experiences will help prepare us for National Boards. When students visit campus for the first time, they usually ask me a question in regards to the high volume of classes they have to take. I tell them it all comes down to time management. Well, I wish it were that easy but the truth is, Tri ...

There comes a time in every student’s life when they realize that they can no longer think like a student. Instead, you have to develop and finetune your skills in order to develop the mindset of a doctor. I guess it’s a way of taking off your training wheels and stepping up to the plate. For me, that class is Clinical Neurology. Clinical Neuro gives you a chance to not only put on your thinking cap, but also provides you a chance to really understand causative symptoms that lead to a diagnosis of your patient. It’s also ...

Wow. I don’t even know where begin to start explaining my week; all I can say is thank the Lord we don’t have classes on Friday!! 

This last weekend I went to a pediatric seminar regarding SOT adjusting! It was so amazing and exciting to actually start adjusting babies and children!  I am still a bit nervous about the whole assessment of children, however I feel that it will all come with practice! Beginning my week with a high on life from a great seminar weekend I saw myself laying in my bed Monday morning reliving how great ...

In reflecting on all my classes this trimester, I feel extremely captivated by our Public Health II class. Not only does this help to expand our curriculum beyond the day to day of learning anatomy, technique and all our other classes, it makes me feel more aware as a citizen.

Over the past few weeks, we've learned about how big a connection there is between politics and public health. Money and religion reign supreme, which in some cases is truly an awful way to gauge what should matter in society. As an example, I was pretty shocked to learn ...

I began the DC program in Fall 2008, and ever since my first trimester students would talk about how there should be an animal adjusting club on campus. People would get so excited when the subject came up, yet no plans were ever brought to action….until now!

Danny, a fellow future chiropractor, decided to take the initiative and create an animal adjusting club a few weeks ago, and I am happy to report that the club is going quite well. A teacher on campus is an animal chiropractor and he has helped the students get the club up and ...

What a great busy but great week. We got hit with a few exams this week but being in trimester 7 I am definitely use to the exams all coming at once and then nothing for awhile. All of the exams went really well for me so I am extremely happy with that!

Last night we had our first-ever Cleveland Fashion Show and it was a huge success and so much fun!! We, Student Council, put on a fashion show with White House Black Market sponsoring all our female models with their clothes and Peter’s Clothier dressing all our ...

With this the speed of this trimester ever increasing like a rollercoaster gone off track, I think it’s important to sometimes take a step back and reflect on where you’ve once been. I ask of you, what is your reflection telling you? My experience at Cleveland seems like it’s just flown by, yet ironically it almost seems never-ending. I’ve taken some time this week to kick back and chew on all the times, memories, friends, and knowledge that I’ve gained since coming here. In spite of that it still blows my mind the amount of ...

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the beautiful fall weather. This week has been a little more stressful than usual for me. I had my second Skeletal Radiology II exam today and it was another tough one. I’ll probably be seeing images of bone tumors in my dreams for the next week! Oh well, it is a very important subject and it is nice to understand how and where different bone tumors occur. I also had a short Physiotherapy midterm exam and practical this week, but most of my time was devoted to radiology ...

All of my classmates would probably agree that it has been a busy week. On a lighter note, some of my classmates are participating in the Fall Fashion Show.  It’s a time where students can come out to the college and have a good time with family and friends as they watch students model a variety of clothing. This is the first time this has been done here at the CCC and I think it will be a success! Besides prizes, vendors will also be present with various items. The grand prize will be a suit that is worth ...

The festivities have begun! Enter the holiday season.

It's pretty crazy how the holidays come earlier and earlier commercially. Even before Halloween came and went, Christmas decorations were already strung up at Home Depot and supermarkets. I think I took this reminder as a lesson to slow down. Our society is always rushing us along...I've been so conditioned to needing things quick quick quick, whether it be on a grand scale like moving up the corporate ladder to daily routines like driving. Some things have been rewarding, while some have not (like my one too many speeding ...

The Open House last weekend was a huge success! I loved getting to meet and greet with all of you health-conscious people. I think that my personal favorite part of the day though was seeing how enthralled everyone was in the Anatomy lab… to be honest, I thought more people would have been nervous to see the cadavers! Both Dr. Carl Cleveland III and his daughter, Dr. Ashley Cleveland, were there to give some entertaining speeches along with an amazing chiropractor from Orange County named Dr. John Bergman.

One of the coolest things that I learned though was how unique ...

Although today is Thursday, it still kind of feels like a Monday because we didn’t have any classes yesterday due to the OSCE exams. OSCEs are clinic exit exams that are taken by students getting close to graduating from the DC program. The exam also helps our students to prepare for their Part IV board exams which are just around the corner. I welcomed the day off from classes. It gave me a chance to catch up on laundry and on the studying and papers that seems to be piling up around me. We have had three exams this ...

A nice little mid-week break made for a super fast couple of days! Wednesday was designated for OSCE’s examinations and since I haven’t quite reached that level, it was a nice vacation for the rest of us students. Our Tri was bombarded with tests Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday so it was great to get a day break in between. Today in Intro to Clinic II we got the chance to perform a few adjustments and document them in our SOAP notes which always gets exciting! It’s a time for you as a student to transition both your ...

Well, another week has gone by and it feels like we are getting closer to our break in the Fall. I am really looking forward to this break for a couple of reasons.  First off, and most importantly, I want to see my family. It’s the only time of the year where all my extended family gathers around for Thanksgiving. Secondly, I feel like a need a break from school! Who doesn’t, right?  Well, it’s not that bad but you know how it is. Once Thanksgiving comes around, it feels like Christmas break is just around the ...

Last Friday we had an amazing opportunity to have General Becky Halstead on campus! Along with the General we also had a few other very motivating speakers talk to the entire student body! General Halstead spoke for about an hour with so many inspirational, motivating, exciting stories and compliments that got everyone wanting to cure the world. Everyone left there with a huge smile on their face and with great energy towards life! We were extremely blessed not only have her on Cleveland’s campus but also have her a spokesperson for chiropractic. Her energy definitely carried through to this ...

I can’t believe that we are already six weeks into the trimester, but let me say that the study load is picking up.  We had our first skeletal radiology 2 exam today and it was tough. It’s funny how all those bone tumors can start to run together after a while. I think I’ll be dreaming of bone tumors tonight! Next week doesn’t let up any, we have three exams; one in HEENT, CPE and NMS 2. I’ve got some serious studying to do this weekend, but I am also going to a conference in ...

Ok so I don’t wanna gross any of you out, but when you come to chiropractic college you will be dissecting cadavers. And not to sound morbid, but it is soooo cool! I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t dig it initially; the first day in lab, I thought I was either going to pass out at the sight of a dead body or have a second introduction to my lunch due to the smell of formaldehyde. It took me a good month to overcome this and begin to see the silver lining to this otherwise grey and ...

What a GREAT Week!!

It is already Thursday which means it is really Friday for me because I don’t have much going on tomorrow and my family is coming tonight! YAY! Since I didn’t have a real good week last week I told myself that I wanted to make this week extremely good, so every morning I woke up with a smile rocked out to my Christian music and thanked the Lord for this new and beautiful day! I feel that this really helped, by starting off my day on a good foot everything just fell into place ...

WOW….I cant believe how fast time is flying by.  It feels like yesterday when I started blogging about the first day of school! Remember those days? Yeah…I look back upon them myself and I am glad everything is falling into place.  It’s always a little exciting starting out with a new set of classes; but, just like a new video game, the excitement wears off. With the blink of an eye, it all becomes a big routine (in a good way though). 

And now, I would like to mention a few words about last Friday.  Seven prospective ...

This week has been nothing but waiting on test scores it seems like! Not only do we get to find out our NBCE Part 1 board scores tomorrow morning, but we also get to find out scores to our Skeletal Radiology II test (which was killer by the way). I can definitely feel the crack of the worrying whip and I’m so excited/scared/nervous about how I did. I can feel the anticipation in my classmates as well and I think we’re all in the same boat about getting pretty restless. I think it’s safe to ...

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sign up for the two-day KinesioTaping 1 & 2 Seminar. With a limited amount of space available for students, I quickly threw my name into the hat and paid the discounted student rate (always an added bonus!). Well, I can report back and tell you that this weekend's seminar was incredible! For the past two days, I along with 20 other students, physical therapists and DCs, jumped head first into learning and taping each other. I have to admit, I didn't realize how much research has gone into this form ...

After a challenging Soft Tissue radiology exam first thing Monday morning the rest of the week was all downhill. Classes and student clinic went on as usual, but sprinkled in between were many birthdays. I mean a lot of birthdays. If this week were a cake and birthdays were sprinkles, the icing on this proverbial cake would buried out of sight under a heavy blanket of sprinkles.  

I’ve been a student here for over two years, so I’ve grown close with all of my schoolmates. It’s nice that despite all of our busy schedules, we take time ...

One of my favorite classes this trimester is Psychiatry.   I don’t have a background in any of the psychological sciences, outside of the psychology class that I took as a prerequisite to getting into the DC program. So a lot of what I’m learning is new to me. What I like about the way that Dr. Carr teaches is that he links the psychological theories of human behavior and development to what we understand from a neurophysiological point of view. Then, he shows how those ideas can be applied to a patient-doctor relationship.

It is just fascinating to ...

The lesson that I relearned in school this week was wash your hands!!! And before you ask, yes I definitely washed my hands before this epiphany occurred. When I was a lil tot, my mom used to tell me to wash my hands before I ate, while my dad just smiled and said that dirt would help make my immune system stronger. As it turns out, my dad was right; but I thank the Lord that he's never met Neisseria Meningitidis! This is an extremely deadly bacteria that I watched a video on in class this week. It has ...

As we approach Fall, we begin to see the changes all around us. Leaves begin to change their color, and students are anxious to go out and enjoy the pleasant weather before it's all gone. I don’t know how other people might feel, but I’m glad the scorching hot days are over. Now, we can all go out in the evenings and enjoy activities such as playing sports or taking a walk down the neighborhood. Whatever the case may be, everyone can find something they like to do during the Fall. 

As far as this weekend goes ...

Is this week over yet? I feel that I can’t get ahead this week at all. I am so blessed that I get to go home on Friday night to re-energize with my family. It will be well needed by that time! Even though this weekend will be an extremely busy weekend, I get to be with the people I love and need the most. I have an acupuncture seminar Friday, afterwards I am driving to Iowa for all day Saturday, then later Saturday night I have to drive back to Kansas for my acupuncture seminar on Sunday. 

The ...

Hey Everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and hopefully you got to spend some time outside in the beautiful fall weather. Homecoming was a huge success, we had a lot of students and alumni on campus.  Our speaker on Friday, Richard Flint, was awesome! His message was entitled “A Day at the Zoo” and explained different personalities in terms of animals you see in the zoo. He really made me think about what kind of animal I am and even what kind of animal I would like to work to be more like. So far I have ...

Didn’t think it was possible to have an enjoyable weekend and still be stuck on campus, but this past weekend I was proven wrong! Homecoming was a great chance for us students to stretch our minds in a positive light towards our futures. Richard Flint came and spoke to us about personality types and how to surround your life with positive reinforcement. It was a much-needed topic to hear and really re-motivated many of us for the weeks that lie ahead. I also attended the seminar on Electronic Health Records and the huge impact they’re going to have ...

My new favorite T.V. show lately is House. I know, I know… this show isn’t new, it has been around for years. But I have this tendency to get hooked onto sitcoms after they have been on the air for several years (which I love because then I don’t have to wait a whole week to see the next episode). It’s this show about medical doctors in a hospital that solve bizarre cases which stump everyone else. You see, each episode is a practical review of the stuff that I am learning in my classes and ...

Yep…it’s that time again when we cancel ALL Friday classes and attend Homecoming. Homecoming at CCC is a three-day event that involves the participation of various guest speakers on a variety of topics. A variety of events have already been scheduled, from current issues in chiropractic to learning about the Thompson Technique. This year, Richard Flint will kick off the event at the Dining Hall (I heard from a faculty member that he is a really good speaker). Personally, I plan to attend the Thompson Technique on the pelvic Adjustment. At this point in my schooling, I am ...

This is a bit of a short week when it comes to classes.  Only four days of classes, but it’s been a little hectic. I only had one test this week in Physiotherapy II, but we reviewed for a couple of tests that are coming next week. We also had the doctorate enrollment luncheon for our undergraduate students -- it was really exciting to meet some of the students who are getting ready to begin their journey in the DC program. As for next week, my calendar looks like a rainbow threw up on it, filled with lots of activities ...

Things are literally rolling along on campus and there is tons of stuff for us to do! Tomorrow is our homecoming and it’s a great day for us students to kick back, relax, enjoy some of the guest speakers that are coming to campus and eat some amazing food. Not to mention, the weather has been wonderful lately and we should have a beautiful day to enjoy the food outdoors. On another note, I heard horror stories about how difficult Tri 6 would be, but I have to say that so far it’s not too bad. I’m ...

Today, I am in my third year of school here at Cleveland Chiropractic College and I LOVE IT! I am so excited to be where I am in the curriculum; though the journey was so fun to go through. Yes, there were some hard times and times that I wanted to through my hands up and say "done," but they were few and far between! Looking back at all the knowledge that I have accumulated with all the hard work I put in is such an amazing feeling of accomplishment! I am just starting my journey in the student clinic ...

After two years of hard work and dedication I proudly marched up the stage to be handed my white coat and personalized business cards in front of fellow interns, faculty, family and friends. This moment immediately moved up rankings to steal the top spot on my list of best moments at Cleveland. It was amazing to proudly shake Dr. Cleveland III’s hands knowing my mom’s and sister’s eyes were watching me from their seats, snapping too many photos in excitement. 

I began student clinic some weeks ago and have completed my first physical as a student intern ...

Yesterday, I watched my fellow students receive their white coats and box of business cards. It’s a big milestone for a student in chiropractic college. The newly anointed interns finally get to treat in the outpatient clinic, after spending a couple of years in the classroom.  But the standards are now elevated. No longer is 70% a passing grade.  When a patient is in front of you, they don’t come in to get 70% better. They want to get 100% better. By being held to a higher standard, interns improve their clinical competencies.

Receiving a white coat marks ...

Survey: how many people get to sleep for 8 hours a day? How many people would like to do away with sleeping if they could?

Apparently, a lot of research continues to be done on sleep and the effect it has on humans when there is a lack of it. Just came out of Public Health II where Ms. Deno showed us an exerpt from a 60 Minutes episode on sleep. Crazy enough the researcher said that some folks in society would do away with sleep if they could.  WHAAAAAT?  That's insane...unless it's some big name caffeine ...

What started out as the warmest week California has shown me thusfar finally cooled down by Wednesday night; however, I’ve been so busy that I barely noticed the boiling conditions.  I’m just wrapping up week 4 of my 7^th trimester on a 10-trimester program.  It has been extremely exciting as it is a transition time in the program as I am now a student intern.  I finished my first physical examination this week on a student patient and it went better than I imagined.  As soon as I was finished I felt a rush of accomplishment come ...

Hey guys! My name is Jessica and I am one of your student ambassadors at CCCLA! This is my first blog… EVER, and I think I'm gonna love chatting with you guys and letting you know everything that’s going on here at school and with chiropractic in general.
 
I am really excited about the open house which is coming up on October 23rd from 10:30 am-2 pm at Cleveland Campus in L.A. (if you are even a little bit interested in this school, then you should DEFINITELY come check out this open house). I spent the ...

Up until now, my days have been fairly calm....that is definitely beginning to change.  This week I had my first exam in Cardiovascular Pulmonary Endocrine (CPE) diagnosis on Tuesday and my first Head, Ear, Eye, Nose and Throat (HEENT) test on Wednesday.  Both of the exams went pretty well and I am slowly moving into study mode.  Along with studying, this week has been full of fun!  I helped make heat packs that the pediatrics club will be selling at homecoming and helped out with a video for Ladies Night Out tonight!  The video was a lot of fun ...

Wow. Life is definitely getting busier and busier; however, it is such a fun busy! Learning how to manage my time to do the things that I want to do, like being active in school, being with family and friends outside of class, and the things that I need to do such as studying is sometimes harder, but manageable! Being in the student clinic I have about eight patients a week which puts me home around 5:30 pm. That is okay at the beginning of classes but now that they are all starting to schedule exams life is getting ...

Hey peeps! Well the ball is still rollin’ here on CCCKC campus and things are picking up pretty fast. We’ve already started to dabble into a few tests here and there and big events around campus are coming soon. Tomorrow we’ll be participating in our first Open House as campus ambassadors and it’s an exciting time for us to strut our stuff and share a few reasons of why we enjoy what we do so much. Each one of us will be bringing a show and tell item to discuss with future students and mine will be ...

Hello everyone!  At the beginning of the year, I shared on a blog that I was really excited about Technique 4.  Now that a few weeks have passed by, I have a few updates related to the class.  First off, for the past few weeks, we have been learning a variety of adjustments related to the occiput.  So far, my favorite move is the lateral occiput.  Yesterday, we tried a seated occiput for the first time and it was a little more complicated than the other occiput adjustments.  Fortunately, the teachers here at Cleveland are patient with students because they ...

One of the best events of the year happens every Fall, the “Top Chef” competition.  I’ve had the honor of judging this competition twice.  This year, I did not judge, however I had the chance to sample some of the entries.  What I can say is that there is a lot of culinary skill that runs through the halls of CCCLA!  The contestants all created dishes that were not only tasty, but were also very aesthetically pleasing. 

This past weekend, the Alumni Association put on the annual Homecoming event.  One of the most moving parts of the day was ...

My Friends, though we’re entering week 3 and midterms have begun, I’m definitely feeling more at ease with this trimester.  It could be that it’s the fall trimester and the holidays are just around the corner.  Or perhaps it’s all the new and exciting opportunities, including being a Campus Ambassador!  Blogging is pretty new for me, so bear with my ramblings.

Much has already happened in the month we’ve been in school.  Two weeks ago Constitution Day occurred.  As usual, our Student and Alumni Relations Director Michael Brown put together a great gathering filled with ...

In a lot of my classes, I have assignments, readings and quizzes for the following week. I know it sounds like a lot but it’s really not that bad! An interesting part of my week took place in my Toxicology class. This class is taught by Dr. Virji, who loves to share stories with his students that pertain to the material that is being covered in class. Specifically, he shared an interesting story with his students pertaining to his lab experience during his post-doc. It’s interesting to listen to his stories because it’s easier to remember the ...

Hey friends! Kickin’ off another week of chiropractic jazz and enjoying the sights and sounds around the college have been keeping me pretty busy this week. This week I’d like to focus in on an elective offered here at the college called Sacro-occipital Technique (SOT). SOT is a great course offered here at the college that gives you an alternative approach to the high velocity low amplitude style adjusting that many other techniques offer. In this technique you’ll learn things such as leg-length analysis, pelvic blocking, and the cervical stair-step approach to treatment. I highly recommend exploring your ...

I want to start by saying Happy Fall!  I am looking forward to some cooler weather, bonfires and maybe a corn maze.  It doesn't quite feel like fall, but I know it will be here before we know it.  It has been a pretty low key week here at CCCKC, but that is soon to change!  We are moving right along in each of my courses and already setting dates for some upcoming exams.  I have been doing my best to keep up with my studying, but I definitely have some work to do in my Skeletal Radiology II ...

I made it! I made it! My first week in the student clinic is officially done.  I was so nervous  but extremely excited about starting in the student clinic.  I was nervous about meeting my new patients and getting all the paperwork filled out correctly the first time so I don’t look silly in front of my patients.  I learned so much this last week not only about myself, but also about my patients and about our school.  To begin, I learned that my patients are students too, so when I do make a mistake or the clinician adds ...

Now that the first week of school has passed, the REAL work begins.  On the first day or two of classes, it is basically an introductory day(s) to the course.  Instructors will go over the syllabus, answer questions, and talk about the point distribution for the course.  Each class has a different pace.  Some instructors expect the students to know material that has been presented to us earlier in our curriculum, and others choose to give us a brief overview of what we should already know.  Regardless, the teachers want students to succeed in their class and they will ...

Wednesday, September 8 was our first day of school.  I must admit, I was happy to see all of my friends and excited to start classes.  So far, my favorite class this semester is Technique 4.  The reason I am excited about this class is because for the first time, I will have the opportunity to perform an adjustment in the neck (the cervical vertebrae).  Another class I am excited about is Neuroanatomy.  Specifically, I am looking forward to learning more about how the brain works.    

 I am looking forward to this weekend for two reasons.  First of all, I ...

Hey all!  I hope you have had a wonderful week because mine went pretty well.  I’ve had a little extra pep in my step since finishing Part 1 board exams on Saturday.  Now I’m just trying to get organized for this trimester and prepare for the first round of exams which will be coming in a few more weeks.  This trimester is proving to be another of my favorites because my classes are geared more towards the clinical realm which excites me for the future.  The other day one of my professors mentioned that their class would be ...

Week two of classes and everything is off and running.  I actually went to a High School College Fair last night and I had a great time.  I went to Park Hill High School and set up a table in the gym and laid out a lot of great information from Cleveland Chiropractic College.  It was so neat talking to so many high school students and their families about what they know about chiropractic.  I asked them all a few questions and I loved all their answers.  My favorite part was telling them all what chiropractic is and my story ...

Hello friends! Hope you all are having a great week this week! I know for me having the monkey off my back (aka National Boards Exams) this week has been great. Kickin’ off these classes is kind of like a breath of fresh air for new opportunities to learn more than the oxidative phosphorylation intermediate reactions that you have to know for the boards (not to say that aren’t important). Tri 6 is a great chance to fine-tune our adjusting skills and really get to the focus on a few subjects that are at the core of the curriculum ...

Hey all! I hope you have had a wonderful week because mine went pretty well.  I’ve had a little extra pep in my step since finishing Part 1 board exams on Saturday. Now I’m just trying to get organized for this trimester and prepare for the first round of exams which will be coming in a few more weeks. This trimester is proving to be another of my favorites because my classes are geared more towards the clinical realm which excites me for the future. The other day one of my professors mentioned that their class would be ...

Wooohoooo! It’s time to start another trimester. I have just finished my first two days of classes for tri 6 of 10 and so far I think I’m going to enjoy it. Each trimester seems to bring its own challenges and excitement, so I’ll just have to wait and see the highlights of this term. On another note, I have been spending time throughout my break preparing to take Part I of the National Board Exams which are taking place this weekend at CCCKC.  I will be spending most of Friday and part of Saturday taking those ...

Our finals are going to be starting up next week and I'm just amazed by how fast this summer went by.  I know I probably mention this quite a bit but the 3 to 4 years spent in chiropractic college just flies by.  If anyone is doubting about starting chiropractic college because of the time it takes to go through the program don't even worry about that aspect of it.  It's over in the blink of an eye.  I just don't want summer to be over which I'm sure many people will disagree with me ...

Good day fellow chiropractic lovers!  I am wrapping up my last few lectures and am already preparing for finals.  I actually just completed my last anatomy practical for the trimester this afternoon.  I only have a few blogs left and then you will be meeting our new campus ambassadors.  I hope you come take a tour of the campus if you have not done so.  I really love this school and my teachers.  They are all amazing and have taught me so much my first year here.
 
Everyone says the first year is the most challenging and so far I ...

I can't believe there is less than 3 weeks for finals to start.  I remember the way I felt my first trimester when finals arrived.  I think I had so much anxiety and that was the major stressor.  Now, I just want to knock them out because I have been working so hard I want to enjoy a couple of weeks of summer before they are completely gone.  I am pretty excited to have a good weekend with my kids.  We have a tomato garden that we work on and they are yielding right now.  They taste so good ...

I'm sure everyone has been really upset about not reading a blog from me in almost two weeks but I'm back!  Luckily I got to go on a family vacation all of last week in St. Augustine, FL.  I got to sit on the beach all day and hang out with my family that I don't get to see all that often.  Now I'm back to the real world and had a hectic week due to all of the class I missed last week.  It was worth it though.  I'm trucking along in outpatient clinic ...

Good day fellow chiropractic lovers!  I could not be happier that today is Friday.  I just completed another challenging anatomy test and just gave a presentation in endocrine.  It's amazing how much I am retaining now that I am acclimated to this school.  Sure, it is hard not to be outside at the pool at times.  To get through those times, I imagine myself graduated with a successful practice and I am on vacation somewhere.  All good things will come as long as I keep my eye on the prize.  I feel like I am chomping at the bit ...

Week 10, I think~  Only a few more weeks and this tri will be over... as will summer :(
Clinic is still busy busy busy.  I am having a lot of fun with my patients, and learning from them in the process.  I absolutely love getting to treat people... even if it's the end of the day and I'm dead tired, I still look forward to seeing my patients.  I'm not gonna lie - there are days that are definitely more challenging than others, but it's all worthwhile.  I am getting so attached to some of them, and ...

Hello to everyone!  I hope your week has been super fantastic and getting better.  This week we are hosting an Open House on campus and I hope that some of you that have been reading the blogs are here for it.  Open Houses are three times each year and they are action packed with great things such as clinic tours, meeting with Dr. Cleveland, our president, anatomy lab, mock adjusting lab, clinic tours, games, and prizes.  I still remember when I flew into town for an open house.  I knew for sure I was attending Cleveland as soon as I ...

So it is open house time here on campus again - tomorrow we will be hosting prospective students and their families.  It’s always a lot of fun hosting everyone, and we get to show off our beautiful campus and facilities.  We are also doing a “show-and-tell," where the ambassadors bring something chiropractic that they are interested in to demonstrate and explain why it is important to us.  So far, a toggle/speeder board, an Activator and SOT blocks are on the list of items.  Not much else going on here at school lately… it was nice having Monday off.  We ...

I've been a campus ambassador for about the past year and a half.  I began the position last April of 2009 and it's hard to believe that my time in this position is almost up.  This job is going to be one of my best memories of chiropractic college.  I've been working with a great staff here in the admissions office as well as wonderful coworkers, Bonnie, Todd and Vicki.  The tours with the prospective students and their families has been the most rewarding part of our job and I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything ...

This week I had quite a few new experiences in the clinic.  I had never ordered any labwork, used the urinalysis machine or done two young girls physicals at once (a two and five year old that were great patients but obviously goofed around like any kid would- they're a treat!) but I did it and the week is almost over!  I feel like it should be Friday but one more day until I can rest over the weekend.  My patient's labwork came back with no abnormalities so I'm happy I finally learned how to do it ...

Hello chiropractic fans!  If you have clicked on this blog then you have found the right place to know what it is like to be a student at Cleveland Chiropractic College.  I feel like this trimester just started and we are already finishing up week six of sixteen.  I hope you do not worry when I say that I just had 5 tests in 4 days.  I felt so prepared for each and every one of them and I did not pull my hair out or really feel that stressed.  I also want you to know that I get plenty ...

I am loving Tri 8 right now!  We get out of class at about lunchtime every day and then treat patients all afternoon.  However, if you don’t have many patients scheduled, that means a lot of free time… so I’ve been catching up on some pool time and TV shows I have been missing out on.  Seems likes a lot of patients are cancelling appointments to make time for their summertime activities!  I can’t say that I blame them!  But, it makes sticking to treatment plans difficult, and not good for patients in the long run.  The ...