From: Kelly Edwards, a 3rd-year Chiropractic student at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
Kelly's
Vision of Chiropractic beyond 2001.
1. Chiropractors are no longer seen by the public as bone-crunchers or musculoskeletal specialists who only deal with people's symptoms even if the Universities are teaching students that aspect only. Instead, they are recognised for focusing on removing subluxations in order for the nerve system to be free from interference and allowing the body to heal itself.
2. Every member of the family
goes to the Chiropractor regularly whether it be weekly
or monthly to have their spines checked and subluxations
removed. It's a part of their routine because they realise
how important their nerve systems are, how harmful subluxations
are and how beneficial Chiropractic is to their health and
their lives.
3. Midwives are constantly
advising parents that Chiropractic is an option and that
they should have the baby's spine (and their own) checked
as soon as possible after birth. The Midwives know this
as they too are having their spines checked by a Chiropractor
regularly.
4. The occupation 'Chiropractic
Assistant' is a profession that high school students aspire
to as the students have been seeing a Chiropractor since
theywere born and realise how important the CA's role is
in a Chiropractic office and to contributing to the community's
health.
5. Chiropractors aren't satisfied
with seeing only a few patients a week as they know that
they're limiting Chiropractic and themselves by doing
so. Seeing more people doesn't mean that they are offering
a lower quality of care, they are just making a larger positive
impact in their community.
6. Chiropractic as a profession
becomes more united. Even if Chiropractors don't totally
agree philosophically, there's no verbal bashing of other
Chiropractors and their opinions. We have other professions
doing that for us already. Also, it confuses students even
further.
7. It's my vision that
"ADIO" isn't seen by students as a typing error
but instead seen as standing for "Above, Down, Inside,
Out." In addition, "Chiropractic Philosophy"
is no longer a disliked topic of conversation among
students only because they don't know what it involves.
8. Students don't rely
solely on the University for their Chiropractic Education.
They go out and meet Chiropractors at seminars or by asking
to observe for a shift. They spend time BEFORE they reach
4th year asking lots of Chiropractors questions, trying
to find out "why" things are done that way, even
if they think that they aren't going to adapt that technique
or approach to aspects in practice.
9. DG for students ISN'T a
thing that you MIGHT go to once you're in 4th or 5th year.
It's an event that everyone attends at least 3 times before
they graduate and they continue to attend once they're in
practice not only for the social factor but for continual
personal improvement and for contributing to the Australian
Spinal Research Foundation (ASRF).
10. And finally one day create the problem where
at Spinal Screenings or any other sort of promotion, people don't want to take
part, not because they've heard some negative myth about Chiropractors, but
because they're already seeing a Chiropractor regularly for Wellness care.