D.C. student and President of the Blair Upper Cervical Technique Club

“Sending the elevator down”

 

What made your first quarter at Life U memorable? 

My first quarter seems like it was just a month ago, super recent. I think the biggest thing for me that was memorable was the initial connections that I made.

I didn’t come from a chiropractic background. I was coming into this profession relatively green, not really knowing what to expect. I didn’t know that there were a lot of techniques. I only knew of two, TRT [Torque Release Technique] and hands-on technique that I thought was all one big technique.

What I was most impressed with was the caliber of students that I met. There are a lot of amazing, like-minded individuals here who are extremely intelligent, so you can rise to the occasion if you surround yourself with those people.

It’s a shock; it’s very fast-paced. I was not expecting that, coming from a semester system. The advisors tell you it’s fast and do their best to inform students of how rigorous the program is, but no matter how many times you hear it, it’s never going to translate until you are in it. It’s like a fire ritual; you just have to get thrown in.

I think also the generosity that a lot of upper quarter students had toward me [was memorable]. I was in engineering, so there is not a lot of camaraderie in engineering or ‘sending the elevator down’ to the younger students. It’s more of a free-for-all. A lot of the upper quarter students at Life U are so giving, just like a lot of the doctors are –giving advice, helping out with classes, and anything like that. It’s a very welcoming community.

What surprised you during your first quarter at Life U? 

I’d say finding out how many directions you could go in; it was pretty overwhelming. It’s a good thing that we have a lot of diversity on this campus compared to other institutions that have a chiropractic college.

Another thing that was surprising, in a good way, was how helpful the upper-quarter students were. Looking back, I wish I had taken advantage of that a little more and taken more initiative with those people who were willing to help, but I didn’t want to bother them too much as a first-quarter student.

Tell us about your experiences with the Blair Upper Cervical Technique (Blair UC) Club?

I was in Electrical Engineering as an undergrad, so the analysis aspect [of Blair UC] lends itself to me better than other techniques do. [Blair UC] focuses more on asymmetry in the spine, which a lot of techniques don’t address or have not found a way to address yet.

I chose Blair UC after exploring all of the amazing techniques that we have exposure to at Life U because the analysis was extremely detailed; the clinical application was incredibly efficient, with less adjustments and increased results; and the technique has its roots in the amazing philosophy we all are exposed to here at Life U. 

What advice would you give to a new or prospective Life U student?

Just starting out, regardless of your background, what you need to do is check your ego and what you think you know at the door. I think my perspective and what I thought Chiropractic was limited me for about three quarters, as far as how I would spend my time, whom I would interact with.

I was very closed off for a while, and I was very [focused on one path]. I would encourage students to drop it, immediately. Come in your first year, explore every technique… because you never really know what’s out there, and you shouldn’t form an opinion on a technique unless you know that analysis and understand.

Don’t commit to anything for your first year; you are just exploring. Start networking soon, especially with doctors. Get in communication clubs. You need to know how to communicate … with other students, doctors and, eventually, patients.

My 1st Quarter is a campaign featuring students reflecting on their 1st quarter of studies at Life University and why it was so special and unique. All University students (undergraduates, graduates and D.C.) are encouraged to share their experiences in order to help those in future incoming classes get a real-life glimpse of what they can expect as they start a new chapter of their education journeys at Life U. If you would like to be featured or have a suggestion, email Marketing@life.edu.