Alpheus Thornton
Following In His Family’s Footsteps
Student: Doctor of Chiropractic
October 2021

Alpheus Thornton is a second quarter student from Independence, Oregon, who is studying to become a Doctor of Chiropractic at Life University.

โ€œBoth my parents are chiropractors, so I got to grow up around the chiropractic atmosphere and see health from that different perspective,โ€ he shared. โ€œThat definitely influenced where I am today.โ€

Thornton was originally going to attend Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, where both his parents studied.

โ€œAfter doing some research I kept hearing from other people that I had to go to Life U, and I went to check it out.โ€ Life Uโ€™s dedication to Vitalism resonated with Thornton, and he chose to study Chiropractic there instead.

Thornton is a member of the bible study club and the Torque Release club on campus. โ€œI dipped my toes in quite a few clubs to try them out, but not all the technique clubs were for me. Eventually, I want to join the Functional Neurology Club, but as a first quarter student, Iโ€™m still getting the hang of my schedule.โ€

Becoming a chiropractor was not always the plan for Thornton. โ€œI always saw Chiropractic as something my parents did. I originally wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon up until my junior year at my undergrad,โ€ he shared. โ€œBut, as I began to evaluate my options in health care, Chiropractic became more and more appealing.โ€

After graduation, he plans to go back to Oregon and take over the family business.

โ€œMy father is starting to get to retirement age, and I know he is probably already getting patients ready for me. So, Iโ€™ll go back and integrate into the family practice and go from there.โ€

Thornton’s advice to other students is to get a core group of friends.

โ€œFind people to study with and intentionally get involved in the community. Itโ€™s not something you can build overnight; as an introvert, I know how difficult it can be.โ€

 

 

LEARN MORE:

 

Faces of LIFE is a story campaign that showcases members of the dynamic Life U community, including faculty/staff, students, alumni and health science professionals. Interested in being featured or nominating a candidate? Emailย Marketing@LIFE.edu.ย Read more Faces of LIFE stories.