“…I shall improve my knowledge and skill, firm in my resolution to justify the responsibility which the degree of Doctor of Chiropractor symbolizes and imposes… To all this, I pledge myself, knowing these ideals are prescribed by the dictates of reason alone…”
And just like that, you’re done. The Oath has been pledged. You bounce out of Uni / College with Drizzy pumping in the Bluetooth cordless … “Oh my God, Oh my God I’m a MuthaF*kin Legend”, or maybe if you’re more an of a mature aged student some Bon Jovi “Yeah, we’re halfway there Wooaahhh Livin on a Prayer”. The next few days might be a blur or in some cases the next few weeks, pouring anything down your throat you can get your hands on, taking a break for staring at the hypothalamus, or recalling where the T12 dermatome travels – living the dream. Then, when everything calms down you sit there and dream of all the patients coming into your office to see you. You’re so good, you can heal anyone with maybe a simple diversified adjustment of C2. Or maybe it’s a Gonstead L5 adjustment. Or maybe a swift click of the activator on a TMJ causes the patient to refer hundreds of others to you. You can see it now, they’re lining up out the door to see you. Patients love you. Money is flowing, your practice is flowing, the phones are off the hook, you’ve put a down payment on your dream home and that crisp white Porsche looks great in the driveway. The dream – right, but where do you start. How do you get to that point of “god-like” figure to your patients? Where do you start? Well, maybe don’t do what I did and just jump in at the first opportunity that comes your way. Make sure you give some deep thought as to how you want your career to play out. Me, I think I did it all wrong – sure, it’s worked out ok but it can be a long hard slug if you don’t give it some thought, to begin with. So, here are some things to think about when you are first starting out. What you choose may be ideal for you but not for others so there is no one size fits all – this may just be a little guide as to what to consider.
Where do you want to live:
Now, this can change of course but think about where you would like to live. For Chiros like myself in Australia, we have a few options. Do you enjoy the hustle and bustle of a Big City – coffee on your doorstep, multiple pubs and wine bars around the corner, and fine dining just down the street? Or maybe you are more of a nature lover, a slower pace of life, hearty patients who like to talk as well as receive their mid-thoracic “crack”, you wander into the clinic after a long walk along the river or up the local mountain. What about the beach? You can feel it now, sand in between your toes as you effortlessly place your SOT blocks in a category 2 position. Finally, you might just want to be a mobile practitioner – nothing wrong with that, food for thought right?
Should you Locum first or jump straight in as an associate? Or are you brave enough to just open up on your own?
This one is interesting. Some may be graduating with an associate position already crafted out for them. Maybe you’ve observed certain practices during your study and have found a spot open for you in one of those practices – but, do you want to do hard work building a patient base for the owner? No Capital Gain. Or do you want to travel (post Covid Style) and locum around the place to get a feel for how different clinics run? Maybe you want to work at a Covid “mask on” clinic or maybe you’re more of a free spirit “mask off” kinda Chiro. My general advice here – observe as many Chiros / Clinics / Procedures as possible and start to build an idea of what you like/don’t like and what feels like “you”!!
What type of Chiro are you?
Do you love the “Lucky 7’s rack em and crack” style? Do you like the “No talk – Zentype Chiropractic clinic where your spirit helps the healing process? Or are you more of a Sports Chiro type with a full rehab set up along with a custom ice bath and Infrared sauna? Open plan or Closed Office Clinic? Dry Needling included? Nah, Faktr and RockFloss all the way baby??
Finally – Balance.
Do you live to work or work to live? Maybe you want to hit it hard and work 8 hours a day and a half-day on Saturday healing the world! Or maybe you’d just like to Netflix and Chill for 3.5 days a week and work the others. How many hours a day? Mornings? Afternoons? F&#k the weekend? Or The Weekend is where it’s at for changing people’s lives?
And this is just a shortlist of things to think about when starting out. Although, don’t let it stress you out. Basically, all I’m trying to point out is that “ you do you”. Don’t be anyone else and people will be attracted to you, and you will feel comfortable and love what you are doing. Chiropractic is a very rewarding career when you can fit in with your own morals and dreams, I’m sure you’ll find this out… And no matter which path you take you’ll build a band of followers who will love you forever – albeit a little scary as that may sound.
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