When Mason Orme, D.C., (West ’11) arrived at Palmer West in 2007, he was the youngest student in his class. He was 21 and looking to expand his career and improve his life. During his time at Palmer West he was able to do just that.
“Palmer influenced me to discipline my life rapidly. For the first few quarters, I learned about time management. However, by the fifth quarter, I learned how to expand my brain capacity. By the end of my schooling, I discovered how much impact I could have on my patients’ lives,” Mason reflected.
After a football injury, it was a chiropractor who changed the trajectory of his life.
“I had a chance to work with a chiropractor who literally changed my life. I had a speedy recovery which got me back on the field sooner than I expected. That experience motivated me to help do the same for others.”
He decided to attend Palmer because “everyone I knew said that Palmer was the Harvard of chiropractic schools.”
Now nine years later, Mason is continuing to make a difference in people’s lives and in turn, he is fascinated about the constant growth in his career. “I’m most proud of my determination to never stay the same. I am always trying to grow, always trying to learn something new. That is what makes me happy in my career.”
Dr. Orme wants current students to think outside the box. “Create, push the envelope in our profession. Mess things up. Fail fast. True learning comes from failure. Don’t be stuck in a fixed mindset. Have a growth mindset, learn from everyone. Get used to being uncomfortable. That’s when you start to see who you really want to become. Lastly, and most importantly, do everything with love. Without love you can’t succeed in life, so love all and serve all. Everything else will come together.”
The future of chiropractic is bright, and Dr. Orme is, “Excited for the younger generation. With the advance of technology and education. I’m eager to see someone change the way we look at the chiropractic profession. There has to be more to our profession than just being clinicians. We have to use our knowledge and bridge the gap between musculoskeletal health and technology. We have to set a different standard of care than we have had in the last 10 years. We have to see where the future is within health care and advance alongside with other healthcare providers.”
As we celebrate Black History Month Dr. Orme would like everyone to know this: “I think it’s huge to be able to inspire and impact communities no matter the race. Society only shows influential Black leaders being athletes or celebrities, which is a very limited scope of Black people. But I think giving back and helping others on a deeper level is the bigger win. I think to have the ability to do that on a daily basis makes me feel honored to be a Black health care provider.”
