As an athlete growing up and a mountain biker for ten years, Michael looked both at physical therapy and chiropractic as a career. He shadowed doctors from both fields and ultimately found his passion to be with chiropractic after reflecting on the care he received following an injury he endured.
After a bad fall mountain biking, Michael couldn’t walk for days so he sought out physical therapy to get him back to his optimal health. Then, one of his friends, a Palmer West student, recommended a local chiropractor. Michael was able to get in immediately to receive care.
“This accident and the care I received from a Palmer chiropractor opened my eyes towards the profession,” he said. “That is what convinced me to become a chiropractor.”
“I shadowed several Palmer Doctors of Chiropractic and they encouraged me to check out Palmer’s program, mentioning that it has the best academics and technique.”
After growing up in Santa Maria, California and receiving his undergraduate degree in kinesiology from California State University Bakersfield, he planned to stay close to home and attended Palmer West. When it came time for his clinical experience in March 2022, Michael made the move to the Quad Cities to finish up his degree at Palmer’s Main Campus.
“The move and transfer were completely seamless,” he said. “Plus, it was a huge benefit to get to use the Bittner Center and other facilities while being at the fountainhead.”
“The first thing I noticed after moving is that the people are very engaged with each other. I stopped at a gas station on my first day and the clerk said, “hi” to me. It seems so simple, but it was so weird because back home, you’d never have a conversation or even say hi to a stranger. It’s nice that people are less tuned into their technology with their heads down.”
Michael was also impacted by the significantly better cost of living.
“I was able to live in a much more affordable and spacious apartment while completing my education at Palmer Main,” he said.
When reflecting on his clinical experience, Michael says, “I really loved learning under Virginia Barber, D.C.,” he said. “I saw a variety of patients and was able to get a lot of hands-on experience. Each patient I saw was a new learning opportunity. I’m very grateful to Dr. Barber and all she taught me.”
When looking at the Doctor of Chiropractic program at Palmer as a whole, Michael sums up the experience in one word, “excellence.” He continues, “The biggest surprise about Palmer is the amount of knowledge you gain in a short amount of time. We learn such a variety of things in the curriculum, and it makes us prepared doctors as we get closer to graduation.”
For anyone considering a degree in chiropractic, he says, “Look at the success stories. When shadowing, I was exposed to so many stories first-hand which enforced that this profession was right for me.”
“The essence of chiropractic changes to me the more I learn,” he said. “My own philosophy is that chiropractic is a holistic approach to health care where we promote movement and help by improving someone’s lifestyle, but especially for people in pain. We can help people with musculoskeletal issues avoid opioids by using other approaches to care.”
“Also, chiropractic is special because patients will often come to a chiropractor. They aren’t just referred, like other medical fields. They want to be here. As a Doctor of Chiropractic, you are helping and teaching others.”
“You can be the chiropractor you want to be. The variety of doctors and different methods and philosophies they follow makes our field so diverse, but at the end of the day they all have the same end goal: for their patients to be better.”
Michael is currently precepting in California. After graduation, he hopes to work as an associate and eventually expand to open his own practice likely in California.
His best advice for students is, “studying is crucial for this program, but it’s also important to make sure you have personal time and are getting rest. In the beginning, I was only studying and although I was getting great grades, my mental health took a toll. Don’t make the same mistake that I did. Find a balance early in the program.”
