At just 22 years old, Seth Link is less than a year away from earning his Doctor of Chiropractic degree, thanks to Palmer College of Chiropractic’s 3+1 program, which allows students to earn their degree in less time.
It all started after a few high school sports injuries led him to the same Doctor of Chiropractic his parents had been using. Seth immediately took to Dr. Steve Pagano, learning as much as possible from this unexpected mentor.
“Conversations with my first chiropractor really struck a cord. As he educated me, I completely fell in love with the profession and knew right away that this is where I’d end up,” said Seth.
An alumnus, Dr. Pagano highly recommended Seth visit Palmer College. Once he toured the Main Campus in Davenport, Iowa, he was 100% in and didn’t need to tour any other schools.
“I started and ended my search here. Palmer was an easy choice for me because I felt a sense of community with everyone working toward the same goals and ambitions, combined with a very nice campus. The professors all instilled that they were here to make us better, which was reassuring.”
While busy wrestling and playing football and baseball, Seth was also busy earning college credits in high school. When he enrolled at Mount Aloysius in Cresson, PA (near his hometown of Ashville), he had already earned 23 college credits. He learned of the 3+1 program while touring their campus and knew right away that he wanted to fast-track things. Seth expedited the already expedited three-year process and completed his undergraduate work in only two years!
“I knew I’d want to keep a fast pace which is why I chose Palmer’s 3+1 program,” recalled Seth. I majored in Natural Sciences with a concentration in Pre-Chiropractic, taking heavy course loads. When I finished 90 credits in two years, I didn’t take a beat. I moved to Iowa to attend Palmer immediately after.”
Because of his intense workload and the 3+1 agreement at Mount Aloysius, Seth felt extremely prepared by the time he started his chiropractic studies at Palmer.
“Moving through undergrad so quickly forced me to learn effective study habits, time management skills and the little details it takes to be successful at Palmer,” he shared.
When asked if he has a favorite professor or class, Seth recalled his time with Dr. Michael VanNatta in the Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis (NMS) courses, levels I and II. “Dr. VanNatta is great at keeping his students engaged in a positive learning environment. His classes are very hands-on and clinically relevant. He did an amazing job of preparing us for clinicals!”
Seth’s future includes a VA rotation and a preceptorship before graduating in October of 2024. In his upcoming 9th trimester, he’ll be working at the Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Alabama. “I wanted to take on more of a caseload and believe it will be a great learning experience. I am looking forward to working with and learning from the veteran population and can only imagine how rewarding it will be,” he shared.
Following his VA rotation, Seth will be back in Pennsylvania for a preceptorship program in his 10th trimester. “I’d heard of Dr. Matthew Sleppy through family. He has been a mentor for Palmer’s preceptorship program for a while and I was extremely impressed after our initial conversation. I look forward to learning from him,” he said.
Seth’s advice for current or future students is to get involved in clubs, get as much hands-on time as possible and make the most of your time at Palmer…whether you pace it or fast-track it!
