Sem Holloway's Blog

Sem is short for Jonathan

    As an instructor takes roll on the first day of class they begin the process of getting to know their students. Some prefer Elizabeth be shortened to Beth. Some use there middle name rather than their first. Some international students prefer a nickname similar to their given name that is easier to pronounce. Some prefer their middle initial included when being addressed. Then there is Sem. When Dr. Duke asked, why when he didn't see so much as an S or and M in my name that I would go by "Sem" rather than Jonathan, I replied "Sem is short for Jonathan." That garnered a strange look. So where in the world did I get "Sem" from?

    There are 4 versions of the story, three by me and one often postulated by others.

The Short Version

    It is a nickname I picked up at Governor's School during high school.

The Slightly Longer Version

    It is a nickname I picked up at Governor's School due to what you might consider a paperwork error. If feel that my time at that school changed me and I accepted the nickname and brought it home with me as a symbol of that change.

The Often Postulated Version

    That Sem is actually an acronym. One of my favorites is that SEM stands for Starship Enterprise Man. It does not stand for Scanning Electron Microscope.

The Long Version.

    That is not going on a blog. Ask me in person. In the mean time...

    So why all this admittedly self-centered discussion of my name? Well, this is my first quarter in Clinic. That means lots of changes in daily dress, speech patterns, and overall professionalism. I have a good friend and mentor who's grandfather was Senior, his father was Junior, and he is the Third. As such he has used the name Trey to represent being the 3rd. However he must use his full name for signing legal documents therefore must introduce himself in the same manner. I know I will be signing lots of documents with legal standing for the rest of my professional career and I need to be consistent. So to eliminate confusion on paper but increase the confusion when taking  attendence, I am switching back to Jonathan for Clinic and professional purposes. I have started introducing myself to Doctors and patients as Jonathan. But since I have never been stict about being called Sem I will not be strict about Jonathan. All my friends, classmates, and anyone else who has known me as Sem is welcome to call me whatever they want.
    Some changes for Clinic are scary, some are easy, and some are down right strange. I'll chalk this one up in the "strange" column.
    So what do you think? Do I look like a Jonathan?

NBCE Part 1: The Results

    The anxiety of board abated withing the week following the test. I don't know if it was the realization that the task was finished and nothing could be done to change the result, thus illustrating the futility of worrying about it, or if it was being busy with my first quarter as an intern. Either way board scores were not on my mind until Wednesday of this week. We knew that Friday, today, was our judgment. Hopes, fears, and destiny hung off the scales with a set of 6 numbers stacked on the other side.
    All this drama about what my scores are and I find out while eating cereal in my pajamas. I was just glad I didn't spill my Magic Stars (TM) during my victory dance.
    We checked on classmates and all I heard was good things and saw plenty of smiling faces. Regardless of the variety of scores available, with in the numbers and anxiety, only two words matter.... I passed.

International Research and Philosophy Symposium 2009

Last Friday while my classmates were clocking out to head home, I started my shift doing transportation support the Continuing Education department in preparation for IRAPS. Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic played host to the International Research and Philosophy Symposium this weekend. IRAPS is a forum for the latest in vertebral subluxations research as well as current philosophical concepts and applications. I attended the reception on Friday and the closing two presentations on Sunday. Dr. McCoy, editor of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (jvsr.com), spoke to close the research aspect of the symposium and Dr. Bill Decken closed the philosophy portion with an inquiry of establishing a chiropractic ethic.

            I chose to follow through with a family commitment on Saturday and missed the majority of the presentations. However, I think the most valuable portion of the weekend was available in the form of work. I was assigned to provide transportation from the airport for some arriving speakers and a Board member. The most important information gleaned from this weekend may have come during a 20 min drive with a practicing DC Dr. Ken Hughes. He encouraged me to find an associate-ship and told me about his first year in practice as well as his experience as an associate.

            I hope to see double the number of students next year. Just don’t try and take my seat behind the wheel.

Half way through.

Seventh quarter is over and I am in Pre-Clinic. Wow!

I was told in the beginning that the time would fly by. They were wrong, but that is a good thing. I love being at Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic and learning about the human body and how I can help people heal themselves. This has been two of the most rewarding and difficult years of my life. I may be half way to graduation, but I am just starting in Chiropractic. Chiropractic principle #6 is "There is no process that does not require time." Some days it seemed like the process would never end, and other days like the ones at WCCS 2009 and Upper Cervical Evolution couldn't take long enough.

I look forward to those days when I barely get hope in time for dinner because I am busy helping patients in the health center. I look forward to being at school at 7 am to take the Blair elective. And I am just slap full of excitement that I will be locating analyzing and correcting vertebral subluxation (LACVS) by the end of this quarter with a student reciprocal.

Clinic Challenge Experience

The Clinic Challenge Experience is a program that Sherman has for students about to enter clinic. It is a two day mental, physical, and emotional challenge that helps prepare you for clinic in ways that classwork and study can't.

I can certainly attest to the challenging aspects of the course. The physical aspect was probably the least challenging in contrast to the very challenging mental portion. I had to evaluate my fears, weaknesses, and strengths and I arrived and some strong truths about my future and my present. Climbing the pole was easy. Choosing to leave a fear at the top was hard. At the last step I realized that I had needed that fear for a long time, it had served it's purpose and it was time to let it go.

I know that the spirit of teamwork and the deeper friendships, now tempered in the fire of the challenge course, will help support me in building my practice.

The emotional section was not very challenging at first. It was more of a heightened emotional awareness until the last physical challenge activity. I inadvertently put myself in a situation with a fellow student from which I emerged angry. I dealt with the anger in my usual way by removing myself from the situation until I felt comfortable enough to begin resolution. The interaction continued after the challenge and it seemed to start well. I felt comfortable and expressive without being aggressive of accusatory. Unfortunately the discussion did not resolve and both parties left angrier than before. This exchange, however, I believe is an opportunity for emotional growth. After discussing the situation with a wise and understanding faculty member, I took a step that I had not taken before. That step was to understand that my problem was with the interaction, not with the person. It is not something I was told to believe but something I came to understand as I expressed myself. That is a lesson I did not expect to learn when I paid my tuition, but it has a value that is indescribable.

The Clinic Challenge Experience is another reason why Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic is the most amazing place to learn how to be a Chiropractor.

A link to photos will follow soon.

NBCE Part 1

Boards- As defined in the Holloway Unconventional Chiropractic Dictionary:

1. A series of tests created by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners to evaluate and certify your knowledge of chiropractic related subjects including, but not limited to; General Anatomy, Spinal Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Public Health, Diagnosis, and Treatment. The Test is administered in 4 Parts (I just finished part 1).

2. What you feel like hitting yourself with after taking the Chemistry section of NBCE Part 1.

3. What you fear you may be selling at Home Depot if you don't pass NBCE Part 1.

-See Also Boards Quarter-

Boards Quarter-

1. Any of the quarters at Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic during which you will be sitting a NBCE exam.

2. The series of three months where you don't get to see your friends or family, ignore hobbies and interests, and have no time to read anything other than notes, textbooks, and review material.

3. The time your friends will invariably schedule a cool trip or 4 that conflict with a review, scheduled study time, or the test itself.

-See Also Opportunity-

Opportunity-

1. What NBCE Part 1 presents to you. Example: "NBCE Part 1 gave me the opportunity to show my future peers that I have the knowledge and have put in the time and effort to be considered their equal."

Editor's Note:

    Despite all of the difficulties and stress surrounding the process of taking Part 1, I am overjoyed to have the opportunity to move forward with my Chiropractic training. I think that talking about the stress and difficulty helps us relax and is a mechanism for informing our friends and family just how challenging it is to become a Chiropractor. So don't be too frightened when you here another student 's weeping and lamentations over taking Boards, and don't be afraid to continue that tradition when it is your turn to sit for the exams.

  I had the opportunity to work at one of the country's top summer camps before my entry to SCSC and I learned many things, one of the most important is to reward yourself and others when an important goal or landmark is reached. To celebrate my accomplishment, I spent time with good friends, tried a new restaurant, and stayed up until the wee hours learning algorithms to solve a Rubik's cube. A Rubik's cube to celebrate Part 1? Hey, I told you I was unconventional.

World Congress of Chiropractic Students 2009 Part 1

"If you are not out to change the world, everything else in just Mickey Mouse."- Reggie Gold, DC

In my first quarter at Sherman I was introduced to a club called WCCS. The members talked about changing the world and meeting chiropractic students from all over the globe. Fresh from a lecture by guest speaker Reggie Gold, I joined up.

Last year's congress was during Neuroanatomy I and during a time when I could not afford the trip. I helped with fundraisers but chose to stay home. When the delegates returned from Mexico City with stories of congress I was excited and still a bit unsure about what to expect in 2009 in New Zealand.

Preparations for the trip included fundraising activites; volleyball tournements, bake sales, and a pretty substantial yard sale. Delegate fees were payed by the club thanks to donations from Sherman and the Sherman Alumni as well as others. I did some personal fundraising and bought my passport and ticket to NZ (pronounced "enzed" by locals).

The trip was long and I was ready for a rest before congress even got started but I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. The next 7 days were full of hard work, debate, education, research, and little of the rest that I was hoping for fresh off the plane. Without a doubt, those were the most exciting 7 days of my Chiropractic career so far.

I have never felt so much passion, encouragement, frustration, and excitement for this profession as I did in my week in Auckland.

It wasn't always happyness and sunshine, but man was it worth it.

Details in part 2.

Midterms keep you busy.

We all have a busy schedule at SCSC. It prepares us for a busy practice in the heath center and after graduation. A full schedule also preventing the program from dragging  on for 7 years or so. We had an optional board review over the weekend and midterms both last week and this week. This week we have 5 midterms in three days. All this got me thinking about the extra obstacles in chiropractic school and why they are important to the curriculum.

Take for instance the high reading level of our textbooks and suggested reading. Don't you want a health care provider that is well read and is prepared to read the hieroglyphics of Nolte (the primary neuroanatomy text)?

How about conditions, anatomical structures, and enzymes that have many different names? Do you want a health care provider who is capable of conversing with members of the profession who may have been taught by a different instructor, from a different book, or in a different country?

Then consider a busy schedule. While even in high volume practices, the DC must not be so busy that they burn out, don't you want a health care provider with the physical and mental stamina to give their full attention to every patient that comes in regardless of what time of day, day of the week, or what is going on outside of the microcosm of the chiropractic office? Gee, I love commas!

We can choose to look at midterms as a hindrance and tribulation. This does nothing to build our character. We can also choose to look at midterms as an opportunity. As long as you prepare your study time and your play time so that you do not burn out, midterms, finals and boards, can be another avenue of growth for the optimistic professional.

And because quotes from famous people somehow seem to validate our own opinion...

"A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties."  ~Harry Truman

It's a nephew!

Today is the birthday of my first nephew Ian. He is a cute little guy. Visiting my family at the hospital was fascinating. I love my family and it was wonderful to see everyone smiling and happy. I also got a closer look at the way hospitals treat mothers and babies. All the staff seemed very genuine and caring. It was hard to see my family's newest and know that I don't yet have the skill to check his spine for vertebral subluxations.

Mothers and babies are injected with so many drugs during a hospital birth. It's so fascinating how our bodies manage to overcome all that chemical trauma to eventually thrive.

I am very excited to be an uncle. I'm looking forward to the pediatric adjusting class even more now.

Finals are over!

Whew! Finals are official over. In addition, I have completed "Duke University," the year spent with Dr. Duke in room 43. It consists of Neuroanatomy I and II, Neurophysiology, Neuropathology, and Endocrine and Reproductive physiology. He is a great teacher and though I am glad to be moving along in my career, I will miss his classes.

Now I have a break. What was the first thing I did after the test? I gave a tour for a prospective student and her mother. They seemed to really enjoy the school and she seems to be headed our way in about a year. Guiding tours at Sherman is a great experience and I encourage current students to give it a try. I certainly encourage prospective students to come by and check us out. There is something pretty cool about getting your own tour of SCSC. The college may even put you up in a hotel for the night to help cut travel expenses. Check it out here: http://www.sherman.edu/edu/future/visit.asp

I have lots of things planned for break. I will combining relaxation, goal setting and achieving, part time work, visiting friends and family, and general adventure during my time between quarters, and I'll be taking you along. Check back soon!