Sem Holloway's Blog

Sherman keeps students costs low within its family environment.

Sherman College of Chiropractic is one of my favorite places in the world at the moment, and certainly the best academic institution I have attended. Here are a few examples of how Sherman helps keep school costs low for students.

1. The Federal Work-Study program. I got paid $9 an hour to work with the International Research and Philosophy Symposium. To be clear, I was paid through the school, to meet incoming speakers and visitors, all DC’s, MD’s, or PhD’s in their own field, and talk one on one about chiropractic as I drove them to the school. I was paid to drive while discussing practice management with a Board of Trustees member and many others.
   
2. I received FREE tutoring for Neuroanatomy classes. Which not only helped me get an A on the final exam, but also directly influenced my achievement on National Boards Part 1.
   
3. My Neuroanatomy tutor was paid $9 an hour to work with me.
   
4. As a tour guide you have the opportunity to practice your public speaking skills as they relate to chiropractic. As you practice, you are compensated for the time of the tour. It is a total win/win situation.
   
5. The financial aid department is stellar. They know your name, know your schedule, and will not allow you to forget to apply for aid. If you miss a deadline, you could miss a quarter at school and they are devoted to not allowing that to happen.

Sherman College is a family. We look out for one another. When you help those around you and work to better yourself, your life has purpose and meaning. You can find family at Sherman College. 

The World Congress of Chiropractic Students: Unity Is Happening Now

More than 100 students filled the ballroom at the Crown Plaza in Auckland, New Zealand on a cool, cloudy morning in August of 2009. They gathered for the World Congress of Chiropractic Students; combined they traveled more than 100,000 miles to entrench themselves in the future of the chiropractic profession. Seven days and more than 100,000 miles separated them from the past year of dedication and toil and an unimaginable change in their lives that lay just over the horizon.

Who could have experience what happened there and not be changed forever?

Those few souls represented the 12,000 current students learning chiropractic on 6 continents. They carried the voice and concerns for the growth of chiropractic. But what chance did so few stand against the largest challenge we face, the challenge of unity? With more than three dozen proposals to be considered, added to the structure of debate and Roberts Rules that was a like foreign language to so many, these few had other bridges to build before the big mountain could be ascended.

In Auckland, those bridges were built with patience and openness for the other’s view of something so cherished by both. Respect and professionalism reigned on the floor of our congress that week. Students from Tokyo Chiropractic College voiced concerns for Japanese patients when they proposed U.S. schools stop issuing certificates to students from unaccredited Japanese schools for the completion of a one-week anatomy course. After Tokyo Chiropractic College stated their concerns, delegates from Cleveland Chiropractic College Los Angeles announced that their college had stopped issuing the certificates prior to the congress meeting. Their proposal passed unanimously and a letter was sent to the other colleges.

Students from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa requested endorsement for a pro-bono program at their student clinic for workers in the public sector. A joint committee of students from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and Life West presented findings on establishing the WCCS as a non-governmental organization/non-profit organization, and paths were carved for a louder, stronger voice for the World Congress.

Sherman College of Chiropractic was represented by seven dedicated, passionate delegates to continue in the most direct way of advancing their school’s mission of being the leader in bringing straight chiropractic to the world. Our voice was heard through our proposal to encourage U.S. public school curriculum additions to include “spinal health” and “chiropractic.” We stood beside Life University, New Zealand College, and Palmer Davenport in support of a letter encouraging that the focus of our chiropractic education remain centered on vertebral subluxation.

The voice of Sherman students would have been silent, both on the floor of the Congress, and in the philosophical discussions that continued long into the night, if not for the support of our school’s administration, Alumni Association, students and a number of amazing individuals who contributed so much time, effort, and financial support so that the Sherman WCCS delegation could attend and help advance Sherman’s mission.

Those bridges were built and they stand strong. The mountain of unity was not conquered by mutual economic concerns, philosophical domination, or by measures of unity attempted by other chiropractic organizations. The one thing we all brought with us to Auckland was a passion for chiropractic, however we choose to define it. Passion is one of the few things that grows when it is shared.

The delegates journeyed home and brought their unified voice with them. The work continues even now with projects to improve international mobility of chiropractors and the independence of chiropractic as a profession.

The bridges stand, yet work still needs to be done. The 2010 Congress will be hosted by Parker College in Dallas, TX, and Sherman delegates need to be there. You can help with advice, encouragement, fundraising, and support of our continued efforts. The ripple started on a far away island with just a few students. It is growing as you read these words. Are you ready to be a part of something greater than yourself?

Eight Practical Tests in 3 Hours

    Who in their right mind volunteers to take eight practical tests in 3hrs and expects to emerge sane? While I cannot vouch for a universal expectation of sanity, I can tell you that 20 of my closest friends and I did just that last Thursday.

            If you are unfamiliar with the process, Entrance Exams are a series of 12 tests that measure your qualification to be an intern in the Sherman College Health Center. Four of the tests are written and eight are hands on. The written tests are spaced throughout the quarter, which allows for a steady prep time. Thursday of week 8 is holy here at Sherman. It is the day reserved for the practical portion of the exam.

            In many ways this test is more important than boards while you are at school. You are required to take any of the boards to graduate. This process allows for students from other countries to study at Sherman without demanding licensure here if they plan to go abroad.

            The stations are as follows:

Leg Checks

Palpation

Instrumentation

Physical Exam

X-ray Setups

Upper Cervical Contacts

Toggle

Full Spine I

 

            I think I studied for these tests as much as I studied for boards and it certainly paid off. Seven A’s and one B. How did I reward myself? I watched Star Trek and bought and new dress shirt for clinic. Ah the simple joys in life.

Talking about Health

I had the pleasure of speaking with students from the massage therapy program at Spartanburg Community College just the other night. Their anatomy class, taught by Sherman graduate Dr. Princess Porter DC, had toured our anatomy lab a couple of weeks ago. In return they were hospitable enough to let me talk with them about Chiropractic and how we can work together. The students were welcoming, attentive, and a credit to their instructor.

            Sherman College has a healthy graduation requirement of five public health talks. Basically each student must give 5 graded health talks in the community or in the health center to develop their skills of public speaking. Another obvious goal is to educate folks about what Chiropractic is and how it relates to health. The talk must include a definition of health as it relates to the nervous system, how Chiropractic care affects health via the nervous system, and this particular talk involved how massage therapist and Chiropractors can work together to help patients live a life free of vertebral subluxation. My bachelor’s degree from Clemson University is in Communication Studies and I thrive in that environment. I came home recharged and excited about what I get to do.

    A life in Chiropractic, there is nothing else like it.

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.