My first thought as I began to write this blog post today was to offer my apology for getting so personal at times with my postings. Then as I was thought about it I realized that getting a little personal in these posts is not really something that I need to apologize for. The purpose of my blogging is to give information to those who are in chiropractic school, or preparing for it, to help them to know what to expect while they are here and how to prepare for it. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I talk about my classes, the community or simply the enjoyment of school, it can be helpful to those who are thinking about going to school, but it is only helpful on an academic level. If instead, I am willing to be open with the reader and let them know about the less discussed aspects of devoting your entire life to a single cause for three and a half years, the reader is able to connect a little easier with who I am, and what it is that drives me to be here and to commit so much effort to this purpose.
As I have thought more on this subject I have realized that this is also what is going to set me apart long after I am done with school when I am working in my own practice. There are several principles of leadership that must be employed by a chiropractor if he is to be successful. One that is certainly important and must not be overlooked is good solid business ability and drive that will translate into dollars that pay back student loans and build nice homes and comfortable lives. However, another principle of leadership that is often overlooked is a principle that cannot be learned in a classroom. If you ask any chiropractor what the biggest challenge is with running a successful practice, I think many will tell you that it is difficult for patients to understand the principles of chiropractic beyond simple pain management. The principle that will make a chiropractor into a leader in his community is not going to be his ability to run a successful office. It is going to be his ability to connect with his patients on a personal level to gain trust so that they know that his motive is their health and happiness. It is this ability that is going to determine if that brand new mother stops by his office on the way home from the hospital to have her new baby checked, and it is this ability that is going to inspire that new baby twenty years later to go to chiropractic school to learn how to make a difference in the lives of others the way that chiropractor did in his.
