Guest macMDstudent Posted June 14, 2003 Report Share Posted June 14, 2003 Thanks jmh2005 for the endorsement! I'm glad that I have been able to help you on those occasions. I'll see you around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Climbing Posted June 15, 2003 Report Share Posted June 15, 2003 Just to add to the conversation.....PTs have a greater scope of practice in areas other than musculoskeletal that you may want to consider when making your decision on PT/OT/Chiro/MT etc. I personally have worked in the ICU, with orthopedic inpatients, cardiothoracic surgery patients, internal medicine patients, GI, Rad/Onc, Urology, Vascular, resp, cardiology etc. All this usually occurs in the acute care hospital where the benefits are (not inclusive list), working with a variety of patients, different members of the team (SW, RN, RPN, MD, OT, Dietitian, Pharmacist, Pastoral care etc). In addition, I have also had the honour of working with rehab patients in a rehab hospital/outpatient settting. Clients I have worked with include strokes, spinal cord, amputees, geriatric rehab, resp rehab, cardiac rehab all of this also in a team setting similar to the ones I mentioned above. My learning experiences have been amazing and just in two years. When I went into PT I was geared for life in Private Practice with years of post grad work in orthopedics, but these experiences have changed my mind In terms of my work in private practice orthopedics, I tend to refer my clients to Chiros for spinal manipulation as I do believe they are better at it than I am. If possible I would prefer refering to osteopaths or Part B Manual Physical Therapists. Where I am practicing now, I have yet to find a Chiropractor that will not treat 3 times a week for ever. There is one who is exceptional and is not afraid to stop treatments if they are not required, however, he is currently hard to get into. I am one of the lucky ones In my previous practice in Vancouver, I had an amazing experience working with one Chiropractor as a team. When spinal manips are indicated, I would just send people over to him and he would do the same to facilitate his treatments by sending his clients over to me. It is too bad that we cannot do this more often. On a more personal note, I will never let anyone (Chiro, PT, MD etc) manipulate my cervical spine. I solely go for treatments for my thoracic spine. Cheers Climbing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Climbing Posted June 15, 2003 Report Share Posted June 15, 2003 Many PTs do have extensive training in spinal manipulation (axial skeleton), some are just as good as Chiropractors. These PTs (in Canada) are called Part B Physiotherapists or hold a Diploma of Advanced Orthopaedic Manual and Manipulative Physiotherapy. For many of my peers it has taken about 5 to 6 years of course work and practice to achieve this status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bearman14 Posted June 15, 2003 Report Share Posted June 15, 2003 Hey Climbing -- totally off topic, but I was wondering if you've been able to recover from the stunning collapse of the Canucks this Spring. 100+ hours of therapy has almost got me back to normal... Bearman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Climbing Posted June 16, 2003 Report Share Posted June 16, 2003 Hey Bearman, I think I am just getting over it.......damn, I think I need to make another appointment:D I have read on this board about your acceptances, congratulations! But Alas, you have decided not to stay in canuckland. Where have you decided to go if you don't mind me asking? (Sorry Ian for messing this thread up) Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bearman14 Posted June 17, 2003 Report Share Posted June 17, 2003 Hey Climbing -- last comment, then I'll let this thread get back on track :\ . I've decided to head out to McGill. I'm eagerly awaiting the 2003-04 schedule to see when next year's Stanley Cup champions from Vancouver will come and play in the ol' Forum... D'oh! I mean, the boringly-named "Bell Centre". Boooooo.... Did you get into UBC? Maybe EZinbox me your answer. Thanks man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UWOMED2005 Posted June 17, 2003 Report Share Posted June 17, 2003 I couldn't agree with you more completely on the docs needing to be open-minded bit, me maniac. I have heard docs bashing chiropractors, particularly neurologists over potential strokes from the vertebral artery as a result of neck manipulations. But I have also met open-minded physicians as well. I guess you just have to choose what you want to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest medicator007 Posted June 17, 2003 Report Share Posted June 17, 2003 Bearman, Glad that you'll be heading out east to Montreal, a city with a long storied hockey tradition, that will hopefully soon return to former glory with the hiring of Mr. Gainey! That being said however, how is the Bell Centre any more boring of a name than just about every other corporate sponsored arena these days? I too long ....Sigh... for the days of the forum, the gardens (TO and BOS)..... but those are over... sad but true!:rolleyes Have a great summer and see you in august! Medicator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UWOMED2005 Posted June 17, 2003 Report Share Posted June 17, 2003 We had an MD last year come into talk to our Beyond Borders group (interest group that tries to cover topics not covered in the curriculum) about his fusion of allopathic and alternative medicine. He's taken courses in acupuncture, naturopathy and other CAMs to complement his allopathic family medicine practice. Wonder what you guys think of that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest physiology Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 macMDstudent, That's great that you're a chiro - you can work on weekends and in the summer in a profession (you enjoy)! (Talk about debt reduction!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest macMDstudent Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 Not much time to work during school anymore. I did it for the first 6 months of school but things just got too hectic and never had enough time to get things done or spend time with my wife and kids. Since Mac is year round, I think I will be on a sabbatical from chiro until I'm done residency. However, when I get into practice as a family MD in a few years, I plan to have both my family practice and also a Sports Medicine, Back and Neck clinic. Since I will be able to bill under both licenses when I'm done, I hope to make up some lost ground financially in the long run. Not that I'm only in it for the money (before I get attacked on that one again) but I will be able to have a nice out of OHIP component to my practice, since chiros can bill patients directly over OHIP for chiro services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MDbadly Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 macMDstudent, Since you have seen both sides, chiro (school and work) and med, would you recommend someone who is thinking of chiro school as an alternative plan to go for it, knowing what you know and have experienced? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest macMDstudent Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 I could write pages about this topic, but I won't. I have expressed a lot of my thoughts already in this thread and in this one pub125.ezboard.com/fpreme...=261.topic so I'll try not to repeat myself. Basically, it comes down to this. It can be very rewarding working with patients, and it is possible to make a good living in chiropractic. But in my view, there are two ways to practice. One is what I did, an evidence based, musculoskeletal focus that you become part of a referral network of MD's. The other is you become an alternative health care practitioner who tells their patients that every health problem they've ever had comes from their spine and it just so happens the only cure is a chiropractic treatment on a regular basis for the rest of your life (the "I have a hammer therefore everything looks like a nail" way of practicing). This is based on the "subluxation" theory that "bones out of place cause nerve interference and since nerves go everywhere in the body, this must be what makes people sick." This was quaint in 1895 when the theory came to life, but it still hasn't got any scientific proof and is quite silly in my opinion and I can't believe it is still being used today. Unfortunately, there are far more of the second type of chiropractor than the first type, therefore all chiropractors get the label of nutcase (at least in the other health professions) until proven otherwise. However, if you can take someones pain away and get paid for it, then what more do you need to do to have a great career? As a matter of fact, one of the MD's I know had a brutal neck and upper thoracic pain develop this past week and he begged me to help him out. After treating his neck and back for the first time, he was amazed. After all the patients he had sent me he still didn't realize how a good treatment can help so much. After using all the free drug samples he thought would help from his office, he finally had to call me. He said that nothing in medicine could have helped him the way I did. (His words not mine, and he's a practicing MD for 10 years). A chiropractor needs a certain mentality going in, whether or not you ultimately practice in a sensible way. That is, you have to be confident you can make it on your own, and can put up with people constantly putting you down or labelling you as part of a group in a derogatory way. You have to have a little bit of "rebel" in you to go against the whole system as an alternative type chiropractor, or to take the abuse as you try to show that you are different and can work within the medical model. A little bit of salesmanship doesn't hurt either. And you do have to work hard to establish yourself. As I mentioned elsewhere, I think your whole life would be easier as a physiotherapist, you can do all the same treatments, you could make the same or better money and for a lot less time in school and less tuition costs overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.