Archive for Student Life
Are You looking For Answers, or To Be “Right”?
Hmm. Where’s that question coming from? I’m going a little deep today. Better than off the deep-end. Some observations I felt led to share… my hope is it touches even just one reader…
In coaching many DCs in practice, and directing hundreds prior to opening their own practice, I’ve identified a “theme” that recurs, not often thankfully, but recurs nonetheless.
It has to do with a person, we’ll call him “Ralph”, who is faced with some problem that has yet to be overcome. He has already figured out the reason for his failure, or so he is convinced… at least at first.
What I mean is I believe Ralph truly is convinced about “why” something is as it is, why something won’t work, or why he hasn’t been able to overcome… but there comes a time in coaching that it becomes obvious, maybe to everyone but Ralph, that he is so hellbent on defending his “reasons”, he would rather be “right” than embrace a solution and move forward.
It’s rather fascinating to ponder… I suppose we all might have weak moments when we’re guilty of such behavior. But whether of pychological or spiritual origin, I wonder why certain, otherwise highly intelligent people embrace this Victim mentality… “I’m going to continue to fail, and here’s why”.
As one of my mentor’s has said, those who fail will always make excuses… or what they’ll refer to as “Reasons”. We all get knocked down, we all face adversity, we all will find ourselves in a place where the answer is not readily apparent… No one is exempt from these moments. It’s part of life, isn’t it?
But doggone it, do not stay there. It may take work and searching for wisdom to figure your way out…The questions to ask yourself include, “Okay, now that I’m here, what next?” “What’s my next step to put the failure behind me and to overcome?” And when someone in-the-know is throwing you a lifeline with “Solution” stamped all over it, don’t be so proud, or bitter, or strangely comfortable in this role that you cling to your “Reasons”, choosing to remain a victim rather than climb out of the muck.
Maybe the most interesting (and telling) of these cases is when the stated ”reason” for failure changes… just kindof morphs into something else… as solution after solution is offered.
Here’s one example. Dr. Ralph has too many of his new patients (most who truly need care) opt against care, or they discontinue their treatment prematurely.
Dr. Ralph has it figured out… he must be charging too much. “I’m pricing myself out of the market” he claims. Interesting that other doctor’s in markets with nearly identical demographics to Ralph’s charge just as much or more for their care… but he is convinced. He has his reason, and he’s sticking to it.
With a little checking, it turns out, Ralph has difficulty communicating the value of care to his patients… often a symptom that he himself is not very confident in what he offers.
Well, how about working on that? Ralph, what value do YOU place on the care you provide your patients? How about comparing the ”life-changing” care you offer to a few hours spent in the ER for a kidney stone ($6,400… never mind this was not treatment of the stone, just diagnostics and some pain meds). How about the cost of braces?… how much will a parent, in your community, plunk down to have wires fastened to their kids’ teeth… largely for cosmetic reasons mind you, not truly “health” related?… Between $4,000 and $6,000?
What’s the cost of surgery on a wrist, or on the spine? Surgeries which YOUR care might prevent! I don’t know… what can your care enable people to do again?? What will it save them from?? Is it worth it to them??
“Well, that’s not it”, he says, “I do value my care, but my patients won’t”. He’s convinced. And the problem has bled over into all areas of his starving practice, because he defends this scenario, “even if people come in, they won’t value my care enough to actually pay for it.” Bad place to be, concept-wise.
Okay then, if you won’t go there doc, how about this?… let’s work out some new financial options your office can offer, allowing patients to receive your care while making more ”affordable” payments.
Problem solved, right? I mean, if the whole issue of poor acceptance is monetary, than this should be the solution, right? (or at minimum, will offer many more patients the flexibility to work payments into a doable budget).
Nope. Not this time. His “reason” just morphed… did you see it happen? Quick as Optimus Prime into a semi (my kid loves Transformers). And it doesn’t really matter what it’s morphed into… it might be, ”Well, you know I’m really more of a “pain relief” doctor, and I don’t understand what “treatment for condition” nor what “wellness” are all about“. Or it might have become, ”Well, you’re Italian and I’m Irish, so that solution won’t work” (what??) Or, whatever… and what really just happened is, Ralph was never really looking for an answer anyway, because it might involve moving out of his comfort zone, and worse yet, would mean he’s no longer ”Right”.
So here’s a question for you… is there an area in your life where you see yourself as a Victim?
Do you have “reasons” for why you haven’t overcome?
Or, do you rather see yourself as Responsible, knowing with the right direction and the right wisdom applied, you will, without a doubt, no matter what your present circumstance, rise above any setback or “failure” you experience? Are you looking for answers, or to be ”Right”?
Successful Openings – Is There A Plan That Really Works?
It’s very interesting to hear what students are thinking regarding opening their own practice. Kindof. I mean, I do remember what it was like as a student, even though it’s been nearly eighteen years since I last ate Ramen Noodles… not so delicious, but boy were they economical! A steady diet of those, and one can eat for a week on about ten bucks. A little tuna and Cream of Mushroom soup mixed in, and there’s your protein as well.
I was clueless back then. Not just in a culinary sense, but in my concepts of what things were really worth my time and attention. I was so focused on getting through all the requirements, while maintaining my 3.something GPA. Then came state Boards. Being from a suburb of Buffalo, many people have asked me how I settled on North Carolina as the state I would live and practice? My honest answer? I placed my finger over Buffalo on a map, and traced an imaginary line due south!
Are We #1?
What is the likelihood that Chiropractic will ever become the #1 healthcare choice in America? At the outset of this blog, this was one of my stated passions. To see our profession and our individual doctors elevated to the status we should hold.
If I get hit by a truck, take me to the ER. If I have a heart attack, call 911. If I have a genetic anomaly or inexplicably develop a disease such as diabetes or a cardiomyopathy requiring life-sustaining medication, then give me that medication.
What was in the FedEx package??
Do you remember the movie, “Cast Away”? Tom Hanks played a FedEx worker whose company plane goes down, stranding him on a desert island for years. As he recovers remnants of the wreckage, he opens some of the packages. 
He finds his buddy, “Wilson”, and the ice skate that helps him with that toothache problem (Ptoooooie). Why Most Chiropractors STRUGGLE in Practice – Part I
It’s safe to assume most students and newer docs have dreams of success.
But dreams based on myths don’t come true. Here are some of the most common myths about practice success that plague the minds of chiropractic students and graduates alike:
- If you graduate from “this” school…or hang “this” sheepskin on your wall…
- If you use “this” technique, that’s all you need…
- If you use “this” piece of equipment…
- Just get good results with your patients, and it’ll open up the floodgates of referrals into your practice…
- “I’m intelligent, I’m a Go Getter, I’ve always been successful at anything I’ve done, I can figure this out on my own… (How hard can it be?)”…
- Or BJ’s famous, “just drive your car ‘til you run out of gas, and build your clinic there.”
The Power of Action – for the chiropractic student
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” -Goethe
Hello, and welcome!! Last post we discussed moving a resolution or a goal from “thinking” to reality. The above quote commonly attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is one of my favorites. He was known as Germany’s “Shakespeare”, and he would have been a fan of this topic.
How do I know? Check out a couple more from the man, who incidentally is also credited with being the first to identify the Incisive bone, part of the Premaxilla (Ahhhh, flashbacks of Gross Anatomy):
Goal-Setting Hangover
There’s something extra special about this time of year. The awesome reverence of celebrating the birth of Christ on Christmas always makes December special.
And then there’s that week between Christmas and New Year’s, where people and things seem to move at half speed. Work still gets done, but the feeling is like a ship that cuts engines and drifts into port.
Many people look upon the New Year as a chance to hit the reboot button. It’s a clean slate. A time to start over, or to reinvent one’s self. There’s a feeling of hope… tomorrow’s going to be a better day. And so new year’s resolutions are made, and new goals are set.
ToTo, I Have the Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore
Life on campus is not the real world. As a student, it’s like being wrapped in a cocoon. You’re pretty much insulated from what life in practice will be like.
One example?… For the most part, you’re all in it together, studying with and helping one another to get through. Once you’re gone from there, it doesn’t take long to realize your old “support system” is gone.
If you’re in school, what is your goal right now?
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