Journey to Becoming a Chiropractor
Being a chiropractor means I can make a significant difference in people’s lives every day. Individuals come to us for help and we have a direct, hands-on impact and an almost immediate alleviation of a patient’s physical pain and/or concerns.
The primary focus of our clinics is pain control and rehabilitation. Our clinics offer a multidisciplinary approach to care, including chiropractic, physiotherapy, registered massage therapy, acupuncture, kinesiology, naturopathy, fascial stretch therapy and psychotherapy.
Region of Practice and Clinical Work
In 2012, my business partner (and identical twin) and I purchased a practice in the Bayview and York Mills area of Toronto called Sports Specialist Rehab Centre. We recently opened a second location at Bloor Street West and Ossington. This post in our Chiropractors Helping Patients blog expands on the types of patients we treat and the care we provide at our centre.
Credentials and Designations
- B.Sc. (Honours) in Human Biology, Life Sciences from the University of Toronto in 2006
- Master of Science degree in Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical Sciences Division from McMaster University in 2009
- Doctor of Chiropractic from CMCC in 2013
- Certificate in acupuncture in 2013
My Motto or Mantra
One of the things that we like to say in the clinic is that ‘motion is lotion’. The whole concept is that movement is the medicine. That is one of the mantras that my staff and I usually promote with our patients. Also, associated with that mantra is, ‘hurt, is not harm’. The response from some patients is, “Well, it hurts to move.” It doesn’t mean you’re harming it. Educating the patient on that, and to say, “You need to move to get better,” doesn’t mean that you’re damaging things further.
Leadership Engagement
OCA Initiatives
I’m pleased with our work on the Code of Conduct Task Force, which contributes to the work of the Governance Committee. I think this work is going to be very important going forward to hold us accountable to ourselves, not just to the public, by setting a high standard within our association.
I was also part of the (COVID-19) OCA Return to Practice Working Group, which was a very rewarding experience during an interesting time for our profession. I’m particularly proud of the work the whole group did there. The Return to Practice Working Group has really helped advance the profession. The work was not only for our safe return to work (which was critical for us) but also for the safety of our patients. Our model was adapted by other health care associations who used a lot of what the group developed for their own return to work policies.
To have an association within our own profession that was so dedicated to making sure that we continued to work and that it was safe for us and for our patients – and our families or friends – was rewarding and beneficial.
Community Programs and Initiatives
Both clinical sites that I’m associated with are teaching clinics. I’ve been able to establish two co-op programs with local high schools, as well as informal co-op programs and observational programs with students at different universities. With the high school co-op programs, the students earn credits to be here and learn. My university students are pre-medical school, pre-physio, and pre-chiropractic. They get firsthand experience of treating and communicating with patients.
I’m involved in several volunteer initiatives. One of them involves setting up a specialized inpatient outpatient program for HIV/AIDS patients and their families in downtown Toronto. I really want to give back to the community. So, I’m in discussions with program coordinators right now to establish this initiative sometime in the future.