Mike Update 3/14

Mike here again. I just wanted to write a little update on my progress so far, although most people following this blog want pregnancy/baby updates, I will interject a little about what has been going on in my life, (selfish mike moment). Today marked the last day of my seventh quarter of school. Since it is a fourteen quarter program, you guessed it I am half way there. It has gone fast but not quite fast enough for my liking, you know the old phrase days feel like years but weeks feel like minutes or something like that. Seventh quarter was one of the toughest for me so far. This was the quarter where at the end I took my first of the four part national licensing board examinations. While studying for those, I also had eight other classes to worry about, which ended up giving me by far the most quizzes and tests I have ever taken in a 11 week period. But here I am writing this to you today as a survivor. So in retrospect I experienced a lot in the last year and three quarters. During this time I have been able to perform well on the first of my board examinations, (which marks a completion of basic sciences, thank goodness) I have been able to discover the way that I will deliver my services as a chiropractor i.e. the technique I will use (which I am taking the elective on it this next quarter which I am very excited about), I have learned a ton of material (from different types of bacterium to the angle of the joints on your spine to energy metabolism and even the stages of syphilis plus much much more), and I have made some great friends in the process as well (suffering together helps to build relationships and you cannot hide when everyone that started with you has the same classes throughout the three and a half year program).

So today also marks a large transition in my education. The first half has been nearly all sitting in classes getting lectured at, but starting next quarter we transition to my time in the clinic as an intern. We start with review classes next quarter and then student clinic in the summer, where we get a student reciprocal as a patient as well as new students of Sherman as patients and then this fall they will set us loose on outpatients from the outside world, (under the supervision of a licensed case doctor of course). I will need to bring in my some of my own new patients so if anyone is wanting to try out the empowering effects of chiropractic care let me know. So on new experiences and more success as I journey to becoming a chiropractor.

I have included details of how boards went from my blog, Musings of a Future Chiropractor, the post was written last Monday. If you want to learn more about chiropractic and other health topics go check that blog out. Here is that Board post:

Well that was one of the fastest weekends I have ever experienced. Nine hours of testing over a day and half makes time pass rapidly. It turns out that I have been able to retain information for a year and a half of classes. I was able to keep track of how many of the questions I knew for sure the answer to, and to my joy it was more than half on all six sections, (you need 375 out of 800 or 46% to pass each section of part 1). Biochemistry was by far my strongest section, no surprise there. Although this is no guarantee that I have passed them, as with all standardized tests, they will now take all the tests from around the country and statistically adjust them; like if everyone got a question right, or if everyone got it wrong they throw it out and readjust and they will do all other types of statistical wizardry to get the final scores. Based on past results they tend to curve the tests in such a way that ~75% pass and ~25% fail each time they administer the exams. I feel confident that I am in the top 75% and I will get the official scores on May 5th.

With everything said and done, I am happy to have that experience done and over with. One less hoop to jump through before I can become a licensed chiropractor. I would like to thank all those that gave my support and sent happy thoughts my way way. Now on to pre-clinic next quarter and the next phase in my education.

                                    

-Mike E