January 2006

What kind of chiropractor are you?

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz

You graduated from the same school, studied the same books and learned from the same instructors, yet every graduate has a different level of achievement and outlook on practice and life. How can this be so? The answer to this daunting question goes back to before you entered chiropractic school.

The kind of person you were before is the kind of chiropractor you will become. If you were successful and happy before you became a chiropractor, chances are you will continue to be that way. However, if you struggled with life before you became a DC... the bad news is you will continue to struggle. The good news is that there are ways to improve and change what kind of chiropractor you are!

Many reading this are great DCs from a technical standpoint, but fall short either on the business end of things or on patient communication and education. You're not alone. Today, chiropractors must be able to wear many different hats ‑‑ CEO, educator, doctor, team leader and also the business mind behind all of these. Avoiding or ignoring these different hats only compounds problems, shuts down growth and adds frustration to your practice. Working harder, smarter or longer will not solve the problem. You need a different perspective with new input and insight.

In our travels across the country, we have identified four major groups of DCs:

1. Type D ‑‑ DCs who struggle, resign themselves to their struggle and continue in this behavior for a lifetime. Who they are and what they do is decided by the whims of society. The penalty for this way of life is always living in fear and not being able to change.

2. Type C ‑‑ Chiropractors who make some kind of living and are constantly in search of an outside "battery charge," such as a new marketing tactic or a new gimmick. Their practices are strictly a job and create much stress in their lives. They don't see the need to improve themselves.

3. Type B ‑‑ Successful DCs who perform a dizzying array of activities to make a living. Oh yes, they make great income and are socially accepted for being successful, but they jealously guard their "secrets" for success. They do not mentor anybody because they fear being in competition with other DCs. They give back little to the planet, its people or the profession. In their minds, they have arrived and, as a result, they have a solid core of arrogance and a lack of appreciation for chiropractic and for people. Then there are

4. Type A ‑‑ Chiropractors who are both successful and who give back to the planet, its people and our profession. They love to mentor other DCs. Self‑improvement is a way of life, not a destination. They don't talk numbers or stats. They don't need to brag. They speak with a certain strength and conviction that comes only from a steady input of homework, commitment and dedication to this "fair lady" called chiropractic.

We always encounter a tremendous variety of "kinds" of chiropractors when we speak at various venues. At a Mentor IV Seminar or the WCA Summit, for example, there is great energy and purpose in the room. It's such a wonderful feeling to see the passionate faces of DCs who truly want to make a difference in the world.

On the other hand, if we're speaking at a license renewal venue, we'll see only a few DCs with the "eye of the tiger." The rest are there for their own reasons. The over‑riding emotions are fear, boredom and a genuine lack of gratitude for being a chiropractor. They seem to be merely going through the motions of life and have lost their sense of adventure and passion. One of the saddest sights is seeing DCs who have the tools and the mindset to make a difference in the world and choose not to.

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: "Freedom is always within the framework of destiny. We are both free and destined. Freedom is the art of deliberating, deciding and responding within our destined nature." As chiropractors, our destiny is the liberation of people from the shackles of allopathic oppression to their true innate potential and expression. Rev. King further remarked, "To cooperate passively with an unjust system makes the oppressed as evil as the oppressor."

The world is searching for leaders in wellness, not sickness. You can't study poverty to become wealthy. By knowing everything about unhappiness, you will not create happiness in your life. You can't study uneducated people to become educated. Likewise, you can't study sick people to become healthy. Now is the time for us, as DCs, to create a collective consciousness of introducing and educating people to their true innate potential and expression.

(The New Renaissance is a movement of passionate chiropractors dedicated to changing the world. The leader in patient education since 1977, the Mentor IV Coaching Program is a step‑by‑step navigational guide that embodies the very essence of The New Renaissance vision of healthier people creating a healthier world. Without patient education, your patients won't "get it." To learn more about The New Renaissance, contact world headquarters at 800‑525‑3879 or call their information hotline at 888‑524‑2318.)