A day in the life of a Chiro student
Part of the clinician role is managing your own patients. This means contacting them to book them in for treatments or updates. A good rapport with patients is essential and it also ensures better compliance.
Every new patient has to do a urine sample, this is checked and any abnormalities are reported back to the clinician and, if warranted, with the patient's General Practitioner.
The best part about being in clinic is treating patients and getting good results. It is what everyone works so hard for and immensely rewarding.
Techniques are practiced over the three years under strict tutor supervision before you enter the Clinic in your final year. This is a key time in your training, to gain confidence and allow your skill to develop.
While in Clinic, you can refer patients for in-house X-rays. You're required to write a report and explain the findings to your patient. Each treatment room has light boxes with which to see the X-rays on.
The records room is where we keep all the patient files. Records duty consists of pulling the files for the next clinic shift and making any new patient files. This allows the clinicians to pick them up without any fuss.
Sarah Murray is studying Master of Chiropractic course at the University of South Wales.
"When I was 19, I had a serious car accident, and sought chiropractic treatment. My chiropractor persuaded me to look into studying chiropractic so I visited the University and quickly became excited by the prospect of studying a vocational course.
I’d be lying if I said studying chiropractic was easy! It is an European Council on Chiropractic Education accredited course, so has to be exacting in its standards. It integrates clinical study, academic and practical work to enable you to understand the human body, identify abnormality and to be able to appropriately manage a patient. You spend at least 20 hours a week in lectures, practicals, tutorials or in the laboratory, depending on the module.
Socially, the course is great! We are all under the same pressure so it's nice when everyone gets together to let their hair down. We always have an annual Christmas party in Cardiff which is usually fancy dress and open to all years.
I have also been to pub quizzes, the Brecon Beacons, swum in waterfalls, been bowling, played zorb football, had beach bbqs, been to the cinema, watched rugby at the Millennium Stadium and the Cardiff Blues, walked up Pen-y-Fan and Snowdon, been to a Holi Festival, had house parties, taken part in Carnage Cardiff and Battle of the Unis, surfing, sledging and so much more!
Outside of my Chiropractic training, I am part of the Women’s 1st Hockey Team, of which I have been Captain for two years. We have gained three consecutive promotions and as a club we have been very successful. I love being part of a sports team as it gives a release from the course.
It's introduced me to people from other courses and I have regularly met old college friends at BUCS fixtures. The sports teams are all very welcoming, they are social and regularly go out in Cardiff and to the Students' Union. I'd recommend it to anyone starting University."
