We're really excited to roll out this next Member Spotlight. Jonathan Parham is a Palmer West student who does it all, read more below!
At 4 years old Jonathan found his passion in playing hockey. He played high level hockey until he was 18, when injuries ended his competitive career. However, because of those injuries he found his true passion when his medical team (consisting of a chiropractor, massage therapist and personal trainer) helped rehabilitate him which allowed him to continue playing at a high level. This is when Jonathan realized that his goal in life was to help other athletes like himself, enjoy their sports passions.
After receiving his undergraduate education with a kinesiology major, he began massage therapy school. He also worked as a Physical Therapy Aide at a specialty clinic where his duties included patient assessment, manual therapy treatment, proper exercise direction, administration of electrical modalities, and consultation with other medical professionals.
Jonathan is currently a student and intern at Palmer College of Chiropractic West and will be graduating in September of 2016. He also currently serves as the Student American Chiropractic Association National Legislative Vice Chair where his duties are to oversee the entire student organization with an emphasis on legislative affair and our National Chiropractic Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. Previously, he served as the Student PAC chair for the American Chiropractic Association and was chapter Legislative Representative. His goal is to help everyone he comes into contact with whether it's coaching youth hockey, or anyone who is under his care.
Check out his student profile on Palmer West's Website!
FTCA: Tell us a little bit about your life before you started chiropractic school.
JP: I knew that I wanted to become a chiropractor when I was about 16 years old. Half way through college I went to massage therapy school so that I could at least be working part time in the health care field while finishing my undergraduate education. I worked briefly as a massage therapist but I was offered a job working at a multidisciplinary clinic as a physical therapy aide. I carried a patient load providing manual therapy on the patients under the physical therapist and chiropractor. It was an amazing opportunity to see how the two fields work together and the benefits of the work that we all do.
FTCA: What made you decide on chiropractic as a career?
JP: I played competitive hockey growing up and always was injured in some way or another. Finally, when I was about 15 my mom convinced me to go see a chiropractor. I fought the idea because, like many people out there, I didn’t want to go see one of those weird people. But I went anyways and the relief I felt blew me away. I continued to go weekly and realized that this was my calling.
FTCA: Why did you choose Palmer West?
JP: I chose Palmer West partly due to the fact that both of my chiropractor’s had gone there, but more than anything I liked the emphasis on evidence based education. I originally was leaning towards Life West because I had heard that their technique education was far superior. But after exploring on my own, I realized that the education system there was so heavily focused on subluxation and innate intelligence, I knew I wouldn’t last long there. The emphasis on sports as well as evidence informed practice is truly what pulled me towards Palmer West.
FTCA: What activities and/or clubs are you involved in and why?
JP: I am currently the Student American Chiropractic Association(SACA) National Legislative Vice Chair. I sit on the student national executive board with 4 other students from around the country. The political and advocacy side of chiropractic is a huge passion of mine. I think we all know that chiropractic is constantly under fire from nearly every angle in the political arena and I for one hope that I have a lasting career in this field. My belief is that if I don’t stand up for my profession, who will? I was previously the SACA PAC Chair and the chapter Legislative Representative which gave me a ton of insight into how exactly the political arena works and it only fueled my passion for this aspect of our profession. I did hold the chapter president position for the California Chiropractic Association for about a year, but resigned after the decision making of the executives completely contradicted my belief system.
FTCA: Congratulations on being elected to the SNEB as the Vice Leg Chair! Tell us, what made you decide to step up?
JP: It has been an honor to serve as the Legislative Vice Chair! As I had mentioned, I believe that it is our responsibility to stand up for our profession and ensure that we have a seat at the table when it comes to health care providers. I absolutely love working with SACA and especially with the SNEB. Being able to see the growth we are creating, and the positive direction we are helping to move the profession in, gives me so much hope for the future. The leadership I see in so many individuals in SACA is incredible, I am truly honored they chose to have me sit on the board as I know that there are so many incredible leaders in that group.
FTCA: How do you balance your school, SACA and personal lives?
JP: It is incredibly difficult at times I have to be honest. My education comes first no matter what because without that, there is no SACA, and my personal life would suffer tremendously as well. It may sound strange but SACA gives me motivation for school. My desire to succeed in my education has only gotten stronger as I have moved up in SACA. I am also fortunate enough to be extremely close with many students in SACA which helps give me some balance in my life. My girlfriend and my family are extremely supportive of my education and my involvement in SACA, even if dates are sometimes interrupted by conference calls!
FTCA: What have been some of your struggles as a student?
JP: I have definitely had my share of struggles as a student. I’m not a straight A student, I’ve struggled in some classes and excelled in others. I think the biggest challenge to being a student for me was trying to find time for myself to gather my thoughts, process situations, and deal with personal life matters. I had to learn to schedule time for myself to just sit and reflect on what was happening in life.
FTCA: What is chiropractic to you?
JP: Chiropractic to me is such a unique thing. It is so multi-faceted, and there is so much that we don’t know or completely understand. I look at chiropractic as the health care profession that addresses the neuromusculoskeletal system as a whole by correcting dysfunction and strengthening weak links in the chain.
FTCA: How do you hope and plan to practice?
JP: I plan to practice first and foremost never using the word subluxation! Joking aside, having seen the benefits, both in practice and through my own injuries, of utilizing soft tissue work, corrective exercise, and manipulation, I fully intend to create a practice that incorporates all three of those.
FTCA: Do you have a mentor? Who? And Why?
JP: I have a few mentors, one of which is my previous boss who is a Physical Therapist. She is fully supportive of my career choice and has taught me more than I could have imagined. But truthfully many of the members here have been mentors to me and I’m sure many students in this group without even knowing it. Bobby Maybee, Howard Fidler, David Wedemeyer, yourself (Kristina Berry), and Chris Herrington to name a few who have really given me inspiration in this field. We all have rough days, as a student sometimes its having to sit through someone talking about subluxation or maybe just struggling through a class, but hopping on to facebook to read the latest stories or comments has been a huge help especially during the rough days. Those specifically named have either sent me messages or commented on my posts and have truly been more helpful than they realize so I’d like to thank all of you personally for your comments and encouragement.
FTCA: What are some of your favorite seminars to attend?
JP: Obviously my favorite seminar or event is NCLC. The feeling that you get meeting with congress members and knowing you might have just made a direct impact in the direction and progression of your profession is like nothing else I have ever experienced. We also have the SACA Leadership Conference which is always a blast and really gives a lot of insight into how to become a better leader in the field. But as for the usual seminars, I try to find seminars that focus on technique. Obviously being a student that is an area of focus, but more so, even if I don’t like the philosophy behind their intent, some of the techniques are great.
FTCA: How has being a member of the FTCA been beneficial to you?
JP: FTCA like I said has really been a game changer for me. It gives me confidence that I can succeed practicing as an evidence informed chiropractor. I talked before about the mentorship but I will say it again, the mentorship and inspiration that comes out of this group, even without the person’s knowledge is incredible. Thank you all again for your comments, messages, memes, and often times hilarity.