Faculty Scholarship

The clinical assessment strategies for chiropractic internships occurring within the campus and community-based clinic environments were discussed.

This presentation focused on education research related to developing competency in practice-relevant skills, knowledge, and attitudes. As we help our students develop their cognitive, psychomotor, and affective abilities, we must keep in mind the end product and what we are producing. Our graduates must demonstrate competency in relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes to practicing healthcare in a professional and evidence-based* manner. Therefore, integrating practice-relevant skills, knowledge, and attitudes are essential throughout our programs.

Practice-relevant education can refer to the appropriateness of learning opportunities for students, or to the process of learning and developing skills through hands-on experience. 

Chiropractors often boast about high patient satisfaction, good clinical outcomes, and “always” having been patient-centered. While evidence supports those claims, it is worthwhile for us to pause and ask, “what does it take to be person-centered?”, especially given a dynamic and increasingly complex 21st-century social and healthcare climate. As with all aspects of patient care, revisiting the behaviors, skills, and competencies relative to person-centered care through the lens of contemporary best practices can result in better quality, high value care for the communities we serve.

Chiropractic clinical internships at Northwestern Health Sciences University begin early in the program’s curriculum.  It is a hands-on learning experience that enhances students’ technical and patient care skills.  How this internship program was developed was presented.