Ask any chiropractor when they truly became a chiropractor, and the answer rarely includes a lecture hall. More often, it involves a patient—someone who trusted them, challenged them or clarified their sense of responsibility. These formative moments frequently occur well before graduation, yet in many chiropractic programs, meaningful clinical exposure is delayed until much later in their training.
This year, the inaugural cohort of Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) students at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) experienced something uncommon in chiropractic education: structured, early clinical experiences beginning in the first semester. Students rotated through community chiropractic practices, physical therapy (PT) clinics, emergency medical services (EMS) and emergency departments. After each experience, they completed written reflections as part of the coursework.
Students repeatedly expressed a common realization that chiropractic education feels fundamentally different when students can interact earlier with patients and other professionals.
The reflections were not simply excitement or novelty. They were evidence of early professional formation grounded in real patients, real clinicians and real clinical responsibility.
Seeing Patients, Not Just Conditions
In the first semester of any clinical program, students often expect their focus to be on topics such as anatomy, biomechanics and technique. What many do not anticipate is how quickly they will be able to interact with real cases and how profoundly they will be influenced by how clinicians communicate, listen and respond to patients.
Across chiropractic, PT, EMS and emergency department settings, the SHRS DC students described being struck by communication overall.
“Seeing how well this longtime patient was able to move reminded me why I chose this profession.”
Isabella Ceepo (DC ’28)
“It was nice to observe a doctor who put the patient’s needs and health first.”
Valerie Massey (DC ’28)
Another student noted the importance of how clinicians explained care:
“I found it fascinating how [the clinician] explained each procedure and the patient’s symptoms in words they could understand.”
Mark Sullivan (DC ’28)
These insights were not drawn from a lecture or speaker on professionalism, they were learned by watching clinicians model it.
Learning Calm Under Pressure
As chiropractic environments introduced students to longitudinal patient relationships, EMS and emergency departments exposed them to acuity, uncertainty and time sensitive decision-making.
One student described observing a pediatric diabetic emergency:
“They were calm and careful in a moment that felt stressful to me. I think I will replicate that same energy in stressful situations.”
Mackenzie King (DC ’28)
Another reflected after witnessing a patient recover following an overdose:
“It reminded me why I chose to pursue a health care profession.”
Brook Murlin (DC ’28)
Even on lower-volume EMS shifts, students demonstrated thoughtful reflection. One student openly noted that there were no calls during an entire shift, yet used the experience to reflect on preparedness, professionalism and system-level constraints rather than disengagement.
These students were not passive observers. They were beginning to think like real clinicians.
Witnessing Team-based Care
Another recurring insight across these reflections was how much patient care occurs between professions and not within silos.
During emergency department rotations, students were struck by the complexity and coordination required in acute care. One described a resuscitation room:
“There were over 20 people in the room, all working smoothly and efficiently with one another.”
Jules Ryan (DC ’28)
Another reflected on transitions of care:
“Each handoff was deliberate and concise. It showed how clearly-defined roles help protect patient safety.”
Raymond Chen (DC ’28)
In PT clinics, students began to understand both the distinctions and the overlap between rehabilitation professions. One wrote:
“It is good to be exposed to multidisciplinary settings. I want to understand and appreciate what all rehabilitation specialties do and clearly articulate the role chiropractors play in those spaces.”
Alyssa Reyes (DC ’28)
Our students are not only learning what chiropractors do, they are learning how chiropractic fits responsibly within the broader health care system.
Recognizing the Human Weight of Care
Many students encountered emotional moments earlier than expected. Rather than becoming desensitized, students consistently demonstrated increased attentiveness to the human aspects of care empathy, dignity and respect.
One student described working with an elderly patient whose primary goal was simply to curl her hair again after shoulder pain:
“It may seem simple, but for her, that was everything. It reminded me to focus on the patient’s goals.”
Brad Meyer (DC ’28)
Another reflected on hearing a patient’s personal history:
“You could tell that coming to the office mattered to her because she was so thankful for everything he was doing.”
Zac Common (DC ’28)
Connecting Coursework to Real-World Care
Perhaps most encouraging was how students connected clinical observations to first semester coursework.
They recognized interviewing strategies discussed in their Patient Interview course. They noticed clinicians applying anatomy they were studying that week. They observed imaging findings they themselves had just learned to interpret.
Early immersion transformed coursework from abstract material into applied, meaningful knowledge.
One student wrote after an EMS shift:
“It reminded me to stay sharp in anatomy and metabolism, because anyone could walk into the chiropractor’s office with unexpected clinical needs.”
Mackenzie King (DC ’28)
Another reflected after observing an emergency department evaluation:
“[The clinician] was thorough in her evaluation and explained her differential diagnosis before ordering labs. It helped solidify what we’re learning about clinical reasoning.”
Alyssa Reyes (DC ’28)
Why This Educational Structure Matters
These early experiences are possible in part because the program is housed within a research-intensive university and academically affiliated with a major medical center. This structure allows for partnerships across health care environments rarely accessible to chiropractic students during their first semester.
Importantly, the intention is not to dilute chiropractic identity, rather, it is to strengthen it by grounding students early in clinical realities, ethical responsibility and collaborative practice.
In conversations with practicing chiropractors, when they learn about this educational design, the response is nearly universal:
“I wish I had that in school.”
Many chiropractors developed critical skills such as communication, boundary setting, comfort with uncertainty only after graduation, while our DC students are required to learn it before they leave Pitt.
Why This Matters for the Profession
Early clinical immersion fosters:
- stronger professional identity
- improved communication and empathy
- deeper clinical reasoning
- respect for patient autonomy
- readiness for interprofessional collaboration
Every chiropractor cares about who will carry the profession forward.
“Seeing how the clinician took time to explain and listen reminded me that clinical care goes far beyond physical treatment.”
Jules Ryan (DC ’28)
For a first semester student, this realization is significant. For the future of the profession, it is essential.
This Is Only the Beginning
These experiences represent the first stage of a longitudinal experiential curriculum designed to deepen over time. As students progress, they will return to clinical environments with stronger skills, broader knowledge and a clearer understanding of their responsibilities as future chiropractors.
Experiential learning is not treated as a final phase of training. It is woven throughout the Pitt DC curriculum, and it is already shaping how students think about patients, care and professional responsibility.