Alec Grieselding

Professor Parkinson
KNH 103
07 May 2014

KNH 103 JOB SHADOW ASSIGNMENT
With my major in kinesiology, I have been exploring various careers in the medical field
and I found interest in chiropractic care. My interests lead to my decision to shadow a local
hometown chiropractor, Dr. Bryan D. Royer. Dr. Royers profession focuses on disorders of the
musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general
health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including
but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches. Dr.
Royers duties as a doctor of chiropractic include, practicing a drug-free, hands-on approach to
health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. The most common
therapeutic procedure performed by doctors of chiropractic is known as spinal manipulation,
also called chiropractic adjustment. Dr. Royer has a broad range of diagnostic skills including
recommending therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as providing nutritional, dietary
and lifestyle counseling.
I was amazed at the educational background and work experience Dr. Royer has
obtained. Listing all his credentials would take a couple pages, so I will just note his main
educational experiences and work. He graduated summa cum laude as the class salutatorian from
the National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) in 2004. Dr. Royers earned a Bachelor of
Science with a major in Biology from the University of Dayton in 1999 and another Bachelor of
Science with a major in Human Biology in 2002 from NUHS. He is apart of numerous
associations, and graduated from a post-graduate program in functional neurology, a clinical
field that can help improve the quality of life for those patients with movement disorders,
traumatic brain injuries, vertigo and dizziness among other problems. In regards to specialty
certifications, he has taken extensive post-graduate classes in clinical nutrition and impairment
ratings for disability evaluation and with this he enjoys helping people with nutritional deficits
and allergy problems. There are various other specialty certifications for doctors of chiropractic,
such as in acupuncture, nutrition, radiology, neurology, orthopedics and several others. For
continuing education, chiropractors are to have at least 36 hours of continuing education through
seminars in a biennium, or two-year period. I was able to observe Dr. Royers vitae and he has a
long list of seminars covering an array of subjects he has covered through his continuing
education. I was very impressed and surprised at the amount of continuing education he has
received and is continuing to go through.
For Dr. Royer, the most challenging aspect of his profession is that there are a variety of
conditions he sees and people have different response to treatment, so he must be smart with his
care methods. Although this is challenging, it also why he loves his profession as it gives him the
chance to learn knew procedures. When I asked him about what he likes about his job, he
explained why he named is practice Harmony Chiropractic Care. He explained how our bodies
and brains are in a way, their own symphony. No one would want to hear a symphony where the
woodwinds were playing too fast or the drums were too loud, such that when muscles become
unbalanced or if the joints in your spine are restricted in motion, you can develop pain.
Therefore, he likes to create balance in peoples bodies and brains and in this way, create
harmony in their lives. Dr. Royer did not specifically say he disliked anything about his
profession, he mentioned another challenge is dealing with insurance companies. There is a lot of
paper work and things are constantly changing making the process grueling.
The most valuable part of Dr. Royers educational background was his clinical
experience where he trained to master the important manipulative procedures he spent much of
his education learning about. He talked about the rather long length of time and schooling that
doctors of chiropractic must go through, but that is what it takes to practice something you love.
In regards to education he uses the least, he said there are only a couple required courses that felt
like a waste of time, but once you advance you realize their worth. As far as trends, Dr. Royer
sees a growth in the chiropractic industry as baby boomers are aging and with the health care
reform there is expected growth. Overall as a student who is still deciphering future career
options, this experience was very beneficial. Dr. Royer is an informative and well-organized
chiropractor. Along with all his experience and work, he also teaches at a local university
making it easy to relate to him. I was impressed by his accomplishments and inspired by his
drive to help others. He opened valuable information to me and allowed me to better understand
the field of chiropractic care.