Two chiropractors, who were among the many Canadians who trained at University of Western States, look to show the way for the next generation.
Sonia Deol, DC, and Cody Sieben, DC, have been as selected as the first two members of University of Western States’ Alumni Ambassador Program, a volunteer initiative to strengthen alumni engagement, support prospective students, and foster professional connections across Canada.
After majoring in business management and a 10-year career in finance, Dr. Sieben had had enough of sitting behind a desk and was looking for a career change. “Helping people was very important to me. I also personally had a lot of good experiences with my chiropractors who helped me through injuries from hockey and taekwondo. And when I started putting it all together these were all the things I was looking for in a career.”
Dr. Deol grew up in Edmonton playing sports and majored in kinesiology. A freak car accident in which her vehicle was rear-ended by a friend who was the receptionist at a chiropractor’s office was the unlikely inspiration for her career. “I had never seen or visited a chiropractor,” Dr. Deol explains. “As the doctor was explaining, showing me the spine, I thought, ‘This is it.’”
When it came to deciding on a chiropractic school, Dr. Deol and Dr. Sieben, both native Albertans, cited geography as a big part of their decision-making process. “I looked at the education and board results, the type of education in evidence-based schools,” Dr. Deol says. “Toronto was one and New York was the other. From Edmonton, I went with proximity and flight times. Those three schools were pretty on par for education, Canadian boards, the type of style of school I was looking for. I have no regrets because Portland was amazing.”
In addition, Dr. Sieben says he talked to a family member who had attended UWS and had had a great experience. “He said, ‘The program is fantastic. The teachers are great.’ And he said that it was a condensed program, which was appealing to me. Getting to work a year earlier was motivating.”
Dr. Deol credits the Primary Designated School Official (PDSO) at UWS with easing her transition to study in the United States, and she loved living in Portland, which she describes as a “big city with a small-town feel.” Above all, she appreciated the Chiropractic program’s focus on hands-on learning. “Starting in the first week, you’re already palpating, you’re already touching a human body,” she recalls. “I felt very comfortable at the end of the program with my hands on people because we had been doing it for four years straight now. The practicum opportunities made me feel very well-prepared.”
Dr. Sieben also felt he benefited from the hands-on learning opportunities. “I started my internship at the school’s Connected Whole Health Clinic. And I had a fantastic mentor, Dr. Patrick Helma. He’s an absolute gem. And he taught me so much and really pushed me and encouraged me.”
After first having difficulty finding an internship back home in Edmonton, Dr. Sieben remained in Portland for internship experiences with the U.S. Air Force and the Portland Winterhawks hockey team. “Then, I found a clinic back home for the last three months of my program. With about two weeks left, he offered me a job, and that's where I am now.”
While attending UWS, Dr. Sieben served as student body president out of desire to help ease the transition of international students to the Chiropractic program and life in Portland, and he hopes to continue that role as Alumni Ambassador, “I think I would want to help the process of starting the program, going through the program, transitioning into practice, be clearer, easier, more enjoyable, and not as scary when you take a lot of these leaps.”
Dr. Deol says she would like to help familiarize students with the evidence-based, science-based focus of the Chiropractic program at UWS, which contrasts with some other programs, and to share the positive aspects of life in Portland. “Going to school in the United States was an awesome experience,” she says. “When we think of North America, we think it’s the same, but it’s a different culture, different vibe. It’s different and it’s fun. It’s a great experience.”
