Benefits of Earning a Nutrition Degree From the United States

Posted on July 14, 2025November 11, 2025 by pciampanelli

A remote learning wearing a graduation cap and gown sits in the foreground facing a monitor displaying a graduation ceremony held via video chat.

UWS Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine is 100% online. Discover the benefits of earning an international nutrition degree.

Along with the prestige of earning a degree from the United States, the University of Western States (UWS) offers an innovative nutrition and functional medicine program. This nutrition program is online and available to not just United States citizens but also international students. Discover the differences between our online nutrition programs offered at the graduate level and learn more about the benefits of earning a degree from the U.S., specifically from UWS.

U.S. Nutrition Program Overview From UWS

As part of University of Western States, the Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine program is 100% online. This includes the graduate certificate, master’s degree, and doctoral degree, making it easy for international students to earn their graduate degree from the United States. Our nutrition program teaches students how to use cutting-edge clinical tools and research to guide their assessment and health management of patients through diet and nutrition. With each degree progression, the curriculum goes more in-depth on how to utilize nutrition for health and wellness and treating various conditions. All of our program details are available in our catalog, along with specific course information.

Nutrition and Functional Medicine Certificate

The graduate nutrition and functional medicine certificate prepares active health professionals to blend whole-person functional medicine approaches and clinical nutrition strategies into their practice framework. This will allow graduates to provide a broader range of personalized patient care.

Online Master’s in Nutrition and Functional Medicine

Our international nutrition master’s degree, the Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine program, prepares students worldwide to provide science-based health care to improve or optimize patients’ physical and psychological health by presenting the nutrition subject materials. With a foundation in functional medicine, our graduates use the patient-centered approach to the clinical management of complex or chronic disorders through the interconnection of physiological factors that impact disease. The online master’s in nutrition and functional medicine prepares graduates, whether they are from the United States or earning their degree from a different country, to provide effective, patient-centered management strategies by which to address the myriad of clinical disorders commonly manifest in the current healthcare system population.

This online degree requires coursework that combines traditional nutrition science courses with coursework based on the clinical application of functional medicine. Students taking part in our U.S.-based online nutrition degree will experience these four learning outcomes:

Integrate whole food nutrition with strategies for health promotion and disease prevention.
Apple the functional medicine model to the therapeutic needs a patient or client could present.
Apply appropriate interventions to address physiological imbalances and illness states.
Appraise research evidence to answer clinically relevant questions.

Doctor of Clinical Nutrition Degree

Our doctorate degree in nutrition is fully online, making it accessible for working adults and international students to earn their highest level degree in clinical nutrition. UWS’s Doctor of Clinical Nutrition program prepares graduates to address the multifaceted health needs of patients through expanded assessment and therapeutic strategies using advanced clinical nutrition and functional medicine. Through clinical learning activities, students learn to address challenging patient cases effectively through nutrition-focused care. Our online, internationally available nutrition doctoral program teaches therapeutic strategies grounded in evidence-based practice models for students to apply the best available research to patient care.

The learning outcomes of our U.S.-based online Doctor of Clinical Nutrition program are for students to:

Apply appropriate patient/client evaluation methods to determine nutritional needs and clinical status.
Create nutrition-focused care plans incorporating scientific evidence and sound clinical judgment to promote therapeutic goals and wellness.
Apply functional medicine tools and strategies that enable a whole-person patient/client care approach.
Model ethical methods of practice that accord with applicable principles of jurisprudence.
Employ a collaborative approach to clinical nutrition care.

Request HNFM Program Info

Benefits of Taking International Nutrition Courses Online

International students may prefer earning their degree online and from the United States for several reasons. The U.S. is a global leader in improving nutrition to save lives through leadership, partnerships, and the sharing and application of evidence-based knowledge in nutrition. The U.S. Department of Agriculture continually updates its knowledge on how nutrition can improve health, alleviate pregnancy symptoms, reduce pregnancy risks and complications (including infertility), promote a positive body image, and guide healthier grocery shopping to assist in a healthier diet. As a result, the United States remains a leader in providing new resources, advancing legislation, and driving trends and research in this field. UWS uses tools and resources developed by the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), which is a leading voice of transformative patient care, focusing on the whole person for personalized health care. As a world leader in setting global standards, along with UWS’s use of IFM to shape the curriculum, our nutrition program offers a level of prestige. It is often regarded as having a higher education standard than programs in other countries.

Our nutrition and functional medicine program is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. This means it meets or exceeds the criteria for evaluating institutional quality through a peer review process, providing reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.

International students looking to earn their degree from the U.S. can do so while staying at home. They do not have to uproot their life or leave their family or current job to earn a graduate degree or professional certificate. By choosing to earn a nutrition degree online from UWS, students can cut costs by not having to pay for transportation on campus or to get to campus, pay for a meal plan, nor do they have to worry about buying additional clothing, furniture, or home goods for campus living.

International students may stay home while earning their degree in the U.S. because the University of Western States offers a flexible nutrition program. This allows students to listen to lectures, complete assignments, and communicate with peers asynchronously. However, students will have consistent due dates for when projects, assignments, and tests are due, and this will be communicated efficiently by the professor in advance, allowing students to prepare. This gives students ample time to navigate their work or family life while earning their online degree, even in a different country or time zone.

FAQs about UWS’ Nutrition Program

Yes, all of our nutrition graduate degrees and the certificate program are fully online. The weekly modular schedule allows international students to participate at the times most convenient for them and their time zone.

No, the online nutrition master’s, doctoral degree, and graduate certificate programs do not require any in-person or on-campus lectures, labs, or clinical experience. International students can earn their degree from anywhere in the world.

Join Our International Nutrition Graduate Program

Take advantage of our online Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine program and earn your Graduate Certificate in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, or Doctor of Clinical Nutrition from University of Western States. Our graduate degrees are available to international students looking to earn their degree from the United States, with a continually reviewed and updated curriculum with new research and findings. Functional medicine is the foundation of our nutrition programs, leveraging the individuality of each patient so that practitioners can treat the whole person through natural methods, with diet and nutrition at the forefront of their approach.

Improving Patient Care With Likelihood Ratios

Posted on July 10, 2025October 14, 2025 by pciampanelli

A clipboard holds a piece of paper displaying a diagram of a human spine.

In this comprehensive guide, future health care professionals will discover the pivotal role of likelihood ratios in clinical decision-making. This article delves into the fundamentals of likelihood ratios and their significance in effectively diagnosing and managing patient care. Learn how likelihood ratios in a clinical setting can improve patient outcomes.

At University of Western States, graduates of the Doctor of Chiropractic program undergo rigorous training that encompasses both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Chiropractic science has evolved over more than 100 years, and licensed practitioners incorporate evidence-informed approaches into therapies to help diagnose and treat a patient.

Likelihood ratios are one of the many evidence-informed practices incorporated into the chiropractic medicine curriculum and practicum and UWS to prepare graduates to provide patient care post-licensure.

What are Likelihood Ratios?

Likelihood ratios (LR) express a change in odds in clinical diagnosis and prognosis. They combine the sensitivity and specificity of a given diagnostic test to determine the chances of the patients having an illness, disease, or condition. These predictive values can be used to influence the patient’s treatment and determine the patient’s prognosis with the specific medical condition.

Positive and Negative Likelihood Ratio

The positive likelihood ratio (+LR) indicates the change in odds of having a diagnosis in patients with a positive test result. This change is represented as a ratio, typically greater than one. The negative likelihood ratio (-LR) denotes the change in odds of having a diagnosis in patients with a negative test result. It is typically less than one.

Positive or negative likelihood ratios provide valuable information about the diagnostic accuracy of tests and the ability to alter the odds of having a particular condition based on LR test results. Likelihood ratios can help project the shift in the patient having a specific condition from the initial presumption (pre-test probability) to the likelihood after the interpretation of test results (post-test probability).

How Are Ratios Used in Patient Care?

Likelihood ratios are essential in optimizing patient care through diagnostics, treatment, monitoring, risk eval, and clinical research.

Diagnostic Assessment: Likelihood ratios help interpret test results and gauge the probability of a condition, for better or worse.
Treatment Decision-making: LR assesses the effectiveness of the treatment and guides treatment choices.
Health Monitoring: Ratios track changes in patient health over time, such as blood marker levels before and after treatment.
Risk Evaluation: Likelihood ratios assess the risk of medical events, like cardiovascular disease based on blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Clinical Research: Ratios like relative risk or odds ratios compare patient groups or interventions in studies and trials.

LR can better inform future medical practitioners throughout patient care, allowing them to use positive or negative ratios to guide their treatment plans.

UWS Doctor of Chiropractic students learn how likelihood ratios can be used to improve patient care through effective clinical decision-making. The odds of the patient having a specific condition can better prepare future chiropractic practitioners on how to diagnose the patient and effectively treat them using the whole-person approach.

What Is the Number Needed to Treat Used for?

The Number Needed to Treat (NNT) is the measurement of the impact of a medication or treatment based on the number of patients needed to be treated to have an impact on one person. NNT is statistical guidance to project the outcome. In other words, if a drug has an NNT of 12, then 12 people need to be treated with the drug to prevent one additional bad outcome.

Using Stats to Improve Patient Care

Likelihood ratios these ratios help project shifts in probability, guiding clinical decision-making. Integrating LR into medical practice can help diagnose patients, treatment plans, monitor and manage care, risk evaluation and clinical research. Use likelihood ratios for a higher standard of patient care and informed medical decision-making.

At University of Western States, the goal of our Doctor of Chiropractic program is to prepare skilled chiropractors to provide evidence-informed, whole person, individualized health care for the betterment of patients and society. Learn more about how you can learn the evidence-based practices, such as likelihood ratios and number needed to treat, into your chiropractic education in preparation for medical practice. Apply today to take that next step.

5 Key Steps Toward Your Career as a Certified Nutritionist

Posted on July 8, 2025December 4, 2025 by imorris

University of Western States’ Dr. Chris Browne explains how to become a nutritionist and unlock the healing power of functional medicine for your clients.

SUMMARY

Pursuing nutritionist careers is a meaningful way to promote individual and community wellness.
Nutritionists work in varied clinical settings and may be eligible for licensure, depending on where they practice.
Nutritionists apply their tools and training to help clients overcome serious illness.

We humans must eat to live, but the picture is more complicated than that. It’s also possible to use food and natural supplements to improve our wellness and prevent illness. “Recognizing that nutrition is not just a passive requirement to stay alive but also shapes our physiology makes us wonder about how we could use it more specifically or in a more targeted fashion for health care goals,” says Chris Browne, DC, MS, program director of Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine and Doctor of Clinical Nutrition at University of Western States.

For anyone who wants to make a difference as a health care clinician in a way that helps clients to take control of their wellness, a career as a nutritionist in the field of Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine is a viable path. If you are wondering how to become a nutritionist, here are five steps to becoming a leader in this growing branch of integrative health care.

1. Study science, especially biology, chemistry, and biochemistry.

Chemistry is at the heart of nutrition and functional medicine both within the human body and in the foods we eat.

Understanding the microbiome, issues surrounding metabolism, and hormone regulation is vital to treating the chronic diseases that are a major cause of disease and death in the United States. A clinically focused course in nutritional biochemistry will be one of your first steps.

“To make sure that everybody is starting on a similarly solid foundation, we begin with some of the foundations of what is functional medicine and how it’s different from what we might call traditional or conventional health care approaches, and then what they have in common,” Dr. Browne says of his program at University of Western States, “because we are trying to take the best of what’s already been done and continue to improve it.”

2. Earn a post-graduate degree such as a master’s degree or a doctorate.

An advanced degree is crucial to a thorough grasp of the field, professional credibility, and, in some cases, the ability to practice in your community.

Nutritionists are clinicians who deliver health care to their clients and can benefit from the most current training available as they would get from a master’s degree to pursue nutritionist job opportunities. Some programs, such as the Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine (MS-HNFM) from University of Western States, utilize cutting-edge clinical tools and informational resources developed by the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM).

Advancements are being made every day in the field of human nutrition and functional medicine and a master’s degree or a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition (DCN) will give you the background to apply a science-based, patient-centered approach to helping clients achieve their health and nutritional goals.

3. Education requirements for nutritionists vary, so you will need to know your state’s requirements.

An important part of being a clinician is being aware of any regulations governing your practice.

“In most states, our graduates can apply their knowledge in some direct way with the people that they serve,” Dr. Browne says. Those with an advanced degree bring a lot of knowledge to our expanding understanding of nutrition and functional nutrition.

When it comes to practice, a nutritionist career path may include licensure, often as a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS). The process will require completing supervision hours required by the state and the passing of a certification exam. The practice rights and scope of practice vary for nutritionists from state to state, that is why students interested in pursuing a career in clinical nutrition should verify educational and practical experience requirements with the American Nutrition Association.

UWS’ online master’s in nutrition program satisfies all coursework requirements for graduates to sit for other national certification exams such as Certified Clinical Nutritionist (CCN) and the Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition (DACBN).

4. Find nutritionist job opportunities that suit your skills and interests.

The most common nutritionist job openings are in private or group practice.

What does a nutritionist do? Nutritionists treat clients for a range of serious conditions, including obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, and hormone imbalances. Developing a client base and a professional reputation is a pathway to success in the field. Integrated Connections, an organizationthat supports integrated and functional medicine practitioners, reports steady growth in the field .

“There are now more opportunities than there used to be for students to join a functional health practice or another kind of clinic or health center,” Dr. Browne says. “In our master’s program, we have an elective course to support an entrepreneurial skill set and to provide an understanding what it takes to operate a successful business.”

5. Expand your knowledge into the science of human nutrition and wellness.

A Doctor of Clinical Nutrition degree will position you as an expert in the field.

An important part of being a nutritionist is keeping up with the newest information and research in the field and relaying that knowledge to clients and to the public, and a nutritionist receiving a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition “should be recognized as holding a terminal degree in their field as the highest level of expertise in clinical nutrition,” Dr. Browne says.

Once you’ve achieved your goal of becoming a certified nutritionist, an important part of the profession will be keeping up with the newest breakthroughs that may affect your clients. Among the innovations that are currently influencing the field of nutrition and functional medicine are discoveries in nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics.

“Nutrigenetics centers around how differences in genetic makeup change an individual’s nutritional needs,” Dr. Browne says. “The genomics side of the field focuses on how nutrients, how food and supplements, impact our genes.” These new theories fit in with the functional medicine approach of individualized nutrition plans for each client.

Benefits of Gaining a Health Sciences Graduate Certificate

Posted on July 8, 2025September 5, 2025 by pciampanelli

Within our graduate programs, we offer two specialized online graduate certificate programs: Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine and Applied Sport Psychology.

A erson with long, blonde hair in the foreground is seen from behind browsing the internet on a laptop.

At University of Western States, we offer a whole-person approach to health sciences. Within our graduate programs, we offer two specialized online graduate certificate programs: Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine and Applied Sport Psychology. There are many different reasons to pursue a graduate certificate, as it can be helpful in career advancement and gaining specialized knowledge within your desired field.

How a Graduate Certificate Can Be Beneficial in Health Sciences

There are many beneficial reasons to pursue a continuing education program within the field of health sciences, such as a graduate certificate. As a clinician or health professional, the main goal of pursuing one of the certificate programs at UWS is to expand your education into a specific focus that can be integrated into your current practice or into a new area of practice.

Learn Specialized Knowledge in the Field. Depending on your doctoral degree, you may feel that your area of expertise is not specialized enough for the field you’re looking to pursue. Because there are so many areas within health sciences, a certificate program is a great way to gain advanced knowledge in the specific field you are interested in. For clinical nutrition, the UWS Certificate Program in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine is designed to prepare clinicians to incorporate whole-person functional medicine approaches to their practice framework. This allows the graduates to provide more expansive care options for patients and clients. For sports psychology, the Certificate Program in Applied Sport Psychology prepares sport and performance scientist-practitioners to improve the performance and mental well-being of patients or clients by implementing evidence-based interventions and affirming the individualism of each case.

Become Proficient in Emerging Trends. For health science professionals who have been in the industry for years, a graduate certificate program is a great way to stay up to date with any new trends within the field. It’s important for you to be able to adapt to any new evidence-based approaches or techniques in the field, and it’s assuring to your clients to know that your expertise is always evolving.

Advance Your Career. A certificate program is a great distinction to add to your portfolio to attract clients looking for health science professionals with specialized knowledge. This can help advance your career further by opening the pool for potential clients looking for a clinician that caters to their individualized needs. The UWS graduate certificate programs in health sciences are 100% online and are great for working professionals.

Online Graduate Certificate Programs at UWS

Nutrition Certificate Program

The Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine Graduate Certificate online program at UWS is designed for health professionals with a master’s or doctoral degree to expand their knowledge and expertise within the field of nutrition and functional medicine. Certificate students will learn effective, evidence-informed wellness approaches that utilize nutrition and lifestyle changes with a functional medicine framework. With required coursework in evidenced-based nutrition, gastrointestinal, immune system, and hormone imbalances, autoimmune diseases, and meal planning, there is a wide range of specialized topics to gain knowledge from this nutrition certificate program. There are also many elective options to choose from depending on what specialized field students are most interested in having a deeper understanding of, such as mind-body medicine, botanical medicine, plant-based nutrition, for example. Graduates can incorporate this knowledge to treat patients with the whole-person approach to understand their history and provide a broader range of personalized care options.

Current clinicians and health care professionals looking to advance their careers in functional medicine could benefit from this nutrition graduate certificate. Whether you’re pursuing a career as a nutritionist, wellness coach, educator, or want to become an author or expert in the field of functional nutrition, a graduate certificate program is a great way to expand your knowledge in the field and bolster your resume.

Sports Psychology Certificate Program

The Applied Sport Psychology graduate certificate program at UWS is an excellent choice for those looking to expand their knowledge within the sports psychology field or for those looking to pursue a career as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). This program can be completed in less than a year and is conveniently offered 100% online. Students will learn about emerging trends within the field of sports psychology and specialized curricula targeting ethics and professional identity, foundational theories, psychological preparation. Depending on your desired career path, there are also several electives designed to provide specialized knowledge, such as Psychology of Athletic Injury and Rehabilitation, Performance Psychology in High-Risk Occupations, Psychology of Performing Arts, and more. Graduates will be equipped to implement evidence-based interventions to improve the performance and mental well-being of individuals and groups within the sport landscape.

For those who run or plan to open their own practice, the elective Business Basics for Clinicians and Consultants provides essential knowledge for building a successful business in sport and performance psychology. For coaches or athletic directors pursuing the sport psychology graduate certificate at UWS, the elective Foundations of Positive Leadership offers key insights into effective leadership strategies.

Sport and Performance Psychology professionals are typically leaders and coaches in the sports, exercise, and wellness fields. Graduates of the online Applied Sport Psychology certificate program can pursue a career as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, coach, professor, athletic director, or a sport program administrator.

Pursue a Continuing Education Degree at UWS

Whether you’re about to enter the workforce or have been a working professional for years, a health sciences graduate certificate program can be beneficial in expanding your knowledge, strengthening your resume, and pushing you forward in your career. Explore the health sciences certificate programs that UWS offers today. Take the next step towards reaching for your career goals, and request more information about our online certificate programs.

University of Western States Achieves Candidacy Status for Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Program

Posted on June 26, 2025June 26, 2025 by alaurence

The Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (NMD) program at University of Western States (UWS) has received candidacy status by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME), a key milestone in the program’s path toward accreditation.

“This recognition from CNME affirms the strength of our program as we work to advance whole-person health care education,” said Nathan Long, Ed.D., president of UWS. “Our Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine program was intentionally designed to meet the growing demand for clinically rigorous, evidence-informed naturopathic education, and we are proud to see that commitment recognized.”

Launched in fall 2023, the NMD program was developed in response to rising demand for clinicians trained to identify and address the root causes of illness through personalized, prevention-focused care. With chronic illness and mental health concerns on the rise, there is an urgent national need for practitioners who are equipped to integrate nutrition, functional medicine, lifestyle interventions, and natural therapeutics—core elements of the UWS curriculum.

“We are thrilled to reach this milestone, which reflects the dedication of our faculty, staff, and students,” said Marcia Prenguber, ND, dean of the College of Naturopathic Medicine at UWS. “Our program is built on a foundation of clinical excellence, and this candidacy status demonstrates our commitment to preparing practice-ready naturopathic doctors who are equipped to meet the evolving health needs of their communities.”

Delivered in person on the UWS campus in Portland, Oregon, the NMD program offers a comprehensive, science-driven education grounded in whole-person health care. The program complements UWS’s long-standing strengths in chiropractic medicine, clinical nutrition, sports medicine, and clinical mental health counseling—reflecting the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary and collaborative learning.

The program’s clinical component includes hands-on training at Connected Whole Health, the university’s on-campus clinic, where students provide affordable, integrated care to the local community. This model exemplifies how higher education institutions can drive both student success and community wellness.

UWS welcomed its first NMD cohort in fall 2023, and the program continues to grow. Applications are now open for future cohorts. To learn more about the Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine program at University of Western States, visit UWS.edu.

Dr. Alex Pham: Extending the Boundaries of Chiropractic Care

Posted on June 20, 2025January 14, 2026 by pciampanelli

BY LORI ALCALA

Alex Pham, DC, is dispelling the myth that chiropractic care consists solely of spinal manipulation therapy. A recent UWS graduate and only the second chiropractor awarded the Advanced Fellowship in Geriatrics by the VA’s Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, he’s redefining the role of chiropractic medicine.

At the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, where Dr. Pham is currently completing his residency, he recalls working with a veteran who had seen multiple chiropractors without relief. The patient was led to believe that he was “only a mere wrong bend away from blowing out,” explains Dr. Pham. To help build the patient’s confidence, Dr. Pham took the time to listen, review medical images together, and encourage exercise. Two weeks later, the patient returned pain free and ecstatic.

“I’ve learned that true patient care goes beyond just helping people feel better,” Dr. Pham says. “It’s about helping them regain their self-efficacy.”

The Beginnings of a Holistic Practice

Dr. Pham’s path to chiropractic began during his athletic training studies at the University of Arkansas. As he was studying for his master’s degree, Dr. Pham had the opportunity to work with a team of chiropractors who inspired him to study chiropractic medicine.

During his last semester amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to pursue a Doctor of Chiropractic at UWS.

“Chiropractic helped widen the demographic of people I can help,” Dr. Pham says. “I can still practice as an athletic trainer, but now my scope of practice is much broader to help more people.”

Coming Home To Heal

His choice to attend UWS was deeply personal. “My grandparents used to live down the street from UWS,” Dr. Pham says. “So, for me, it was about coming back home and learning in the community I was raised in.”

Despite the challenges of attending school during a pandemic, Dr. Pham formed relationships with classmates that have lasted long after graduation.

“My best memories from UWS were the classmates I met,” Dr. Pham says. “I’ve become close friends with many of them, and I continue to reach out to them about clinical questions. This has allowed us to collectively grow from our conversations and become better clinicians.”

His experiences at UWS prepared Dr. Pham for his residency at VA Puget Sound Health Care System. He says that working in an integrated hospital setting has been an “irreplaceable experience” that has expanded his vision of what chiropractic practice can accomplish.

A Mission To Serve the Aging

Dr. Pham chose to focus on geriatric care because he believes he can make a meaningful impact on this underserved, rapidly growing population, helping aging patients not only manage their pain but improve their quality of life.

Dr. Pham’s current research focuses on fall prevention among older adults. “Falls are alarmingly common, with over a quarter of U.S. adults 65 and older reporting at least one fall,” Dr. Pham says. “That’s about 29 million falls in one year. My hope is to reduce this number and find value in the way the chiropractic profession can intervene.”

Dr. Pham’s background in athletic training complements his chiropractic practice, allowing him to approach patient care holistically. Rather than addressing the pain alone, he’s able to build a more comprehensive treatment plan that focuses on what matters most to the patient and helps guide them there.

Advancing Chiropractic in Integrated Care

After the fellowship, Dr. Pham says he’ll continue working in integrated health care while advancing the chiropractic profession. He plans to contribute to research, education, and policy development that expand chiropractic roles in traditional health care systems.

Dr. Pham credits UWS with providing the foundation for his success, from the professors who mentored him to the clinical experiences that shaped and inspired him to push boundaries to advance the profession.

“Choosing UWS felt right because it was a place where I believed my ambitions could be nurtured and turned into reality,” Dr. Pham says. “I wanted to be challenged, to grow, and to be in an environment that offered real opportunities to succeed. Without that experience, I don’t think I would have had the chance to complete a VA residency and continue into a fellowship.”

For prospective students considering UWS, Dr. Pham offers this guidance: “You get out of your education what you put into it. If you have a goal, go after it. Ask for support, seek guidance, and stay curious. The opportunities are there if you’re willing to pursue them.”