I have been looking forward to getting this interview up on The Atlas of Life for sometime. And I do mean “some” time.
Dr. Shawn Dill has been very active in helping put together the curriculum for the upcoming Upper Cervical Diplomate program. He is also very active at Life Chiropractic College West, where he teaches first quarter philosophy and heads up the Institute for Advanced Care in Chiropractic. He is also co-founder of The Specific Chiropractic Centers and That Something Coaching, where he teaches students and new doctors the philosophy, science, and art of Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic. He was also very instrumental in the creation of chiropractic laws in Costa rica while practicing there.
With all that being said, I have to give Dr. Dill a little bit of a hard time. See, I emailed him these interview questions in March of 2009… when I was still in Tri 8 at Parker College! LOL! Oh well… better late than never, right?
I am grateful Dr. Dill answered these questions for The Atlas of Life.
Dr. Brandon Harshe: What made you decide to become a chiropractor?
Dr. Shawn Dill: “I was motivated to become a chiropractor through my cousin, Dr. Steven Hernandez, who practiced in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was able to spend time with him at an early age and was always in awe of not only his business success, but also the amount of joy and passion in his life that he had for his work. Later he was able to explain to me about the philosophy of chiropractic and then I had a better understanding of where his passion came from.
His influence in my life became more visible after my first two years of college. I was having so much fun at Indiana University that I had decided to abandon my dreams of becoming a chiropractor and continue with my “Pre-Med” studies. As soon as my cousin heard this he was on a plane to Bloomington (his private plane – wow, that was impressive), picked me up and then we flew to Davenport, Iowa. There we toured the campus, had lunch and then flew back to his office in Milwaukee. We had a “sit down.” The rest is history.”
Dr. Brandon Harshe: How did you find out about Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic?
Dr. Shawn Dill: “I found upper cervical specific the hard way. The Specific was something that was never taught nor talked about on campus at Logan College of Chiropractic. (I ended up there because I couldn’t see myself hanging out in Davenport… my cousin told me there were many chiropractic colleges, to get my butt in one of them!) Therefore, I had to learn most of my chiropractic on my own.
My journey to learn chiropractic began with a trip to Dynamic Essentials in my second trimester. From that point on I never missed another DE meeting until I moved to Costa Rica. I began to learn about chiropractic and chiropractic philosophy. I began to read the green books. Then I met Dr. Michael Kale. When I saw the work he was doing I felt that I finally had a match. I had finally found a way to practice the work I had been reading about in BJ’s green books. I went through the certification process with the Kale Network and began to practice everyday.”
Dr. Brandon Harshe: You practiced in Costa Rica for a number of years, and you were instrumental in getting pro-chiropractic laws passed there. Can you tell us about that experience?
Dr. Shawn Dill: “I practiced in Costa Rica from 1996 to 2003. When I first arrived in Costa Rica there were about 4 chiropractors practicing there, none really full time. I recognized early that if we were going to grow the business model and be able to open up more clinics we would have to secure legal protection in order to allow the practice of chiropractic in the country.
I approached a law firm and solicited help in writing, proposing and lobbying a law to regulate the practice of chiropractic. I received a lot of help from the doctors at my company, Quiropractica Mundial, as well as from many outside agencies such as the Washington State Chiropractic Association and the World Federation of Chiropractors.
With the grace of God, the law passed in just one year’s time. This was remarkable and caused many to accuse me of “buying off” the government officials. Let me go on record letting everyone know that this was not the case. It was simply a case of the truth prevailing at the right time. We received little or no resistance from the medical community or any of the legislators. Every single vote in reference to the law was always unanimous in our favor!
Interestingly, the only resistance we encountered was from the chiropractors themselves in Costa Rica. They were fearful that I was going to write the law to make chiropractic upper cervical specific only. What is really funny is that once the law was passed, the chiropractic community could not come together to actually enact the law and regulate our own profession. To this day they operate in total chaos and distrust for each other. It saddens me to see that as always, we are our own worst enemy.”
Dr. Brandon Harshe: What is the biggest difference between practicing in a foreign country as opposed to the United States?
Dr. Shawn Dill: “Well, my opinion on this has changed drastically the more I am immersed into the business of chiropractic here in the United States. I used to think that Costa Rica was a chiropractic utopia. I say that because over there chiropractic was whatever I told people it was. They paid cash and they appreciated the service we provided. As such they referred their families and friends to the clinic. We averaged 200 patient visits per day for five and a half days a week for the last six years I was there.
Our business model here in the United States is very different than the model we used in Costa Rica. The model began first with me teaching at Life Chiropractic College West, helping to introduce upper cervical specific into the core curriculum. We also opened The Institute for Advanced Care in Chiropractic. This provides a very unique learning environment where the student can truly gain clinical experience under my direct supervision and really begin to develop their skills.
The second part of the business model involves my partnership with Dr. Paige Van Slooten. I met Dr. Paige while she was a student at LCCW and was very impressed with her work ethic. She was the very first intern to work by my side at The Institute for Advanced Care in Chiropractic. Together we opened The Specific Chiropractic Center and started the “That Something” Coaching Program. The coaching program provides a training ground for those individuals looking to achieve true “mastery” of the Knee Chest Solid Headpiece Upper Cervical Specific Technique. The Specific Chiropractic Center is merely the epitome of our efforts. The application of the art.”
Dr. Brandon Harshe: You currently teach first quarter chiropractic students at Life Chiropractic College West in Hayward, CA. What are the most rewarding and most challenging aspects of teaching new students?
Dr. Shawn Dill: “I love teaching the first quarter students! In fact, I have them for their first class EVER at the college. What a great responsibility. I teach Philosophy I straight from The Chiropractic Textbook by Stephenson.
The most rewarding aspect is to be able to set the course for many students as they begin their journey towards gaining their Doctor of Chiropractic degree. We discuss what chiropractic is and what it is not. We memorize and discuss the Normal Complete Cycle. We memorize all thirty-three chiropractic principles. For many this is a very eye-opening experience. An awakening to a whole new world that they never even knew existed in chiropractic. Many are there on day one just to help people get out of pain. You can imagine what their eyes look like when they discover the true wonders of chiropractic.
At the same time, there are those students in class who really already have their minds made up from day one. This is the most frustrating part of teaching the first quarter class. We do not discuss technique in the class, but many students are already on the defensive from the beginning. It saddens me to see such closed mindedness from the younger generation of chiropractors. That just tells me that we will continue to struggle as we attempt to take our rightful place in the healthcare world.”
Dr. Brandon Harshe: You co-founded The Specific Chiropractic Center, a company which has four offices currently operating in California, with two more opening up soon. How has the current venture allowed you to spread the message of Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic?
Dr. Shawn Dill: “The Specific Chiropractic Center is my baby. I have been privileged to have partnered with a tremendous partner who has given me the flexibility and trust to take the company on this wild ride. We started with a clinic in Dublin, CA where we opened our first clinic. People really thought we were a little crazy. We do Knee Chest Upper Cervical Specific chiropractic ONLY. No pressure points, no massage, no therapies, no traction, nothing more, nothing less. Furthermore, we only take cash. Lastly we do not offer a pay-by-visit option. We only accept committed patients who are willing to fully commit to a care program.
Dr. Paige bought into this crazy paradigm and has worked very hard to make the clinic a success. I am very proud of the way she has been able to translate some of my concepts into a working business model. We did not know for sure that it would work, but I thank God that Upper Cervical Specific is alive and well and can be practiced in a pure and unsullied way.
The next logical step was to begin to partner with strategic alliances to begin to amplify our penetration. Our business model is to focus our efforts in the Bay Area of Northern California. Therefore we partnered with Dr. Lauren Clum, Dr. Jane Simbre and Dr. Shane Smith, all graduates of the first “That Something” Coaching Program class, to provide support and coaching to their clinics in Oakland, Daly City and Chico, California, respectively.
Subsequently we have partnered with Dr. Bryan Wright in the Sacramento, California area as well as with Dr. Eric McEntire and Dr. John Cheney who opened our first clinic outside of California in Salt Lake City, Utah. Most recently we converted Dr. Mike Hurley’s office in Scarborough, Maine over to a Specific Chiropractic Center.
We are very excited to be branching out across the country and have plans to open in Washington, D.C., Marin and San Jose, California and Scottsdale, Arizona in the next year.”
Dr. Brandon Harshe: Social Networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are growing in popularity by the day. Slowly but surely, chiropractors are beginning to get involved in this method of online communication and marketing, including you. How do you see this new trend affecting Upper Cervical Chiropractic?
Dr. Shawn Dill: “Wow! This is a heavy-duty question. I am so happy to see so many chiropractors, and especially upper cervical specific chiropractors utilizing social media more and more. It is a fact that today most Americans receive their information from the Internet. This is a double-edged sword. This means that we can now have some say and control over what our potential patients are reading about chiropractic. But, this also means that if we are not active in creating content on the Internet, that OTHERS will control what our patients are reading.
I see this new trend affecting Upper Cervical Chiropractic in a very meaningful way. I see so many doctors who want to be on the television, or host their own program. Yet these same “personalities” cannot even create regular content to post on the Internet. Our next leaders will be those who control the World Wide Web. Pretty soon health talks will be done via webinar, seminars will be taught over the computer. Fortunately, we will never be able to give an adjustment over the internet, but I would not rule out an app that could check a patient for subluxation!
I encourage all of my first quarter students to get active in Social Media from Day One. The days of “hustling” for patients at spinal screenings and old marketing methods are quickly being replaced by text messaging, blogging, social media and webinars. If you are not on these platforms now, you are already behind!
You have to constantly be on the look out for the next big thing. Facebook is already super saturated with chiropractors, clinics and fan pages. So what do I think is next? Follow me on Facebook if you want to see the launch of what I believe will be the next evolution of Social Media!”
Dr. Brandon Harshe: What is your vision for the future of Upper Cervical Chiropractic?
Dr. Shawn Dill: “Again! Two mega questions to end the interview. Honestly, that is why it has taken me so long to respond to you. This is a very big question. I guess I should say, “world domination”, or “upper cervical as a household term”. But I just don’t see that happening to tell you the truth.
I see Upper Cervical Chiropractic and Chiropractic in general having to face some very difficult decisions in the future. We are becoming more and more mainstream. We are becoming more and more accepted. We are going to have to make some tough choices about our identity very soon. Are we willing to sacrifice some aspects of our identity in order to be “accepted”? We have been doing this for some time and we continue to water down our message at every turn.
The other giant issue here is UNITY. I always seem to find myself in the eye of this UNITY storm. What I believe is that there are many out there who have confused the term UNITY with UNIFORMITY. We can have unity without uniformity. Franchise models promote uniformity. That is exactly what The Specific Chiropractic Center is all about, UNIFORMITY. All franchise models are about uniformity, and not unity.
However, we must be clear that in order to survive, we need UNITY. I believe that the Council on Upper Cervical Care of the International Chiropractors Association will provide that bridge to give us a UNITY platform. The Council embraces all aspects and techniques of Upper Cervical Care. We are developing the profession’s first Diplomate Program that will be oriented at a technique system, Upper Cervical Care. This program will develop the practitioner on the basic elements of five different technique approaches, with a proficiency in one.
For the first time ever, we have assembled the leaders of the five technique groups under one roof to provide real nuts and bolts technique instruction at our first ever seminar called Upper Cervical Fusion: A Synthesis of Upper Cervical Perspectives. This seminar will take place on September 23rd to 25th in San Jose, California. If you would like more information or would like to register, I would invite you to visit our website at www.uppercervicalfusion.com.
So, to finalize your question, I would say that I see us UNIFYING around the idea that the upper cervical spine is central to the maintenance of health in the human being. I see us finally understanding that we are all looking at the same fundamental truths and that if we could set aside our egos and agendas we can ultimately help more people.
Now for the controversy… I see this happening across all lines of chiropractors. I see chiropractors unifying around this concept regardless of technique approach. I have been approached by many full spine chiropractors to work with them in developing this understanding. I am not about to speak about a concept of separation or exclusion. I see us getting back to basics and chiropractic regaining its identity once and for all!”
