Parker's Approach
Foundation of Service
Parker students believe in service. At the heart of our founder Dr. James Parker’s legacy is the firm belief in serving others with compassion and humility. Today, we honor this by continually seeking resources to support scholarships and lasting service initiatives.
Business Minded
Our well-rounded chiropractic education puts an emphasis on business training. Students learn how to set up a successful practice, calculate finances, analyze performance statistics and develop patient acquisition plans. Marketing seminars, chiropractic partnerships and dedicated business planning curriculum provide realistic experience that gives Parker graduates a distinct advantage over their peers.
Research First
We are devoted advocates of evidence-based practice. In order to support the expansion of our profession and global health and wellness, we insist on constant support of international research initiatives, funding of profession-wide collaborative efforts and sharing across the industry.
Beyond the Classroom
We are stalwarts in our community. We serve the health care field through our integrated internship and clinical curriculum. Whether it’s working with the Veterans Affairs Hospital or one of our 35 private practice partnerships, we make sure we are getting involved and giving back.
Clinical Experience
Our comprehensive classroom education is enhanced by extensive real-world, hands-on experience. Students have the opportunity to work in private practices, health centers, Veterans Affairs hospitals and even clinics abroad. This distinct exposure to the diverse health care field uniquely prepares students for their future career.
Experience a large-scale university-affiliated clinic alongside Parker’s most established doctors of chiropractic. Receive hands-on, practical training while caring for a diverse patient base.
The Community Based Internships (CBI) program is a clinical training program which operates in both private and public clinics not affiliated or owned by Parker University. The CBI experience occurs in the student’s final trimester of their education prior to graduation and lasts approximately 15 weeks. The program is designed to reinforce and strengthen the student’s knowledge and skills learned in both their academic and clinical education. CBI programs include a multitude of Practice Based Internship (PBI) (individual private practices) locations, both within Texas and across the United States, several U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and clinics, one U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) location (Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA), the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) (a prestigious non-profit academic medical center), and three International rotation sites (Canada, Jamaica and Spain).The purpose of Parker’s CBI program is to provide students a variety of training sites in order to expand their clinical competencies and experiences, help build their confidence levels, and prepare them to be industry-ready upon graduation in pursuit of becoming successful and professional doctors of chiropractic.
Doctors in all CBI programs are credentialed as Parker University Extension Faculty. Prior to participation, CBI doctors are thoroughly vetted and subsequently trained to properly and skillfully mentor Parker University students. Additionally, their documentation efforts are audited so to ensure participating students are continuing to perform and learn the highest level of medical documentation standards. For more information, please contact CBI Director, Dr. Greg Page, at gpage@parker.edu.
During this rotation, students will be afforded the ability to participate in a clinical experience providing chiropractic care to our nation’s veterans who may be experiencing a variety of health challenges. Students will be supervised by Parker University Affiliate Faculty within multidisciplinary, integrative, highly regulated, and fully electronic hospital environments at VA locations local to the DFW Metroplex and throughout the United States. Most VA locations will be hospital-based but some will be Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). Most VA sites have multiple DCs credentialed will offer Parker students multiple unique perspectives and learning opportunities. Students will gain experience for advancement in their skills, abilities, and confidence by seeing a variety of complex cases with various associated comorbidities. Additionally, participants may have the opportunity to experience observation of other spine care specialists, such as pain management, orthopedics, and physical therapy.
The VA Mission statement is to deliver high quality chiropractic care to VHA patients as part of a comprehensive, integrated healthcare system, while maintaining a strong commitment to advance chiropractic education and research.
During this rotation, students will be supervised by Parker University Affiliate Faculty at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, WA. This veteran preferred program will provide a broad clinical experience working with a team of experts within the Physical Medicine and Rehab Department. This department provides a high quality, integrative approach in a state-of-the-art facility. Students will participate in the team-based management of complex conditions in collaboration with other medical specialists and healthcare providers, such as primary care, medical and surgical specialties, and rehabilitation disciplines.
The Madigan Chiropractic Clinic’s mission, as stated from their website, is to “maintain a fit force and high level of unit readiness while simultaneously integrating the highest quality preventive, clinical, surgical, and rehabilitative services; research; and graduate medical education so that we are the choice for musculoskeletal care among all our health care beneficiaries”.
During this rotation, students will have the ability to participate in a broad, integrative clinical experience at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) while working with various complex cases and associated comorbidities. Under the supervision of Parker University Affiliate Faculty within the Wellness Division, students will have the opportunity to experience a true hospital environment with full support and referrals from within the Wellness Division itself and throughout the hospital.
The goal of this rotation is to provide a diverse learning environment and help prepare the student to take on the toughest cases with confidence and competence. In addition to being a part of a multi-doctor approach to patient care, students may also experience such services as Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Integrative Medicine, Holistic Psychotherapy, Reiki, and Masso-therapy. The Cleveland Clinic, Centers for Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine, is dedicated to addressing both the physical, as well as the lifestyle, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients.
- Canada – Alberta
During this rotation, students will be supervised by Parker University Extension Faculty and cofounder/CEO of Kinetisense 360 at the Kinetic Centre in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The Kinetic Centre rotation is designed to improve a student’s clinical skills within a private practice environment dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of athletes along with general chiropractic patients. Some of the core services students will participate include: chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage therapy, soft tissue assessment and rehabilitation, along with utilization of Kinetisense, a state-of-the-art 3D Motion Capture Technology, to accurately and objectively assess movement patterns and provide corrective strategies for positive patient outcomes. - Jamaica – Kingston
The International Jamaica rotation encompasses a diverse clinical experience whereby students can provide chiropractic care, for both general chiropractic patients and world class athletes, within a private subluxation-based, functional neurology practice setting. Students will be supervised by a Parker University Extension Faculty member providing care to general chiropractic patients, learning a chiropractic neurology approach, along with experiencing a specialized type of care provided to world class athletes, thereby expanding one’s sports injury and performance knowledge base.This rotation will provide students the opportunity to participate at multiple sports-oriented venues such as track meets and sports tournaments. In addition, students will have the opportunity to learn and experience the Jamaican culture through emersion and by participating in potential excursions during their rotation.More Information - Spain – Madrid College of Chiropractic (MCC)CBI’s International Spain rotation encompasses a clinical experience at the Madrid College of Chiropractic (MCC). During this rotation, students will have the opportunity to provide chiropractic care to a variety of patients while expanding their patient care knowledge and understanding in the supervised environment of the MCC Clinic.Students will examine, diagnose, and treat a variety of case types which can assist them in advancing their clinical knowledge and skills while experiencing health care delivery in a European environment. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to experience the Spanish culture through emersion while learning to communicate with people of other countries. Participants in this rotation are required to speak the Spanish language and will need to complete and pass a provided Spanish language proficiency test prior to participation.More Information
Students who have completed all graduation credit requirements, except for 40% of required hours for their last trimester, can complete these hours shadowing a practicing chiropractor of their choice, nationally or internationally. This is a program whereby a student may learn from a licensed chiropractor about private practice, patient management, and day-to-day business operations.
Interested students should contact the CBI Department one trimester in advance for an application and participation instructions. Credit for hours only may be accrued in this program. The host doctor decides what duties the student can and cannot perform based upon their malpractice insurance and respective individual state licensing board rules and regulations.