Forty-seven complete Doctor of Chiropractic program at Sherman College

Forty-seven students from around the world received the doctor of chiropractic degree from Sherman College of Chiropractic in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019. The college’s 136^th commencement was a shared ceremony for December 2019 and March 2020 graduates.

Michael David Fox of New Jersey (December 2019 class) and Anthony T. Choi of South Carolina (March 2020 class), recipients of the Milton W. Garfunkel Award, each presented a farewell address to his classmates. The Garfunkel Award is the highest award given at graduation. Students receiving this honor must have a grade point average of 3.5 or above, and in addition, best exemplify those qualities Sherman College would like to inculcate in all of its graduates: love of the profession, an understanding of the philosophy, willingness to share, and service to the college and community.

Brittany Diane Harrill of North Carolina (December class) and Kathryn Suzanne Heidt of North Carolina (March class) received the Academic Achievement Award. The Academic Achievement Award is given to the individual in each graduating class who maintains the highest grade point average throughout his or her studies at Sherman College.

Thomas Ian Medlin of Florida (December class) and Choi (March class) received the Clinical Excellence Award in recognition of their successful practices in the Health Center. This award is given to an intern in each class who has diligently worked to develop skills in the art, science and philosophy of chiropractic, maintained an A average in the clinical program and exhibited superior overall clinical performance and professionalism.

Russell Gregeor Goff of Wyoming (December class) and Choi (March class) received the B.J. Palmer Philosophy Distinction Award. This honor is given to outstanding students who exemplify the profound philosophical understanding necessary to translate the universal principles of life into the workable philosophy, science and art which is chiropractic.

Goff (December class) also received the Service Distinction Award. This distinction is not given at every graduation; rather it is given to students who stand out for their significant and distinguished service contributions to Sherman College and the local community throughout their course of study.

The commencement address was given by Kevin Power, DC, assistant professor of clinical sciences and Student Clinic faculty doctor at Sherman College. A 1981 Sherman graduate, Power was in private practice in Australia and the U.S. until he joined the college faculty in 2002. He is the youngest of five brothers, all doctors of chiropractic. Sherman College honored him with the Faculty Member of the Year award in both 2010 and 2015 in recognition of his innovation in student learning and his service in the classroom and the Chiropractic Health Center.

Sherman College Health Center Case Doctor Kimberley Fielder, DC, delivered the charge to the graduates. Fielder received the Milton W. Garfunkel Award at her Sherman College graduation in 2006, and she served the college in various capacities from 2006-2007, including admission representative, reception coordinator, biochemistry instructor and lab assistant. She then worked at two chiropractic offices in Virginia before returning to South Carolina in 2009 and joining the faculty at Brown Mackie College in Greenville; she returned to Sherman College as a faculty member in 2016. Fielder founded Healthy Spines in Spartanburg, S.C., in 2013 and continues to practice in the family health care-focused office where she serves as CEO.

The doctor of chiropractic program at Sherman College requires students to complete approximately 4,600 hours (14 quarters) of classroom and laboratory study and includes an internship in the college’s on-campus Chiropractic Health Center. To enter the DC program, students must have at least 90 semester hours of college-level courses, including courses in the sciences.

About Sherman College

Sherman College of Chiropractic provides students with a comprehensive chiropractic education, preparing them to enter the field as doctors of chiropractic who are highly skilled, compassionate, ethical and successful. On its 80-acre campus in South Carolina, Sherman offers a first professional degree program unique in its approach to health care and known globally for the skill and art of chiropractic delivered by graduates. For more information, visit sherman.edu or call 800-849-8771.