National University names Christopher Arick assistant dean of chiropractic medicine

January 23, 2017—Christopher Arick, DC, MS, has been appointed as the Assistant Dean of the Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine program at National University of Health Sciences.

In this role, he will oversee the various academic elements of the chiropractic medicine program, including curriculum development and evaluation along with interactive learning between the Florida and Illinois sites. He will maintain close relationships with other university programs as well as local, state and national organizations. In addition, he will play an integral role with the university’s accreditation efforts. 

Arick previously served as chiropractic program faculty member at the NUHS Florida site since 2012. He has now relocated to the Lombard campus for the new role. “I am looking forward to finding new ways to engage students,” Arick said. “I think this is going to be key in maintaining high standards at NUHS.”

After graduating with his DC degree from NUHS in 2005, he spent six years in private practice. Once he started participating in panel discussions and presentations at health facilities, becoming an instructor at NUHS seemed like a natural next step. Since then, Dr. Arick has become passionate about the future of integrative medicine education along with the overall growth and reputation of the chiropractic medicine profession.

“We’re excited to have Dr. Arick taking on the responsibilities of Assistant Dean of the Chiropractic program,” said Robert Shiel, NUHS dean of the College of Professional Studies. “His background and passion in education and integrative medicine are important assets to the NUHS community, and I believe his experience and understanding of our Florida campus will help promote even more communication and cooperation between our two sites.”

In addition to working on Ph.D research analyzing integrative medicine education, Arick has recently been added to the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health’s Working Education Group, a group of health professionals who identify and advance educational projects that foster inter-disciplinary understanding and respect among professions.

One of Arick’s goals as assistant dean is to build on the integrative health curricula initiated by other faculty members, including Ezra Cohen, who retired from the position in December. “In that way students are not only prepared with clinical knowledge, but become ready for first-hand experiences in our clinical system and their future endeavors,” he said.

Arick is also a big proponent for advanced practice within the chiropractic medicine profession. He hopes to encourage more students to complete additional degrees and certifications, depending on their interests.

At National University, students have the unique advantage of earning multiple degrees all on one campus. In addition to Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), students can also earn degrees in Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND), Master of Science in Acupuncture (MSAc), Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM), and a certificate in Massage Therapy (MT).

“Some students may approach patients in different ways and I think that is one of many great things about the chiropractic medicine profession – that we already have that integrative mindset here at National University,”  Arick said.