Starting a brain trust

Students in chiropractic college encounter many trials and tribulations while struggling to get through school, pass boards and ultimately obtain a license to practice. During these struggles classmates become friends, friends that have faced the joys and sorrows of the struggle together. Many of the friendships will last a lifetime.

After graduation classmates and friends become colleagues in the practice and promotion of the chiropractic profession. This is important as the bonding together of friends and colleagues helps us both personally and professionally. It can be hard to find a good friend. It can be even harder to find a good friend with similar professional interests. These relationships are to be treasured. The news gets even better as relationships like this multiply as new contacts are made once in practice. In many ways chiropractic is a brotherhood and sisterhood that is hard to beat.

One way of enhancing these friendships is to form a “brain trust.” A brain trust is a group of two or more people who get together on a regular basis to share ideas, discuss their goals, discuss their successes and failures and – in general -support each other as friends and colleagues. A brain trust is a success support group.

Traditionally, these groups were formed by individuals who lived and worked in close proximity to one another. In today’s world of the Internet, conference calling and other high-tech methods of communication, brain trusts can be formed by individuals around the country or around the world.

An example of a brain trust can be found in three young chiropractors who met while writing for their state association’s magazine. They had a great deal in common as chiropractors, writers, new practitioners, husbands and fathers of young children. They formed a monthly brain trust that involved meeting on a rotating basis at each other’s offices. Another activity was spending a day in practice with each other to observe, learn and help. Coding books and other materials that could be shared between offices were purchased jointly to help control the overhead of running their practices. It was a true win-win-win situation!

Efforts like the above should grow into support, not only for each other, but also for state and national organizations that continue the betterment of the profession.

Students should form brain trusts before leaving college for practice. Discuss the idea with friends. Make a pact. There are no hard and fast rules except being there for each other. Support during efforts to relocate after graduation, obtain a license, find or start a practice, etc. will be vital and appreciated.

If the members of a brain trust are close in distance, they should meet at least once a month. If the members of a brain trust are separated by distance, they can meet by conference call or video conference at least once a month. Both groups should also attend seminars and workshops together for fellowship and growth.

A brain trust is not a new idea but it is a great one. Everyone should take advantage of this idea for personal and professional growth through the support and interaction with friends and colleagues.