This month’s Circle of Docs featured member of the month comes from North Dakota. Dr. Staci Fogarty is a powerhouse Chiropractor who demonstrates that having a strong Chiropractic philosophy combined with a unique ability to communicate vitalism has translated into a booming practice.
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What was introduction into Chiropractic? Why did you become a Chiropractor?
I saw a chiropractor periodically in high school and college, but chiropractic didn’t become an obvious career choice until very close to graduation. I became increasingly aware of a difference in mechanism and vitalism, however I didn’t know enough to categorize the approaches in this terminology at the time. What I knew was that more medicine didn’t result in better health, and I changed my plans of going to medical school, and enrolled into chiropractic college. I knew that I wanted to provide the information, tools and inspiration to others to live a healthier life – and am thankful my innate lead me to chiropractic, long before I understood just how aligned this profession would become with my life’s passion and purpose.
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Where did you go to school and when did you graduate?
I attended Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, MN. I graduated in June, 2008, and purchased my practice in Minot, ND the next day.
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What is your biggest accomplishment as a Chiropractor to date?
My biggest accomplishment as a chiropractor has been growing my practice over the last 7 years, while expanding my interests within the profession to endeavors outside of my office. I attribute my ability to successfully accomplish this to those people with whom I have been able to surround myself. I have an amazing office team, and from my first day in practice have invested in each of them, knowing that the happier and more successful and confident they are in their work, the more successful I could be in mine. I invest in my team in the form of day gratitude, weekly training and structured communication, as well as quarterly meetings and opportunities for cash bonuses and trips to conferences. They understand how vital chiropractic is to health, and provide incredible support to our patients and myself every single day. I also have an amazing group of accountability partners who have been paramount in keeping me moving forward in each aspect of my professional pursuits.
In the process of building my practice, I have also learned how to teach the value of chiropractic to my patients. They understand through congruent messages delivered from all aspects and with every interaction in our office how important chiropractic is for their optimal health and function. They value chiropractic enough to pay out of pocket, have their family checked, and refer others on a regular basis. This is much different than how I began, and an accomplishment that serves the health of my patients in a profound way.
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What was your biggest failure?
My biggest failure has been attaching myself to the idea that my practice needs me to be successful. I have invested nearly every ounce of time, energy and passion into my business to make it the success that it has become. While I don’t regret that, I have come to realize that the true success in the business I have built will come from the legacy it is able to leave. My perception has changed to realize that for it to be truly be a successful practice, it must serve patients whether I am there or not. Patients should not be coming in for care because of me, but because of chiropractic. This has necessitated that I step up my game in teaching my patients why chiropractic is vital to their lives. This has created a new challenge – make chiropractic so important that my patients and my community would do whatever it takes to get a specific, chiropractic adjustment, regardless of the person who is taking care of them.[quote_center]
Chiropractic is not a luxury; it is a necessity for those wanting to experience the most out of life.
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If you could rewind time and could give yourself one or two pieces of advice as you entered Chiropractic College what would it be?
Two pieces of advice:
- Chiropractic is a vitalistic approach to health, no matter how mechanistic classes start to make it seem. Chiropractic school is designed to help you pass board examinations, not fully appreciate how far reaching chiropractic really is. Everything you need to know cannot be learned while in school, and in fact your biggest lessons will come outside of the classroom. Prepare to be a student even more once you’ve graduated, than in the confines of the classroom.
- Chiropractic is not a luxury; it is a necessity for those wanting to experience the most out of life. Use every opportunity to gain experience and confidence in delivering the chiropractic adjustment, as well as how profound of an effect a properly functioning nervous system can have on a person’s life. After graduation, you have to sell chiropractic for the sake of people’s health – and you can’t let that mission get clouded by your need to make an income. Focus on what’s important, and the rest will follow.
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Where do you see the profession headed in the future?
The survival of the profession is in focusing on what chiropractors do, that no other profession can touch: detect and correct subluxation through specific, scientific, chiropractic adjustments. I know that our profession has to move full steam ahead in this direction, and stick to our foundational premise for the vitalistic principles of chiropractic to exist in the future.
