Stephen Burnie

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Name:
Dr. Stephen Burnie

Where do you live?
Etobicoke

Profession:
Chiropractor

Please explain what you do in your job:
Chiropractors are experts in diagnosing and treating disorders related to the spine, extremity joints and nervous system. We use a drug-free and hands-on approach to health care that focuses on manual therapies in addition to nutritional, therapeutic exercise and lifestyle counselling. Adjustments, also known as spinal manipulation, are the most common form of hands-on therapy that chiropractors use to manage and fix joint problems. Adjustments are carefully controlled and safe procedures applied to dysfunctional joints to decrease pain and restore function.

The majority of patients who see chiropractors have complaints of the musculoskeletal system, such as back and neck pain, headaches and joint injuries (shoulder tendonitis, ankle sprain, tennis elbow, knee injuries).

A vast quantity of research now validates that chiropractic treatment is just as, and often more, effective for these conditions than other commonly used therapies. As such, chiropractic care is considered an evidence-based profession recommended by government agencies, insurance providers and medical guidelines.

Current job:
My primary practice is at a multidisciplinary clinic at Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue with two family doctors and a naturopath. I also have a house call service for patients who are unable to leave their home due to illness or disability.

List of accomplishments:
After graduation from chiropractic school, I enrolled in the masters of rehabilitation science program at McMaster University in Hamilton. Working with researchers in the fields of chiropractic, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, biomechanics and occupational medicine, my research projects focused on finding optimal treatments for the treatment of neck pain. I was named a Research Fellow by both the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research for this work and continue to be involved with neck pain research in conjunction with clinical practice.

As a chiropractor, I consider my greatest accomplishments to be the patients I have helped recover from both minor and serious musculoskeletal conditions that affected their qualities of life.

How do you measure success in your profession?
Although any self-employed professional measures success in part based on their ability to make a good living, chiropractors largely measure success on the ability to provide pain relief and a return to healthy lifestyles for our patients. There is no greater satisfaction than putting a smile on a patient's face and improving his quality of life.

How did you get your start in your chosen career?
I graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto (the only chiropractic school in Canada for anglophones; francophone chiropractic education takes place at L'Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres.

Although I had planned on enrolling in medical school at the start of my undergrad, many discussions with doctors and surgeons through a co-op program and subsequent summer job at a Toronto hospital made me question whether medicine was the right profession for me. After shadowing several chiropractors who were enthusiastic about their profession and seeing the difference that they made in people's lives (in addition to my own, as I had been relieved of chronic neck pain and headaches by a chiropractor) I knew it was the perfect job for me.

What did you have to do in order to get involved with this profession?
As the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College is the only chiropractic school for English-speaking students in Canada, it is a competitive program to get into. It is essential to be a well-rounded applicant by doing well in your undergraduate program in addition to being active through volunteering and participating in your community. I highly recommend shadowing or talking to a chiropractor to see if you would fit well with the profession.

Pros and cons of this job:
I truly feel that this is the best job in the world. Not only do I get to help alleviate painful conditions, but unlike some other health professions patients actually enjoy coming for treatments. When a patient looks forward to seeing their health provider, it makes the job enjoyable; I often look forward to seeing my patients as much as they look forward to seeing me.

The biggest con of the profession is that building a practice when you first graduate can be a slow process, similar to dentistry, massage therapy, optometry and so on. By doing your research before establishing a practice, however, it is often possible to grow a practice quickly.

Skills required for this job:
To be a chiropractor, the most important skill is an ability to communicate well. Working with patients in pain is as much about comforting and educating them about their condition as it is about providing the correct treatment. You must also be empathetic and willing to take time to listen to patients who are facing the difficult experience of pain and disability. It is also important to be good with your hands, as most chiropractic treatments are provided by hands-on contact.

What can youth expect if they want to pursue this job?
Becoming a chiropractor was the most exciting but difficult challenge I have ever undertaken. After a minimum of three years undergraduate education, the real work happens during the four years of chiropractic training. Expect very long days in the classroom, laboratory and clinic with large volumes of information to be learned - it's amazing how complex the human body is.

In addition to the chiropractic and medical sciences, it's essential to focus as much time as possible in becoming proficient at performing adjustments. I was a member of three "adjusting clubs" that met weekly after school with chiropractic experts to further work on adjusting techniques. After graduation, get ready for the task of finding a clinic to work at, or more challenging, to start your own practice. The first few years can be lean as you build a practice, but the rewards of being a chiropractor are well worth it.

Percentage of people who actually succeed in this field:
The graduation rate from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College is 95 per cent. Employment rates are a reliable indicator of how successful graduates are. Over the past several years, surveys completed on behalf of the Ontario government indicate that more than 95 per cent had commenced practice within six months of graduation. Many of those who did not begin practicing after graduation went on to pursue research opportunities or one of the three graduate programs offered at the college.

Salary range:
A professional program, such as chiropractic, leads you to a career with a comparatively high income potential. According to the 2007 results of the Canadian Chiropractic Resource Database, collected by the Canadian Chiropractic Association, the average net income is $95,650 on a national scale.

The average medium net (meaning that half of all Canadian chiropractors made above this number and half made less) was $70,000.� Individual practice figures will vary considerably depending on length of time in practice, type of practice, location and patient load.

Advice to youth who are thinking about pursuing this field:
If you think chiropractic may be the profession for you, I highly encourage you to visit, talk with, or get treated by a local chiropractor. Although it's a great job, it isn't for everyone and you want to figure that out before spending four years in chiropractic school.