RUSSIAN EDUCATION
STATUS: Over the years there have been several DCs that have come and gone. Dr. Charles Register is the first one to stick it out these 12 years but others have tried before and left. This historical perspective calls for an outright rejection of anything that has been done and that worked at developing the chiropractic profession. An entirely new and different approach is what is needed and chiropractic education can be that center point in this strategy.
OPPORTUNITY: St. Elizabeth Hospital in St. Petersburg, under the leadership of Dr. Boris Taitz, has requested that two chiropractors come and practice in their onsite outpatient center. The offer also includes available space to establish a chiropractic college but there will need to be some extensive renovations made to the building first to accommodate this program.
Sounds easy to put together… right? A few hard working people are in fact working on these requests as you read these lines and so only time will tell. In September 2006 the first DC was placed in the St. Elizabeth Hospital and Chiropractors interested in helping develop chiropractic in Russia can reference the CDC Russian Page for contact information and take action first by registering your interest by completing this registry form –> REGISTER HERE.
RUSSIA DEVELOPMENT REPORTS
- June 2004 – Exploratory Voyage by the pioneer team
- August 28, 2004 – Chiropractic to Russia Summit
- December 2004 – Expansion Trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg
- May 2005 – Chiropractic Orientation Symposium, St. Petersburg
- June 2005 – “Chiropractic – treatment without drugs”, local article from a St. Petersburg Medical Journal
- September 2005 – Prospective Clinic development, strengthening alliances
- June 2006 – St. Elizabeth Hospital Clinic, placing a Chiropractor
- October 2006 – Clinic Perspective by project coordinator, Dr. Durrett
CURRENT FOCUS AREAS
Currently support and expand chiropractic presence in St. Elizabeth Hospital, St. Petersburg and prepare a home for a chiropractic school
Study Russian higher education system to determine most appropriate way to design the chiropractic curriculum and diploma structure
Formally create a Chiropractic Institute according to Russian educational standards as an essential step in forming a foundation to establish a formal chiropractic training program
Promote more DCs into setting up private practices there
Build an active and effective National Association
CHIROPRACTIC GOES TO RUSSIA
exert from Palmer Alumni News, June’05
The story begins like this: On a cold and snowy night in early December 2004, five chiropractors and two chiropractic business professionals from three states and two countries arrived in Moscow to take the next step in expanding chiropractic for the Russian people.
Thus began the travel journal of Sherry Durrett, D.C., L.C.P. (Hon.), who journeyed with a chiropractic delegation to Russia, where they met with several high-level Russian health officials regarding establishing a clinic abroad program in the St. Petersburg area and eventually developing a chiropractic educational program in Russia. The December trip was one of several the delegation made, and plans are being made for future visits, including a chiropractic educational summit.
The December chiropractic delegation to Moscow and St. Petersburg included Dr. Durrett; Charles Register, D.C., from Moscow; Larry Berg, director of a Chicago chiropractic clinic; Jill Howe, D.C., from Chicago; Zia Bellin, D.C., and David Bellin, D.C., from Atlanta; and Vladimir Uzhva, director of the Regional Center for Chiropractic in Vladivostok.
The group first met with several Russian officials, including a director of the Ministry of Health Care & Social Development, who was receptive to the group message and suggested that they develop a symposium on chiropractic. The delegation also talked to a health care official in St. Petersburg who expressed that there was a demand and high interest for chiropractic in his region of the country.
Overall, I would say that our December trip was very successful as well as an incredible experience, Dr. Durrett said. We opened new roads for the expansion of chiropractic in Russia and made many valuable contacts along the way. We were very graciously received by everyone we met, and there was a very strong interest in chiropractic.
This spring, Dr. Durrett responded to an invitation from the Government of St. Petersburg to coordinate and deliver an International Symposium on the Art, Science and Philosophy of Chiropractic. The symposium was held May 26 and 27, at the city St. Elizabeth Hospital, one of the region’s largest hospitals. Speakers at the symposium included Dr. Durrett, Michel Tetrault, D.C., Dwight Whynot, D.C., and 1997 PCC graduate Clifton Bethel, D.C. They were unbelievably enthusiastic, said Dr. Bethel, who assisted Dr. Durrett with the May trip. At the halfway point of the first day, an official of the hospital said. We would like concrete proposals from you on what we can do to have Doctors of Chiropractic practice here.
Dr. Bethel of Rock Island, Ill., is currently considering that request along with his Moscow-born wife, Elena, a registered nurse who used her medical knowledge and familiarity with chiropractic to translate during the symposium. Ultimately, Dr. Durrett would like to see a formal chiropractic training program established in Russia of equal standards to that of U.S. chiropractic colleges. To this end, formal negotiations were entered into while she was in St. Petersburg in order to facilitate it. Classrooms, support staff, lecture halls and treatment areas were offered at St. Elizabeth Hospital for use at no charge in an effort to help get this plan implemented.
Currently Dr. Durrett is working on recruiting instructors and doctors for St. Elizabeth chiropractic faculty. The Russian Federation Ministry of Health Care and Social Development has also asked her for proposals for another chiropractic symposium. If you are interested in helping with this project or submitting a symposium presentation, contact Dr. Durrett by toll-free fax at (866) 831-6755.
Project Manager: Dr. Sherry Durrett – <[email protected]>