1. Josh Muffet
Davenport Campus
8th Trimester
From Paleontology to Palmer
Growing up, Josh Muffett knew he was going to study
bones, but he thought he’d be digging them up instead
of palpating them.
“I actually always wanted to go into archeology or paleontology,”
says the Davenport Campus 8th Trimester
student. “But in high school I gained an interest in
physical fitness and nutrition. As I began to learn what
chiropractic was and how its philosophy was based on
holistic healing, I found it resonated with my idea of
how health care should be.”
Josh was introduced to chiropractic by his parents, who
sent him to William Dye, D.C., Davenport ’75, after he
dislocated his shoulder.
“Dr. Dye told me to go to Palmer because it’s ‘the
Cadillac of chiropractic schools,’” says Josh. “Since he
told me that, I never really bothered investigating any
other schools—I only set my eyes on Palmer. And I am
glad I did. I am so grateful to know Dr. Dye, and that
he steered me in the right direction.”
2. Garrett Neff
West Campus
13th Qaurter
Patient, Friend and Colleague
When Garrett Neff was an undergrad, he wanted
to pursue a medical degree with a specialization in
orthopedics. That changed after he had a serious
diving accident and Gary Saito, D.C., West ’84,
assisted him with his recovery and rehabilitation.
“Dr. Saito treated me as a patient, friend, and once
I became interested in chiropractic, he treated me
as a colleague,” he says.
After Dr. Saito introduced him to chiropractic,
Garrett felt that chiropractic offered “a much more
direct route to working with athletes with a focus
on musculoskeletal, rehab and functional training”
than medicine. He also took Dr. Saito’s advice and
enrolled at the West Campus, in part because of its
strong sports chiropractic program.
“My first Sports Council event was literally my first
weekend in the 1st Quarter, and I’ve never slowed
down,” says Garrett, who has kept Dr. Saito up to date
on his accomplishments throughout his time at Palmer.
“Without his positive direction and kind heart, I
wouldn’t have had someone to look up to so highly,
and my future career in chiropractic may have never
been,” he says.
3. Devin Brossard
Davenport Campus
6th Trimester
Given His Life Back to Help Others
While in high school, Devin Brossard was in a roll-over
car accident that left him in so much pain, he was
unable to play sports and his grades plummeted. After
six months of pain pills and muscle relaxers, he was
taken to Elaine Stout, D.C., Davenport ’81, who helped
him not only feel better, but get better.
“Dr. Stout had given me back my life, and I couldn’t
think of any greater sense of fulfillment in a career than
being able to do that for someone else,” he says. “Dr.
Stout told me that all of the chiropractic schools were
good, but Palmer is the best.”
Since enrolling, Devin has worked with the Alumni
Office as a Palmer Student Alumni Foundation
representative and more resently as its president.
When asked if he would consider recommending the
College to other students, he replies, “There is no
question that I would tell someone to go to Palmer.”
4. Brittany Morrow
Florida Campus
9th Quarter
Volleyball Player Gets
An Assist From Alum
When Brittany Morrow was an undergrad at Pennsylvania’s
Waynesburg University, her chiropractor, Gary Weinstein,
D.C., Davenport ’83, once told her he thought she’d make
an excellent chiropractor.
“He said because I was outgoing, played sports and was
health conscious, that maybe chiropractic would be a good
career for me,” she says. She followed his advice and is now
a student at the Florida Campus.
It was during a prospective student event hosted by Dr. Weinstein
that Brittany came to the same conclusion as her doctor.
By the time the gathering was over, three of his guests made
the decision to enroll at Palmer, one of whom was Brittany.
“I would definitely recommend Palmer to others. I like the
curriculum and the fact that you get hands-on experience
from the very beginning,” Brittany says. “If I had to do it
over again I would make the same decision.”
5. DUSTY HESS
DAVENPORT CAMPUS
9TH TRIMESTER
Having a Good Ear for the Right Career
Before enrolling at Palmer, Dusty Hess was a musician,
producer and audio engineer in L.A. But the music
industry’s lack of stability made him uneasy. Then he
reflected on how his father, a chiropractor, had always
managed to provide for his family and, in his own words,
“help people and change lives.”
While his dad—a non-Palmer grad—influenced Dusty’s
decision to become a chiropractor, his father’s colleague,
Chuck Gibson, D.C., Davenport ’55, steered him
toward Palmer College. As head of Gibson Management
Consultants, Dr. Gibson has served as a personal coach
and mentor to chiropractors, and prospective chiropractic
students, for more than 30 years.
Dr. Gibson told Dusty, “There’s no other school that will
give you the chiropractic education than Palmer College.
I’ll get you set up with a tour.”
Dusty strongly believes that Palmer is preparing him
“philosophically and clinically to be the best chiropractic
provider in the market.” He adds, “It’s helping me to
formulate what I do, how I do it and why.”
6. Megan Thoma
West Campus
8th Quarter
Chiropractic is Part
of the Game Plan
When Megan Thoma and her brothers were growing up
in Michigan, sports were a big part of their lives, and so
was their chiropractor, Jeffrey Buller, D.C., Davenport
’82. “I have no doubt that chiropractic not only helped
all of us with our athletic performance but our overall
health growing up,” she says.
“He was able to spark my interest in the field of chiropractic
early, and through the years was able to model what a
wonderful and rewarding profession chiropractic could
be,” she says of Dr. Buller.
Today, Megan is at Palmer on the recommendation of
Dr. Buller. Although she chose to do her studies at the
West Campus, two time zones away from her lifelong
chiropractor, Megan is confident that he will be there
for her as she progresses through her chiropractic educational
experience.
“I am certain that Dr. Buller will continue to give me
all the support he can with my chiropractic career path,”
she says.
7. Vanessa Ransom
Davenport Campus
5th Trimester
An Easy Choice
Vanessa Ransom says her interest
in chiropractic began at a very early age. “In a way, I think
chiropractic chose me.”
As a child, Vanessa had debilitating migraines that kept her
home from school. Then her mother began to take her to a
chiropractor and, according to Vanessa, she hasn’t had a
major migraine since.
It was Davenport Campus alumni Mischa Doman,
D.C., ’01, and Patricia Barge, D.C., ’90, who recommended
Vanessa attend Palmer College. “They both
felt as though the education they had received had
provided them with the tools necessary to become
excellent chiropractors,” she says.
“Alumni should refer prospective students because
they have been through the program and know what it
takes to be a great chiropractor,” says Vanessa. “They
know firsthand the benefits they received by being a
Palmer student and how those benefits have helped
them transition into a successful practice.”
8. Jenny Meckle
Florida Campus
4th Quarter
Family Ties
Generations of chiropractors coming from the same
family is nothing new to Palmer. As it turns out, it’s
nothing new to the Meckle family, either. Sandra
Conard, D.C., and her husband, Joseph Meckle, D.C.,
both graduated from the Davenport Campus in 1983.
Today their children, Josh, 12th Quarter, and Carly
and Jenny, both 4th Quarter, are all students at the
Florida Campus.
When Jenny was 10, she became another one of her
parents’ patients on account of a problem she developed
with her hip. They also helped her with the customary
sprained knees and ankles she got from playing high
school and college sports.
“My parents treated a lot of my teammates,” says Jenny.
“I think it helped us be more effective players.” She would
grow to appreciate the fact that chiropractic health care
focuses on preventive and non-invasive care.
“I looked at other colleges and realized that Palmer was
the way to go,” she says. “Coming from a chiropractic
family you experience the benefits of chiropractic early
on and learn to trust it.”