Sarah and Gavin Smith: A Shared Chiropractic Journey at Palmer College

Ninth-trimester students and college sweethearts Sarah and Gavin Smith were drawn to chiropractic for different reasons, but both are counting down the days until they’re able to help patients through conservative, hands-on care.

“I’ve always had a passion for health care and knew my career would somehow involve that,” says Sarah. “I earned my degree in biochemistry from Iowa State University for a foundation in the sciences, while Gavin earned his degree in kinesiology. It was Gavin who introduced me to chiropractic.”

Gavin suffered a low-back injury during his senior year playing for his high school football team and found relief through chiropractic care.

“The injury made it difficult for me to do really any movement, and with the help from the chiropractor, I was able to recover quickly,” says Gavin. “Through that experience, I knew I wanted to be able to help other people feel the same relief I did.”

“Gavin’s newfound passion for chiropractic was contagious!” says Sarah. “I was hesitant at first because I had no previous experience with chiropractic, but we have loved it at Palmer and are so grateful for all the professors and clinicians who chose to share their knowledge with us.”

The two have worked side-by-side, attending classes and studying together, yet have each discovered their own passions; Sarah’s favorite patients are children, while Gavin has gained most of his experience working with adult patients.

“Palmer has given us a solid foundation of neurology and human anatomy, which makes it easier to apply more clinically-related courses such as movement science, endocrinology, diagnostic imaging, and visceral disorders,” says Sarah. “We feel very confident in our ability to apply a biopsychosocial model of health care touching on all aspects of a patient’s life.”

While they’ve both excelled academically, Sarah and Gavin have also enjoyed a fulfilling campus life at Palmer. “Palmer has a beautiful campus. We enjoy the outdoor study spaces, but more importantly, we’ve immensely enjoyed growing relationships with other students in our cohort,” says Gavin.

For incoming students, the couple’s advice is straightforward: “Get involved, especially in clubs and seminars,” both advise. “There’s so much more to learn outside of the core curriculum. Take advantage of the extracurricular opportunities Palmer offers to expand your knowledge and experience.”