Seun Awobusuyi, D.C.

It wasn’t until Seun Awobusuyi, D.C. (Florida, ’11) became a student at Palmer Florida that he experienced his first-ever chiropractic adjustment. “Never once. I knew a very successful chiropractor in New Jersey who told me I should look into the profession. My Dad was a pharmacist in Nigeria before opening up his own pharmacy in Central Florida, and I always thought that was an optional path for me. It wasn’t until this chiropractor put chiropractic on my radar that I even knew it was an option.”

Dr. Awobusuyi says his education from Palmer prepared him to be a good chiropractor, but it wasn’t until he got into the real world that he realized what his strengths and weaknesses were as a businessman.

“I think everyone should take a very realistic look at themselves. If you are an introvert, like me, then you need to understand how those could be barriers for you in business. For me, a large portion of my business in Brevard County is personal injury. I find that it’s easier to talk about the long term benefits of preventative chiropractic care after they’ve come in for an injury and witness the profound effects. That to me is an easier way to gain the confidence of long term clients than if I was to scream about chiropractic to anyone and everyone.”

He also thinks it’s OK to take pause before starting up your own practice.

“I learned some tough lessons during my first few years in practice. “I really don’t think it’s a bad idea to look at an associate job right out of school, but set a timeline for that chapter in your professional life and then reassess. While you’re in school, expose yourself to as much as possible, follow as many doctors as you can, go to as many chiropractic offices to see how they operate and don’t limit yourself to one specific niche. Chiropractic is different for so many of my patients, so know, understand and master a variety of techniques so you can best serve your diverse client base.”

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month and the amazing students and alumni who are woven into our campus family, Dr. Awobusuyi says, “I think we’ve come a long way in terms of representation of Black chiropractors in the profession, but I also think there’s a lot of progress left to be done and I think that all comes through education and exposure. Exposing lower-income communities to chiropractic and younger Black boys and girls to aspire for this profession. That’s where the spark starts.”