Pursuing a career in Chiropractics can be back-breaking. Then you've got to find one of the 15 CCE accredited Chiropractic schools in the US and hope they take you. And don't forget how long it can take, once you're accepted, to earn your doctorate—years!

At Truman, Biology students can earn a Doctorate in Chiropractics in only six years. It's called the 3+3 Pre-Chiropractic Program. Within six years, students who qualify for the program will earn both a degree in Biology from Truman and a Doctorate in Chiropractics from Logan College of Chiropractics (in St. Louis, MO).

Mike Lockhart, professor of Biology and Pre-chiropractic Advisor, provided us with answers to three questions to take advantage of 3+3:

How Does It Work?
Biology students complete three years of undergraduate work at Truman, where they fulfill their liberal arts requirements and take courses in Organic Chemistry, Geometry, Calculus, Cell Biology, Genetics, and Ecology. The next three years of graduate work are completed at Logan. The first year at Logan, students will take 30 to 40 hours of credit that can be transferred back to Truman, which includes Biology electives. The following two years, students complete the 3+3 program, earning their Doctorate in Chiropractics.

Do I Qualify?
To participate in the program, you must major in Biology and maintain a Truman GPA of 3.25 or higher. Logan representatives also interview potential students in the program to verify they are qualified candidates. Truman students are accustomed to rigorous coursework and research projects, so most students will easily adapt to Logan's post-graduate studies. An added benefit of this program is that, unlike many post-graduate programs, students don't have to take a graduate requirement exam, like the MCAT.

Will I Be Licensed?
After receiving a Doctorate in Chiropractics, graduates must take a licensing exam in order to practice in the profession. Some states won't license you if you didn't receive your bachelor's degree before your graduate degree. If you plan on practicing outside of Missouri, do your research to confirm other states' requirements.

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Shawna Cooper is on a mission. She plans to join the world's leading researchers to knock out type 2 diabetes. In the United States alone, 20.8 million (7 percent of the population) have the dreaded disease.

Shawna is well on her way—today she is working on her MD/PhD in diabetes research at the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Shawna graduated from Truman with a degree in biology in 2004 and then stayed an extra year to complete her masters in an accelerated program. A high school valedictorian, Shawna grew up in a supportive home in Salem, Missouri, though neither her father nor her mother could afford a college education. Her father is a development miner, and her mother works at Wal-Mart.

Sending Shawna to college was a family dream realized through five years at Truman.

The Decision
Her senior year in high school, Shawna had no shortage of elite colleges recruiting her to their campus. But Truman's academic reputation in the sciences attracted her, and the competitively priced, in-state tuition won her over. Shawna was also impressed by the fact that Truman is the only public university in Missouri to be included in U.S. News & World Report's top 10 public university-master's ranking Midwest region.

Shawna reflects on her Truman experience: "Personal interaction with profs, experiences with Tri Beta (biology honors society), friends, dorm life, and classes combined to form some of the best years of my life."

While completing her bachelor's degree in biology, she entertained numerous opportunities to present her research, many of which were competitive and paid in full by Truman. Shawna placed first at the Missouri Academy of Science. She went on to publish her thesis, as well as a paper stemming from her undergraduate research project.

Shawna credits Truman's faculty with her success. "They're excited about teaching and engaged with their subject matter," says Shawna. "After you finished genetics, you wanted to be a geneticist. When you finished immunology, you wanted to study immunology. The professors want you to like their subjects--and that's true outside of biology too."

Friendships for a Lifetime
Not only did Truman provide Shawna the foundation for her calling to research diabetes, it also provided her a community of friends. Several Truman faculty members have already RSVP'd to attend Shawna's wedding in a few months.

"Truman definitely goes beyond the professors just knowing your name," she says. "You are able to get a letter of recommendation when you need it, and the professor actually writes it because he/she knows you."

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Martin Luther King, Jr., didn't sacrifice his life to make the world an easy place. His dream was to leave it a better place. So says Truman senior Ryan Gray. "Fortunately for us," says Gray, "his dream didn't die with him."

The dream of Martin Luther King, Jr., lives on in students like Gray—and events like those sponsored in January by Truman's Multicultural Affairs Center. The theme for this year's MLK week was "Preserving Freedom: Be the Change." One event, the Unity Luncheon, raised $500 for the completion of Washington D.C.'s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial, which is slated for completion in 2009.

"Our hope through all the programs," says Bertha Thomas, Director of the Multicultural Affairs Center, "is that students will realize the impact they have in their local, national, and global communities."

The Unity Luncheon also raised community awareness by sponsoring an MLK art and essay contest for local elementary school students. "Teachers and students at the elementary school always look forward to designing projects and writing essays that represent the work of MLK," says Thomas. "This year we had 92 submissions that ranged from rap songs to essays on how he has made an impact on their lives." The Unity Luncheon brought together more than 200 campus and Kirksville community members.

The Unity series included musical selections by True Men and Unique Ensemble Gospel Choir, speeches by MLK experts, and a well-received MLK symposium. At the symposium, modern issues such as civil liberties, environmental distress, and war were discussed within the framework of the views of Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Is there really only one perfect college for you?

Truman Senior Jamie Matthews knows what vexes students who are trying to find the ideal college fit.

As President of Student Ambassadors, Jamie has counseled countless prospective students. Through this program, 100-plus Truman students volunteer to introduce prospective students to the college on visit days and answer any questions about the big transition to college life.

Jamie, a psychology and sociology major, remembers walking the bridge between high school and college—and admits it's not an easy one. Looking back, however, she identifies three indicators that helped her realize Truman was the right college choice for her:

A Place to Call Home
Jamie says that when she was considering Truman, its campus sealed the deal.

"It was small, concentrated, and peaceful," says Jamie. Truman felt like what she imagined a college campus should feel like: close-knit.

A Place to Belong
Throughout her four years at Truman, Jamie has always felt welcome and safe: "I have a huge support system. In the future when I hold a job with a student affairs department at some college, I hope to recreate that feeling of belonging."

Jamie also feels connected because the student population takes classes seriously. "When it comes to academics, we're focused and dedicated. Our personalities are different, but our commitment to learning is the same. It makes for a great community."

A Place to Explore Your Gifts
Since Jamie was undeclared upon entering college, it was important for her to choose a liberal arts college that would expose her to a variety of disciplines. Once she got to Truman, Jamie sought the advice of her academic advisor and student advisors, who helped her discover her desire to help people solve problems. Her involvement with Residence Life and the Student Ambassador program only made her more confident in her career goal to be a college advisor.

"These roles have developed my gifts," she says, "and given me a glimpse of the inner-workings of an undergraduate admission office—what counselors talk to students about, and how to help students choose the right college path."

To get in touch with a student ambassador, e-mail Jamie at jem532@truman.edu.

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