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:

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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.

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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.

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.

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