Q: What are NUHS´s areas of greatest strength for the chiropractic student and the profession?
Winterstein: First, we require a baccalaureate for admission to our chiropractic degree program. This means the students who come to National to study are more likely to be better prepared and more mature than the average. Secondly, we provide a broad scope primary care based education through which any graduate can choose to engage in a general practice or to specialize on a firm and thorough foundation in diagnosis and chiropractic care. Third, in addition to strong education in the manipulative arts, we teach botanical medicine, physiological therapeutics, and exercise and nutrition as means of helping people gain and maintain optimum health.
Q: What are your plans for the future of the school with regard to chiropractic?
Winterstein: We will continue to provide a solid foundation in diagnosis and broad scope natural medicine oriented chiropractic care, which is centered on solidly taught articular manipulation. This has been our heritage and continues to be our mission. We promote integration of chiropractic medicine into mainstream health care delivery systems. We also offer accredited Master of Science degrees in Family Practice and Diagnostic Imaging, and programs in acupuncture for the chiropractic physician.
Q: Where do you see the chiropractic profession headed?
Winterstein: I think the chiropractic profession is perilously close to an unstoppable decline, if some clear leadership decisions aren’t made soon. The broad scope practitioners must take a stand on how our profession should be educated and should practice. We must get out of the musculoskeletal box and apply broad scope care to people of all walks—not just those with musculoskeletal pain or malfunction. We have much to offer a needy population and we are not doing it because of intra-professional nearsightedness complicated by a dogmatic understanding of who and what we are.
A 1968 graduate of National College of Chiropractic, Dr. James Winterstein is a Diplomate in Diagnostic Imaging, was in private practice for seventeen years, and has served as President of National University of Health Sciences for the past nineteen years. A former President of the Council of Chiropractic Education (CCE), he is a renowned speaker, author, and supporter of broad scope chiropractic education and practice.