The University of Bridgeport, College of Chiropractic (UBCC), the first chiropractic program established within a comprehensive university in the United States is proud to announce that Dr. Michael Ciolfi was appointed as the dean on March 02, 2015. Dr. Ciolfi follows a great tradition of chiropractic education as established by the long-time and founding dean, Dr. Frank Zolli, who has become a full-time professor at UBCC and Dr. David Wickes, who is now furthering chiropractic at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.
Dr. Ciolfi, a 1990 Life University chiropractic graduate, has an academic background in sports science and nutrition, where he earned his bachelor degree, an MBA (Masters in Business Administration) and DBA (Doctor of Business Administration). Complimenting his diverse education, Dr. Ciolfi received further formal training in Military Land Forces through the Command and Staff College, Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare and Officer training through the Canadian Army. He has served in the Canadian Military as a Light Infantry Officer in the Canadian Army Reserve for 12 years earning the rank of Captain and was decorated with the Medal of Canadian Decoration (CD) from the Canadian Government. His career as an educator began as an adjunct professor at a community college, within nursing and physical education and massage therapy programs. He was a full-time practicing chiropractor from 1991 to 2005 in both Canada and the United States (Florida), giving him first-hand knowledge of the challenges in today’s marketplace current graduates will experience, while also serving as the team chiropractor for both professional and collegiate sports teams. Over the last decade he has been involved in chiropractic academia at both Palmer Chiropractic College and Canadian Memorial College.
Dr. Ciolfi has had multiple papers accepted at the Association of Chiropractic Colleges, Research Agenda Conference (ACC-RAC) and has served on the Peer Review Committee from 2010-present giving him intimate knowledge of the advances being made in chiropractic research. The combination of that experience along with his doctoral dissertation; “The Relationship between Chiropractor Required and Current Level of Business Knowledge” brings with him a unique blend of clinical excellence and success in practice to the academic setting.
What attracted Dr. Ciolfi to University of Bridgeport, College of Chiropractic was the full university experience with all the support offered at that level. The UBCC classrooms and laboratory facilities have been renovated with the most up-to-date technology, and the program utilizes course delivery that includes both traditional lecture and hands-on, as well as electronic/online delivery methods. The human gross anatomy lab is state-of –the-art and enables students to have visual and hands-on learning experiences with all of the structures of the human body in a comfortable and modern facility. The faculty of UBCC is exceptionally experienced with many possessing graduate degrees in the biomedical sciences in addition to a doctor of chiropractic degree (DC). The faculty to student ratio is eight to one, allowing professors to know their students on a very personalized and individual basis. UBCC strives to deliver a health care education stressing evidence-informed practice, which includes; critical appraisal and knowledge of the most up-to-date research, clinical judgment and reasoning that collaboratively includes the needs and desires of the patient. Moreover, the program stresses active care strategies, empowering patients to achieve long term, holistic, and sustainable health care goals.
Dr. Ciolfi, through his doctoral training realized that the future is evidenced-informed chiropractic, yet there are many patients that respond favorably to chiropractic where the evidence has not yet caught up to patient results. As a result, he will be encouraging the students to both explore treatments for these patients and encourage them to be involved in future research to be part of the solution in providing the evidence for all chiropractic treatments.
Currently, UBCC has expanded clinic opportunities for its interns that include hands-on rotations at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VACHS), Community Health Center, Inc. (CHCI), and Optimus Health Care community primary care clinic locations. Observational inter-professional experiences include MRI clinical rotations at SUNY-Stony Brook University Medical School and Hospital, as well the Orthopedic Specialty Group (OSG) and Orthopedic Sports Medicine (OSM), two large multi-disciplinary orthopedic sports medicine practice groups in the Bridgeport region. Further, the on-campus clinic is part of the UB Clinics and is integrated with other graduate health science program patient care, including naturopathic medicine, acupuncture/Traditional Chinese Medicine, and dental hygiene. Dr. Ciolfi is planning on expanding the reach of chiropractic both in the region and through more collaborative arrangements with other institutions with the goal of creating the best learning environment for UBCC students.
The chiropractic profession welcomes the University of Bridgeport, College of Chiropractic’s new Dean, Dr. Michael Ciolfi in helping chiropractic expand through formal education and welcomes learning more in the future on how the University of Bridgeport, College of Chiropractic plays a part in that goal.