Northwestern Health Sciences University Offers Student Experience with VA Hospitals

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Northwestern Health Sciences University has recently formed relationships to offer students clinical education preceptorships with two Veteran’s Affairs (VA) hospitals. A VA hospital preceptorship is a unique experience for students because of the exposure to a variety of complex cases that students may not encounter in a private practice. Post-surgery conditions, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and severe and debilitating injuries are all likely to be encountered on a daily basis, according to Mary Berg, MA, clinical experiential education coordinator and an assistant professor at Northwestern. “It tends to be a much more complex environment with a broad spectrum of health care needs.”

Both preceptorships are offered for students by Northwestern graduates. One is at the Montana Health Care System in Helena, Mont., with Richard Forrette, DC, a 1989 graduate of Northwestern. The other is at the Sioux Falls VA Medical Hospital, in Sioux Falls, SD, with Christopher Pierson, DC, a 2002 graduate of Northwestern.

According to Dr. Forrette, “Students are truly ‘hands-on’ practitioners in the Montana VA Medical Center and will gain skills and knowledge that will serve them well in the future. A considerable amount of time is spent on treating patients with chiropractic methods.”

VA hospitals employ many health care disciplines, so students will gain experience with those other disciplines. “There has been a gradual shift within the chiropractic profession to integrate with other health disciplines,” says Dr. Pierson. “The next wave of chiropractors would benefit from training to help make those relationships a success and help them direct the patient to appropriate care.”

“We are thrilled and excited about the opportunity with the VA Montana Health Care system and the Sioux Falls VA Medical Center,” says Lynne Hvidsten, BS, DC, CCST, MBA, associate dean of clinical education and associate professor. “I’m looking forward to more students getting interested in opportunities like this.”

Northwestern Health Sciences University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage and human biology. The University has nearly 900 students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minnesota.