SACA & the Value of Attending a Leadership Conference
The Student American Chiropractic Association (SACA) represented NWHSU the ACA Student Leadership Conference at Parker University in Dallas, Texas this September. Attending a leadership conference as a chiropractic student can strengthen your soft skills, grow your network, and prepare you for future leadership roles. And, also important, you’ll also have a lot of fun and form lifelong relationships with your classmates.
NWHSU has a thriving SACA chapter: we recently hosted the Leadership Conference and our students won awards at another. Joining student clubs and organizations enhances your experience as a chiropractic student at NWHSU. We checked in with two SACA members to learn about their experience.
A Focus on Soft Skills
SACA president Ihotu Ali came to chiropractic school with over ten years of experience as a birth doula, massage therapist, and having worked across 30 countries as a global women’s health researcher with the United Nations. She knows the importance of soft skills in practice. “I attended last year’s Leadership Conference hosted by SACA here at NWHSU, and found the speakers to focus on issues that don’t often get covered at chiropractic seminars. Instead of focusing on technique, SACA Leadership Conferences tend to focus on building soft skills. They cover building personal confidence and overcoming failure or burnout; how to collaborate as professionals and expand your referral network; working in diverse cultural, gender, and economic environments, and developing compassion, openness, and strong listening skills with patients.”
It’s important to Ihotu that fellow students gain these skills, which can help you find a job, build a clinic, and attract and retain patients. Plus, they help you be a better doctor.
SACA offers support in making you a well-rounded human who sees the whole person in front of you, not just the medical condition or a list of symptoms or labs.”
Ihotu sees student organizations as a place to grow those skills. She is a member of both SACA, and the Student American Black Chiropractic Association (SABCA). SABCA also hosts regional and national conferences with a focus on developing leadership and mentorship. “Both SACA and SABCA have been huge support systems for me while moving through the chiro program.”
Themes of Attending the Leadership Conference in 2024
Chiropractic student Summer Ragle attended the conference this year after hearing about it from friends on campus. “I decided to attend the ACA Student Leadership Conference because I wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone, meet new people, and gain valuable experiences,” she shared. “Networking with fellow students and professionals from across the country with diverse perspectives was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss. It’s important for me to grow not just as a future chiropractor but also as a leader.”
The key themes that stood out to me were the importance of being a non-judgmental, compassionate provider and always putting the patient first. I learned the value of truly listening to patients and being prepared for anything that comes through the clinic door.”
Summer continued, “Additionally, the conference emphasized the importance of building a strong network of healthcare professionals from various fields, which is crucial for providing comprehensive, integrative care.”
Ihotu also shared her favorite sessions. Among my favorite talks was a workshop on trauma-informed care. It started with a conversation about collective trauma in NYC when the towers went down on 9/11. Another was a Parker University professor who told her story of having an extremely medically complicated pregnancy, and how she needed her colleagues to just listen, empathize, and support her through it, rather than pushing her to do more natural medicines (which clearly weren’t working – she had tried them all). She painted an extremely personal story of why putting patients first (even above our profession) is essential, and how when patients aren’t listened to, it can breed depression, isolation, and worsen their health.”
Why Get Involved in SACA? Work Hard, Play Hard
SACA is a leadership organization, committed to advocacy and growth as future practitioners. But that doesn’t mean it’s all serious. Ihotu describes a “work hard, play hard culture.” “[SACA] students tend to be ambitious. Wanting to start incredible clinics, be on the cutting edge of new research and trends in chiropractic, and bring chiropractors into spaces where we’ve never been before. But we also know how to have a great time!”
She continued, “Our events always have great food and accommodations, we enjoy happy hours with free food and drinks for students, and students love to go out dancing and do fun activities together.”
In Dallas, students attended the Texas State Fair and went line dancing and salsa dancing. Back in Bloomington, SACA events include dinners with established doctors. “It’s work that doesn’t really feel like work! Many people make lifelong friends from our national gatherings, who end up traveling often together to conferences, attending each other’s weddings, and collaborating on grants and professional projects together.”
SACA attends two national conferences each year: the ACA Leadership Conference, and ACA Engage. At ACA Engage in Washington, DC, doctors and students pair up to visit Congress and advocate for the profession.
Last year, attendees lobbied for the Chiropractic Medicare Modernization Act (S.799). S.799 would allow Medicare beneficiaries access to the chiropractic profession’s broad-based, non-drug approach to pain management. NWHSU SACA members met with Senator Amy Klobuchar. Shortly after that meeting, the Senator signed onto the bill.
All chiropractic students are invited to join SACA and attend these conferences. Attending a leadership conference is a unique opportunity to hone your skills and build lasting relationship with peers and mentors.