Meet Kevin Marryshow
Dr. Kevin Marryshow grew up in Toronto, Ontario, playing basketball, volleyball, and track and field. He suffered a handful of injuries that kept him from furthering his athletic career, and the information he was getting from doctors left him more uncertain than ever about what he would do with his life. His search for answers led him to York University, in Toronto, where he completed a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in kinesiology. Having decided on a career in chiropractic, Marryshow chose to attend Northeast College, then NYCC, because he wanted to challenge his ability to “thrive in a small town, in a different country,” on his own; he wanted to grow as an individual, and to do so he had to leave home. “I found that [Northeast] had the most diverse school culture, from classes offered to concepts discussed,” he says. Plus, the array of courses offered a “spectrum from evidence-based to philosophy–based, [which] was vast, and I liked that.” Having grown up with a science background, he was intrigued to learn more about theories and concepts beyond academic literature. The college “instilled a confidence in me that I learned through repetition.” He practiced taking patient histories, evaluating patients’ conditions, setting up adjustments, joint play assessment, etc. Northeast provided a foundation that allows him to continue improving upon his skills, “growing in all facets of being a sound manual practitioner; the learning curve never stops.”
Helping Provide the Best Patient Experience Possible
Immediately following graduation from Northeast, Marryshow returned to Toronto and worked for a brand-new clinic attached to a group-class training facility. “I wanted to learn fast what being in the trenches was like so I could learn the business side of this world, and what sustainability looked like as I tried and failed and tried again to build my own brand from the ground up.” Marryshow currently works at Myodetox, a clinic based out of Toronto, with an integrated team of chiropractors, massage therapists, and physiotherapists in a very hands-on, manual therapy, and movement-based practice. Their model is “establishing a synergy between manual therapy and movement while creating the best patient-client experience possible.” The most rewarding part of being a chiropractor, he says, is being able to “change people’s minds about how they interpret their body and their shortcomings, and together figuring out how they could move without limits.” Although working with a start-up was a bit difficult at the beginning, he is most proud that he gained experience which has taught him invaluable lessons.
Marryshow has this advice for students: “Have fun, build lifelong friendships and networks, and question what you don’t fully understand. Lay out your goals, get the right people on your bus, then figure out where you want to drive it.” He reminds students to take advantage of being in such a beautiful place and to manage time properly between work and play so they can experience nature and the culture of the Finger Lakes region. He also stresses finding a mentor and “harassing” them! “Read books that aren’t about anatomy and are about growing yourself and your intuition.” Marryshow sees the future of healthcare in manual therapists such as chiropractors. As chiropractic becomes more integrated with other healthcare disciplines, we will begin to see significant benefits in improving the health of our patients. “Chiropractors will become the gatekeepers for musculoskeletal injury/pain, physical training, movement education.”
