Three Northeast Degrees Support Doctor's Passion to Treat, Educate Patients and Practice His Art
Meet Dr. Ryan Barker.
Hometown: Finger Lakes region, N.Y.
Education: Cayuga Community College; bachelor’s degree, SUNY Oswego
While at the College, Dr. Ryan Barker (D.C. ’10, M.S. ’10, M.S. ’13) earned two degrees: a Doctor of Chiropractic, and a master’s degree in applied clinical nutrition.
Originally from the Finger Lakes region of New York, Barker knew about Northeast College of Health Sciences (NYCC when he attended) and its powerful reputation of academic excellence.
Upon graduation and through his student peer network, Barker landed a job working with a well-respected chiropractor in Rochester, N.Y. While he was practicing there, he participated in the online Human Anatomy and Physiology Instruction (HAPI) program to earn his third degree from the College, another master’s degree.
One could say, Dr. Barker is a triple threat, armed with skills to treat and guide patients to optimal health with his chiropractic and nutrition knowledge, as well as teach the future leaders of healthcare with his HAPI degree.
Along with the preparation from earning his three degrees, Barker’s perseverance and passion led him to become a successful doctor, opening Oswego Family Chiropractic and teaching anatomy and physiology labs and lectures along with nutrition courses five days a week at SUNY Oswego. In the future, he sees himself moving into the administration side of healthcare, although he admits that it will be “many, many years down the road.”
For right now, he is enjoying work and life by sharing all that he has learned. “The reward of practice comes with never using the word job or work,” said Barker. “I am treating patients, educating patients and practicing my art. How many people get to say that they never go to work?”
From the Lessons he has Learned Dr. Barker Offers the Following Advice for Future Doctors:
- Find a mentor who works in a practice style that you would like to emulate. There are many different chiropractic practices, and some styles will not mesh with what students would like to see in their own practice.
- Practice! I believe, the idea of a practicing doctor is just that, it continues and evolves as a practice into an art. If I were to reflect on my time as a student, I would have adjusted and palpated more students and patients so that the art of my practice would have evolved more quickly.
- Students should not over diversify their practice style early because trying to solve every problem for a patient may lead to no problems solved. New doctors should master small segments of their office life with precision and refinement before tackling new and less mastered arts.
