IMU Chiropractic Students on a Mission in Manila

31 August – 13 September 2014 – Seven International Medical University (IMU) Chiropractic students together with four students from one of IMU’s Partner Universities, RMIT in Melbourne, Australia went for a chiropractic mission that included the unemployed and the poor destitute in some of Manila’s slums. The Semester 8 students, who were accompanied by lecturer, Dr David Hannah, joined forces with InterCare Clinics of Manila for this mission. The InterCare Clinics have developed chiropractic mission trips in the past with RMIT and this was the first opportunity for the IMU students to partake in such a trip. The InterCare Clinics are a multi-discipline, multi-practitioner facility that integrates traditional, medically-oriented methods of care with alternative and complementary approaches such as chiropractic, acupuncture and rehabilitation medicine.   After their initial orientation, where each intern was able to shadow various practitioners, they were involved with radiology sessions and clinical rounds. Throughout the course of following 10 days, they treated Olympic and Para-Plympic athletes (training for the Asian Games), a general mix of patients from the business district of Makati City in Manila, primary school aged children from the Taguig schools; some of the many unemployed and the poor destitute communities (such as Smokey Mountain) in some of Manila’s worst slums. At the various clinics, the seven students saw more than 800 patients in total. Dr David Hannah said, “The students have subsequently related that this was an incredible experience. I know that when I travelled there with them, I arrived with 7 students but they left as ‘seasoned chiropractic practitioners!’ It truly has been a pleasure to assist them in the maturation process!