NCMIC’s Starting Into Practice Program
Mandi Swanson, student engagement coordinator for Starting Into Practice, speaks to a group of students at a recent conference.
For more than 20 years, NCMIC’s Starting Into Practice program has been helping chiropractic students prepare for life after graduation.
Whether they’re starting their own practice, joining an existing practice or becoming an independent contractor, the Starting Into Practice program provides valuable resources for a student’s next steps on their journey toward becoming a DC. Those resources include on campus risk management presentations, conferences and seminars, a comprehensive website and a Facebook group. There are also 21 student ambassadors at 12 different chiropractic colleges across the country, with a concerted effort to have student ambassadors at all chiropractic colleges.
NCMIC President, Dr. Wayne Wolfson, said Starting Into Practice was created as an extension of NCMIC’s mission and is a great example of how NCMIC takes care of its own from the beginning of their careers to retirement.
“We felt that students, while they were getting excellent education, weren’t getting enough education in basic business. So NCMIC, keeping clear to its motto and mission, created a program which would benefit students,” he said. “It’s grown so much over the years and Starting Into Practice continues to add resources and capabilities that are an asset to students.”
Mandi Swanson is the student engagement coordinator for Starting Into Practice. She left the Insurance Service Center earlier this year to take on the new role and says she couldn’t wait to work with students.
“I believe that students are the future of chiropractic,” Swanson said. “This is such an important role and I want to continue to grow and provide more developmental opportunities for our students.”
Swanson sat down with the INsider to share her thoughts on the program.
Q. How does it benefit students and NCMIC to have a program like Starting Into Practice?
A. The Starting Into Practice program provides students with a number of benefits including on-campus events, free access to the Starting Into Practice website, and the Starting Into Practice Facebook group. Students can use these resources to assist in preparing for their chiropractic career, whether they're wanting to be an associate or start their own practice. The Starting Into Practice website contains a tremendous amount of information and resources for the chiropractic student including interview questions that they can use to prepare for an upcoming interview and financial resources if they are wanting to start a practice.
Starting Into Practice is very important to NCMIC as it allows us to build a relationship with the students well before they graduate. Our goal is for the students to recognize the NCMIC brand and understand that We Take Care Of Our Own means we provide the best possible malpractice insurance and we help our doctors do more by providing a vast array of chiropractic products and services.
Q. Do you see a lot of students that are using the program become policyholders once they start their own practice?
A. We do see quite a few students become policyholders, but our focus with Starting Into Practice is really making sure they know about NCMIC and the resources we have available for our doctors.
Q. Do you see any other company doing what NCMIC does for students?
A. No, nothing. We’re serving students in a way that no other company is. I’m passionate about the resources we provide that for students because students are the future of chiropractic and we’re meeting them where they are right now. Their student journey is incredibly important.
Q. What kind of goals do you have for the program?
A. I'm working on developing metrics for our student ambassadors that correspond with the expectations that we have for the student ambassador role. We’re creating a digital toolkit that ambassadors can use on campus and at student events. I want to continue to provide ambassadors with leadership training, because they thrive on it, it’s something they can use as a student and in their careers.
Q. What would you tell people who don't know about Starting Into Practice?
A. My focus is to make sure students know about our website and our Facebook group and that those are free resources that they can use any time, even if they don't become a policyholder. If a student chooses to become an associate, their employer may require them to go with a different malpractice carrier. I want them to know that these resources are always available to them. I also always mention Bucks for Boards and that they can continue to enter and win up to six months after their graduation date, because I think the opportunity gets lost in the hustle of graduating and taking boards.
Q. Are there any like big plans that you want to share or anything like that that students can look forward to coming up?
A. Yes, we are working on a student version of The Examiner. And I would also like to have a student version of Chiropractical.
For more information about Starting Into Practice, visit the website at StartingIntoPractice.com. Please note: you will need to create an account to view its content.