In a recent interview with DC, Vincent Gentiluomo, DC, revealed his intention to begin teaching chiropractic to medical doctors in Bangalore, India. He will not be teaching at any kind of educational institution, but under the oversight of the "Ritual Master Sri Sri Ravi Shankar."
Bangalore, a city of nearly five million inhabitants, is in the "silicon plateau" of India (the city sits atop a 3,000 meter elevation plateau). Bangalore, situated just south of the capital city, New Delhi, is considered the gateway to southern India. Besides being a center for computer chip production, Bangalore is known for its silk, sandal wood and granite.
Coincidentally, Life College is in the process of establishing a chiropractic clinic in Bangalore (see "Life to Open New Clinic in India," News in Brief, DC, 5-18). The modern facility that Life College has selected for its Bangalore clinic is pending official approval. (Editor's note: Life College and Dr. Gentiluomo have no connection whatsoever.)
The MDs Dr. Gentiluomo will be teaching will pay an undisclosed amount for their chiropractic education, which will include time in a clinic Dr. Gentiluomo intends to open. Also teaching with Dr. Gentiluomo will be Colorado DCs Victoria Lee and Thomas Close.
Dr. Gentiluomo retired from practice in 1995, and has since done consultant work for several Ohio DCs. He called Dynamic Chiropractic looking to get copies of old motion palpation videos. The reason: to learn about motion palpation before teaching the diagnostic modality to his MD students.
Drs. Gentiluomo, Lee and Close intend to rotate their teaching assignments every 2-6 months. Because of the lack of educational structure and expertise, Dr. Gentiluomo admitted this would be "an ad-lib situation." He said he got the idea of the six month education from a friend who is a medical surgeon. The surgeon told him: "Vince, I could take a smart person and teach them everything I do in six months."
Dr. Gentiluomo expects the MDs to learn quickly, explaining that "They could be practicing in a week, they could be practicing in three months, they could be practicing in six months." After the program gets going, they hope to appeal to a wider group of potential students: "Eventually we'll start taking in laymen off the street as the curriculum expands."
When asked if he wasn't concerned that teaching MDs would essentially eliminate the possibility of there ever being a chiropractic profession in India, Dr. Gentiluomo responded: "If it comes down to that, it (the profession) will probably be called something else."
Dr. Gentiluomo has been attempting to gather support for his project, but he's found none. The World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) put him in contact with one of their member groups with an interest in India, but a relationship was never established. The specialty councils in the U.S. didn't provide any assistance either. "I contacted many of the chiropractic colleges in June, not one of them called me, none of them had any interest."
Dr. Gentiluomo admits that he isn't qualified to provide the education needed to make MDs into effective chiropractors: "I'll be the first one to admit it. I'm not qualified." But he has a firm determination that he can do what he wants regardless of how it might affect the rest of the profession: "You gave me the knowledge (of chiropractic), now I can do anything I want with it."
Why do individual DCs still insist on selling chiropractic to the medical profession? And why must it be done at a substandard level in countries where chiropractic has yet to be established? Some of these questions will be addressed at the Conference on the Internationalization of Chiropractic Education (see the front page of this issue) scheduled for this September.
The World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) has a membership of more than 60 national chiropractic associations and continues to expand chiropractic's international reach by establishing the vital contacts with government representatives and legislators of countries around the world. Those efforts are being subverted by rogue chiropractors and groups that have the potential of damaging the diplomatic efforts of the WFC and the chiropractic institutions accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
