Dr. Matthew Givrad, executive vice president of Cleveland Chiropractic College of Los Angeles (CCCLA) and chair of the U.S. Commission on Accreditation for the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE), has been working for the recognition of chiropractic in his homeland of Iran.
Dr. Givrad made a trip to his native country in May to assist Iranian chiropractors in their campaign for recognition of their profession. He was invited back in October by the Iranian Ministry of Health and Health Education to conduct talks with the Director General of Medical Education, and traveled to Iran yet again in mid-November after he and other Iranian chiropractors discussed the profession's future with several Iranian health leaders, including the Director General.
While chiropractors can practice in Iran, their degrees are not recognized and their profession is unregulated. They cannot display office signs to promote their businesses, and critics have accused them of practicing medicine without a license. Despite their undefined status, Iranian chiropractors have no problems obtaining patients. "In fact, there is a long waiting period for a chiropractic adjustment," Dr. Givrad said.
Born in Iran's captial city of Teheran, Dr. Givrad is considered the only high-level chiropractic education leader in the United States actively involved in promoting the profession in Iran. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California (USC) and has been a chiropractic administrator for the past 15 years.
Iran's Commission on Health Education convenes in February, and Dr. Givrad and the Ministry are drafting rules and regulations for the commission's agenda regarding recognition of chiropractic education and degree classification. "The next step will be drafting a chapter for the Medical Practices Act to define the scope of practice of doctors of chiropractic in Iran," Dr. Givrad said.
Countries surrounding Iran could be strongly influenced by the nation's course of action. Said Dr. Givrad: "What happens to the status of chiropractic in Iran will set the tone for chiropractic in the rest of the Middle Eastern countries." Hopefully, Iran is moving in a positive direction and will change its harsh policies toward chiropractic.
Chiropractic Student Showcases Water Skiing Talents
Tony Klarich, a ninth-trimester student at Cleveland College of Chiropractic of Los Angeles (CCCLA) has an unusual hobby: "hotdog" water skiing. Hot dogging consists of performing various water skiing stunts on standard slalom skis, as opposed to "trick" skiing which uses special, modified skis.
While hot dogging has not gained the status of the competitive pro-tour events like slalom, jump, and trick skiing, it has gained a place as a popular exhibition on the pro-ski tour where a growing number of fans are appreciating the skills exhibited by Tony's hot dog skiing.
Tony performs his hot dog skiing at various venues on the professional ski tour and dozens of professional water ski shows each year. His hot dogging tricks have been featured on television commercials for a beer manufacturer, an airline, a tool company, and a cracker company.
Water skiing is a family tradition for Tony: his grandparents were avid water skiers and his uncle, Mike Murphy, is known as the original hot dog skier. Tony was inspired by his uncle, who showed him the ropes, and the crowd-pleasing techniques of hot dog water skiing.
Tony was drawn to chiropractic when a DC treated an injury he sustained during a ski tournament. "I met Dr. Emilio Alvarado at a ski tournament about five years ago," Tony said. "I was hurt skiing and he took care of the injury. I also used to occasionally wake up with a numb leg, and he took care of that too. It opened my eyes to chiropractic. I became more interested, and Dr. Alvarado told me about Cleveland College of Los Angeles."
In addition to his other skiing accomplishments, Tony has produced several videos on hot dogging and kneeboarding, and has instructed water skiing classes for five years on the Colorado River. He is a contributing writer for several water skiing magazines, and was featured in Sports Illustrated magazine. He won the Kneeboard World Championship three times in the past seven years, and was twice named Most Valuable Skier at the Magic Mountain Water Ski Show in Valencia, California.
During his 11 years as a professional skier, Tony has mastered about 40 tricks including the body slide, front roll, and helicopter dock start. He is best known for a trick he invented in 1984: the front flip on a slalom ski. In this maneuver, Tony turns a 360-degree vertical forward flip.
While he says he is enjoying the perks associated with hot dogging, Tony said that he hopes to have an equally rewarding career in chiropractic. "My life goals include becoming the best doctor of chiropractic that I can be," Tony said in a recent interview with a skiing magazine. "I've seen so many miraculous things happen through chiropractic that I'm fired up to get out there and share my skills and knowledge with people who are willing and in need."
Life West Graduates 71 New DCs Dr. Gerard Clum, president of Life Chiropractic College West, awarded diplomas to 71 new doctors of chiropractic at commencement ceremonies held on December 15, 1991 in the Scottish Rite Temple in Oakland, California. Michael J. Schmidt, D.C., dean of Life West, and chairperson of the Department of Technique and Analysis, gave the commencement address. Top academic honors in the summer class went to valedictorian Glenn J. Marks and salutatorian Harvelee H. Leite-Ahyo. Fall quarter honorees were valedictorian Maureen P. Murphy and salutatorian Serena Lynne Singer.
CCCLA Announces 34 New Graduates Dr. Carl S. Cleveland Jr., president of CCCLA, conferred degrees on 34 new doctors of chiropractic in the college's commencement ceremony December 7th. Dr. Michael Adelson, a 1979 CCCLA graduate who practices in Thousand Oaks, California, delivered the commencement address. The class valedictorian was Nicholaas Boshoff. The graduating class bestowed a special honor to Assistant Clinic Director Dr. William Jacobson, who conducted the hooding ceremony.
