In addition to being a chiropractor, Carole Smith, DC, MEd is a contemporary medical acupuncture provider, Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA) labor doula, teacher and bagpipe player. However, virtually attending Logan University’s 2021 Women’s Health Symposium inspired her to pursue another title: recipient of a Master of Science in Chiropractic Pediatrics (MS-CP) from Logan.
“I had never heard of a program like Logan’s MS-CP in Canada or the United States,” Dr. Smith said. “I immediately knew I wanted to be part of it.”
Led by founding program director Elise Hewitt, DC, DICCP, FICC, Logan’s MS-CP is the first of its kind in the U.S. The two-year, part-time degree is offered primarily online with annual in-person sessions for supervised practice and hands-on learning.
“Working with children is a major component of what I do, so it made a lot of sense for me to apply to this program,” Dr. Smith said.
Before beginning her MS-CP in fall 2022, Dr. Smith earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Burnaby, British Columbia. As the winner of two World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, she received a full scholarship to play the bagpipes at SFU where she also taught music and provided Intensive Behavioral Intervention (IBI) therapy to children on the autism spectrum.
After graduating from SFU, she began the Doctor of Chiropractic program at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in Toronto, Canada. She quickly realized that her passion for working with people with disabilities could merge with her newfound understanding of the body and ways manual therapy can improve health outcomes.
“Coming into the chiropractic program, I discovered that I had a fairly unique background with my years of experience working with children on the autism spectrum and other people with different developmental disabilities,” Dr. Smith said. “This put me in a position to be able to teach courses in pediatrics and psychology at CMCC.”
Dr. Smith also recognized that her musical background gave her a rare perspective within the field of chiropractic.
“Playing and teaching the bagpipes allowed me find a niche,” Dr. Smith said. “It’s helped me effectively treat musicians, especially those in pipe bands, because I understand how playing these instruments can impact the body.”
Upon completing her DC, Dr. Smith became an instructor at CMCC and started practicing chiropractic at YOUR HEALTH Wellness Centre in Ontario, Canada. She currently serves as YOUR HEALTH’s clinic director and lectures on pediatrics, psychology and female care at CMCC. Dr. Smith also serves as a resource clinician facilitating the education, supervision, training and mentoring of interns at CMCC clinics.
“The passion I have for practicing and teaching comes from a lot of different places,” Dr. Smith said. “It comes from being able to make a positive impact in the lives of children with disabilities. It comes from seeing how small changes can lead to big changes. It comes from anywhere.”
While working, volunteering, training for triathlons, raising a family and continuing to compete in both band and solo bagpipe competitions, Dr. Smith recently completed her Master of Education degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia.
“I actually just finished that degree, so I guess I need to update my resume,” Dr. Smith joked.
In 2024, Dr. Smith will have to update her resume once more with her new MS-CP degree. However, she never plans to stop learning.
“I advise anyone in the chiropractic field to go out and learn everything they can,” Dr. Smith said. “Don’t be afraid to be someone who makes an impact in another person’s life. Don’t underestimate the power of making small changes.”