Logan’s Preceptorship Program allows qualified Doctor of Chiropractic students in their 10th and final trimester to gain invaluable real-world experience in a clinical environment of their choice. For 15 weeks, students work alongside experienced chiropractic professionals in a variety of settings, helping them stand out in an increasingly competitive job market.
Ahead of her graduation this summer, Shelby Hummel recently completed a preceptorship at Denver Sports Recovery, a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center that offers cutting-edge equipment, facilities and services to everyone from elite professional athletes to “weekend warriors.”
“At the beginning of my 8th trimester, I reached out to Dr. Ralph Filson looking for a preceptorship opportunity in the sports chiropractic field because that’s what I’m really passionate about,” Shelby said. “He put me in contact with Shawn Caldwell, DC, a founding partner of Denver Sports Recovery and team chiropractor for the Colorado Rockies. I wasn’t really considering Colorado, since I’ve spent almost my whole life in St. Louis, but I loved the idea of being close to the mountains.”
Dr. Caldwell invited Shelby to visit Denver Sports Recovery, and she quickly fell in love with the unique format of the multidisciplinary practice, as well as the state of Colorado. Upon beginning her preceptorship in January 2021, she was immediately immersed in treating a variety of patients and providing many forms of care.
“I started Denver Sports Recovery with Dr. Marsha Prada because I saw firsthand the incredible facilities that professional athletes had access to through my work with the Rockies, the Denver Nuggets and the Denver Broncos,” said Dr. Caldwell. “People in Colorado work out like world-class athletes, and I believe they deserve access to topnotch training facilities just like the pros.”
Denver Sports Recovery offers services like sports massage, acupuncture, cupping, cryotherapy, infrared saunas and much more. The business model is similar to that of a gym membership, allowing clients to purchase single-use day passes or an unlimited monthly membership. Doctors at Denver Sports Recovery treat clients from every background imaginable, from UFC and MMA fighters, professional golfers and figure skaters, MLB and NFL athletes, to those who are active in their free time, and everyone in between.
“Athletes are like another breed of human beings,” Shelby said. “Adjusting someone who has a ton of muscle is such a different experience and requires different techniques. It has definitely helped me hone my skills as an adjuster.”
In addition to working with different types of clients, Shelby has especially enjoyed the one-on-one experiences learning from many doctors, including fellow Logan graduate Joe McMahon, DC (’14).
“Sunshine and the mountains drew me to Colorado. After countless snowboarding and skiing trips, I decided to make the move after my graduation from Logan,” Dr. McMahon said. “As a former athlete, I knew I wanted to work in an athletic setting, so I did some research on the local professional teams to find out who their chiropractors were and reached out to see if I could intern for them.”
Dr. McMahon appreciated Dr. Caldwell’s mission and philosophy and welcomed the opportunity to help grow Denver Sports Recovery from its early stages, as the facility was only a few months old at the time. Shortly after he started working alongside Dr. Caldwell, Dr. McMahon received the opportunity of a lifetime.
“Dr. Caldwell had to take a step back from his work with the Rockies and Broncos due to undergoing a few surgeries, so he asked me to step in for him,” said Dr. McMahon. “I was honored that he trusted me to take his place, and I felt confident in my abilities because of everything I had learned from him.”
Always eager to educate the next generation of chiropractors, Drs. Caldwell, Prada and McMahon love hosting preceptors and interns from Logan. “Denver Sports Recovery is a great place for interns and preceptors to learn because of the wide variety of hands-on experiences they’ll have,” Dr. Caldwell said. “The students I’ve worked with from Logan are incredible. They are excited to learn and are truly some of the best students I’ve met. We’re always looking for interns and preceptors, especially if they come from Logan.”
Shelby recently moved back to St. Louis to complete her final trimester in another preceptorship at Clayton Chiropractic Center with Rachel Loeb, DC (’10) and Jessica Hilgedick Battocletti, DC (’16), MS (’16). Omar Hernandez, a fellow trimester 10 student from Logan, is currently working with Drs. McMahon and Caldwell at Denver Sports Recovery.