Life Chiropractic College West alumnus, Dr. Maggie McInnes, has embarked on a new adventure in Medellin, Colombia. Her passion for language and culture pushed her to set sights on advancing the chiropractic profession abroad.
Nine months before her graduation from Life West in June of 2016, McInnes had an unexpected idea to explore practicing abroad. She had never been to South America and doesn’t know why she chose Colombia – but the idea of spontaneously buying a one way ticket, scraping up a few thousand dollars and starting a new life abroad was invigorating and exciting.
The chiropractic profession is slowly permeating its way into the Colombian culture and through the nation. McInnes tells us how she’s making moves for the chiropractic world in a foreign country.
When I arrived in Medellin, there were only ten chiropractors to serve a city of nearly four million. I reached out to a chiropractor in the hopes of making a new friend. We now share an office space together.
Chiropractic in Colombia is just beginning to sprout and there is a huge shortage of practicing DCs. Since my arrival, I have experienced many challenges and received many rewards. Learning Spanish was entertaining for me, but explaining chiropractic in this language has been my biggest challenge. I get better every day and it translates into more new and returning patients.
Although it’s been challenging, being able to educate the people of Colombia on the benefits of chiropractic is rewarding. Providing the people their first adjustment is such a special moment for me. When I tell them that chiropractic adjustments liberate the nervous system from interference and allows innate intelligence to flow unimpeded – they are excited by power of their own body.
The people here in Medellin are kind and generous. They work hard and deeply value family, friends and of course, football. There is always someone offering help or service, without expectation of payment.
The city of Medellin is a paradise. It sits in the Andes of Colombia in a valley called Valle de Aburra. It is approximately a mile above sea level and sees a lot of sun and rain. The temperature hovers around 70-80 degrees and allows for the growth of many plants, flowers and produce. The infrastructure takes pride in keeping the city clean. I’d say that it’s the cleanest city I’ve ever visited!
I’d like to invite chiropractors and soon-to-be chiropractors to consider practicing outside of the United States. The majority of the world does not have access to chiropractic and to grant them access is to advance the chiropractic profession and overall awareness in the world. Life here is less expensive and there isn’t a need for a business loan.
There is so much opportunity to make a major impact on the health and wellbeing of citizens in foreign countries. I encourage anyone who has an interest in practicing abroad, or specifically in Latin America, to contact me. I am happy to share more of my journey. I’ll definitely be sticking around.
Much love,
Dr. Maggie McInnes, DC
dramaggiemcinnesco@gmail.com
Life West is proud to call Dr. Maggie McInnes one of our alumni. We wish her well as she continues to create a better future for humanity, in a country that has limited resources in the chiropractic profession.
