Dr. Foullong has enjoyed a long career in chiropractic. He has practiced for more than 20 years in his native Canada and has at least one child following in his footsteps.
Through it all, he has been quick to display gratitude to mentors who helped him get to where he is now.
Dr. Mark Foullong’s oldest daughter, Kirsten, far left, is studying to become a chiropractor.
Growing up, Dr. Foullong said he knew he wanted to pursue a career in health care. He spoke with multiple professionals before opting to pursue a career in chiropractic.
“I was fascinated by the chiropractor I shadowed,” he said while remembering a career day where he also met a medical doctor. “He was passionate about what he did, and his description of health and helping people resonated with me. The next year, I picked the same professions and got different professionals, but it was the same story.”
After deciding to go into chiropractic, the young Foullong shadowed Tracey Drynan, DC. He credits Dr. Drynan with fueling his desire to be a chiropractor and enabling him to change the lives of those undergoing care.
“I’d watch her adjust somebody,” he recalled. “She’d introduce me to the patient, and then she would leave. The patients would give me testimonies of what changed, and it was awesome. I went, ‘wow, so your kid’s asthma got better when they got adjusted?’ I decided this was it for me, and I never looked back.”
Dr. Foullong also credits Peter Amlinger, DC; Jim Thompson, DC; and Brett Moore, DC, among others, for teaching him valuable lessons on his chiropractic journey, which included his graduation from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1995. He has practiced at Dufferin Family Chiropractic in Orangeville, a suburb of Toronto, for 24 years, and he takes pride in being a mentor for others.
“I’m a huge believer in the ‘pay it forward’ mentality,” he explained. “There are so many doctors that took me under their wings with open arms. They taught me a mindset of, ‘we don’t have to do this, we get to do this.’ Why wouldn’t you pay that forward?”
Dr. Foullong stresses the importance of giving aspiring chiropractors opportunities to shadow and volunteer at local offices. He adds that doing so provides a window into how professionals run their businesses, which can be incredibly valuable for those still in school.
“I would go to one place, and I’d learn about other places,” he said of his time visiting offices while in chiropractic school. “I started to see what the light was at the end of the tunnel. It can be tough when you’re in school and have exams, deadlines and clinic, but I tell students to see what it’s like after you cross the finish line.”
Dr. Foullong has four daughters, and the oldest, Kirsten, is a Life Chiropractic College West student. Dad says he’s incredibly proud of his daughter and has confidence that she will turn into a fantastic doctor of chiropractic.
“She loves the principles and loves helping people,” Dr. Foullong said. “She has it in her heart to make a huge difference, which to me is the greatest compliment as a chiropractor and as a father.”
