Northeast College Winter 2024 Ceremonies Advance 73 Students, Honor Professor Emeriti
Northeast College of Health Sciences hosted its Winter 2024 Ceremony Week, holding three rites of passage to advance 73 chiropractic students and celebrate their achievements. The Commitment to Excellence Pledge event was held on March 27, Transitions Ceremony on March 28, and Winter Commencement on March 30, all on the College's Seneca Falls campus.
Winter 2024 Commencement Honors New Doctors.
Twenty-one new doctors of chiropractic received their diplomas during Northeast’s Winter 2024 Commencement ceremony. This degree is comprised of 10 trimesters of study, including courses such as biochemistry, gross anatomy, neuroscience, nutrition, and business management, as well as extensive hands-on clinical experience and research.
Student Government Association Executive President Lauren Williams (D.C. ’24) presented the student address, professor Dr. Scott Coon delivered the faculty address and Chair Rick Rosa (D.C. ‘96) presented a greeting on behalf of the College’s Board of Trustees. "We deeply care and are very proud of your individual achievements," Rosa said.
President for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP) Sherry McAllister, D.C., addressed the class as the keynote speaker. She first recognized the perseverance of these graduates, who began their chiropractic studies during a pandemic. McAllister told the class, “You have our deepest respect” for having the courage and confidence to commit to learning while confronting the unknown.
“Chiropractic is the study of health and what causes man to live,” continued McAllister, who works to showcase the benefits of chiropractic care in her role as FCP president and in her private practice in San Jose, Calif. “Live well, graduates. May each day be a testament to your commitment to health, healing and humanity. Congratulations.”
Also at the Winter 2024 Commencement, Northeast hosted a presentation of the Convocation of the American College of Chiropractors, led by president of the organization, Dr. Serge Nerli. Receiving the status of Fellow of the American College of Chiropractors (FACC), FCP President Dr. Sherry McCallister, Northeast alumnus John McAtamney (D.C. ‘93), New York State Chiropractic Association President Anthony Palumbo and Northeast professor and alumnus Gerald Stevens (D.C ’01) were honored with the prestigious title during the ceremony.
Northeast College Honors Two New Professor Emeriti.
During the Commencement ceremony two recently retired Northeast faculty members were honored with the status of professor emeritus, a title of distinction earned through academic excellence and contributions to institutions.
Over her 30 years at the College, Northeast professor Mary Balliett (D.C. ’88, M.S. '08) served her students and profession through her scholarship, teaching and learning, participation in exam committees for the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and acting as dean of the M.S. in applied clinical nutrition program.
Depew Health Center Senior Clinician Matthew Coté (D.C. '80, M.S. ’08) served as part of the College faculty for 44 years, holding academic ranks from instructor to professor. Dr. Coté was named Diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Orthopedists, served as captain in the New York State Guard, and helped establish groundbreaking chiropractic clerk training programs with institutions such as the Walter Reed National Medical Center and the Western New York Veterans Association medical centers.
Transitions Ceremony Celebrates Students’ Move to Clinical.
During Northeast College's Winter 2024 Transitions Ceremony, 33 seventh-trimester chiropractic students received their official white coats, signifying the start of their outpatient clinical education. To successfully reach this milestone on their path to becoming doctors, Northeast chiropractic students must complete over two years of training in foundational sciences, clinical sciences, integrated chiropractic therapies and principles of chiropractic practice, followed by a clerkship in the campus health center.
Awards were presented to students for academic excellence, and keynote speaker Northeast Professor Dr. Paul Dougherty shared great advice and inspiration with the chiropractic students. He emphasized the human-centered approach to care and the importance of treating people, not their ailments. "Don't look at the patient in front of you as a number. It is a person, a person who has a story," Dougherty said. "Your attitude toward the people you treat matters.”
New Northeast College Chiropractic Students Honored for Commitment.
Nineteen students finishing the first trimester of their chiropractic education took the Northeast Commitment to Excellence pledge during Winter 2024 Ceremony Week. Together, they vowed their dedication to their future careers and received a pin reflecting the College mission that reads "Excellence. Professionalism. Leadership,” presented by College President Dr. Michael Mestan.