Supporting the future of chiropractic through the Student Canadian Chiropractic Association

Sarah Smith Coulter, Director of Member Experience, CCA

The National Student Canadian Chiropractic Association, known as SCCA National, was created to provide Canadian chiropractic students studying at home or abroad with information and resources to transition successfully into practicing in Canada while forging a strong relationship with the CCA, provincial associations, and the Canadian Chiropractic Protective Association (CCPA).

SCCA has existed since the 1970’s as ‘Chapters’ or Canadian clubs within individual chiropractic colleges. In 2018, the CCA took the first major step towards SCCA National becoming a reality when it became incorporated as a non-profit corporation. From there, a constitution and bylaws were developed in 2019.

In the Summer of 2021, the first SCCA National Board of Directors was elected. We had student representatives from three chiropractic colleges across North America, plus representatives from the CCA to help guide these new student leaders. In the Fall of 2021, through a collaborative effort within the CCA and by the new SCCA National Board, the organization officially launched, offering formal membership to any Canadian student studying to become a Doctor of Chiropractic in Canada, the U.S., or internationally.

Fast forward a year, and we’ve made immense progress in growing SCCA National. We have launched a comprehensive website: SCCA.ca; our membership has grown to over 900 strong – with students from nine chiropractic colleges across North America; and, we are continuing outreach efforts to ensure any Canadian chiropractic student – no matter where they’re studying – can feel supported throughout their education and prepared to transition into practice upon graduation. Our webinar series is a strong example of that support as it features:

• Reviews, to help with studying and preparing for Board exams;
• Rounds, with a clinical focus and case-based discussions; and
• Chironomics, providing guidance on topics related to starting a business.

These sessions can be tuned into live and many of them can be viewed on-demand on SCCA.ca.

This past October, we were thrilled to welcome a contingent of SCCA members to the CCA’s 2022 National Convention & Tradeshow (NCT’22) in Montreal. Although NCT’22 didn’t have a student specific stream of learning, many breakout sessions were broadly applicable and gave students an opportunity to receive advanced learning in areas of special interest.

With COVID-19 related restrictions easing in 2022 and travel opening back up, we have also been able to connect with many students in-person during school campus visits. This year, CCA staff representing SCCA National were pleased to visit CMCC, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota, and Logan University in Missouri.

These visits have also directly translated into new members joining SCCA National, greater awareness of what membership includes, and increased engagement with our communications efforts. After nearly every school presentation, SCCA National’s social media platforms experienced notable growth in followers, and we continue to see positive engagement trends in our online content based on monthly analytics reporting. SCCA National’s social media strategy is, therefore, an ongoing focus as we know this is how the student generation prefers to consume content and receive updates. The CCA staff team – including chiropractors and interns from CMCC – regularly engage in written, visual, and video content development to keep our platforms dynamic and fresh.

While online events are great for reaching the larger membership across countries and time zones, the value of meeting face-to-face and highlighting the value of membership in the student association is truly unmatched. Plans are already underway to bring SCCA National representation to more campuses in 2023! Plus, our next virtual SCCA Ignite conference will be held later in the year, and we’ve developed an exciting and diversified 2023 webinar schedule for student members to complement their studies.