There are two constants when it comes to the practice of chiropractic, physical therapy and orthopedic medicine: Continuing Education and Professional Development. These are not fields where you receive a degree or certification and then just sit back and rest on your laurels.

The medical and rehabilitation staff at FORMA cannot operate in a vacuum. We are motivated to exchange knowledge with others in our fields in order to remain current and abreast of the very best practices available, and to uphold our commitment to deliver unparalleled care. Anything less is simply not an option.

As you might imagine, our profession is dynamic and ever-changing. There are new breakthroughs, techniques and treatments that are discovered every month, and the medical and PT staff at FORMA is taking new courses and attending educational conferences on a regular basis in order to remain at the top of our game.

To this end, our own Dr. Carvalho (“Dr. C.”) is attending the Spinal Cord Stimulator Cornerstone Physician Workshop in Henderson, Nev., even as we write this. Later this month, he’ll be in San Francisco at the 115^th annual Osteopathic Medical Conference and Exposition, and early next month he’ll be attending the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2010 annual assembly and technical exhibition in Seattle.

Dr. C isn’t the only FORMA team member who is keeping abreast of his field. Tracy Burrows-Boeckley, our physical therapy director, is about to embark on some major advanced training on her own. Tracy is one of only 20 physical therapists to be accepted into the 2011 Orthopedic Physical Therapy Yearlong Seminar.

This hands-on program, which takes place right here in Southern California, is known for its excellent reputation and its comprehensive nature. Eighty percent of the course material takes place in a lab setting where Tracy will be in direct contact with a patient.

“You can be book smart all you want,” Tracy says, “but when the rubber meets the road in practice, you need to apply what you know in your head. This course helps tremendously.”

In order to maintain her status as a board certified orthopedic clinical specialist (thus the “OCS” behind her name), Tracy must continue to take classes and devote at least 80 percent of her practice exclusively to orthopedics. For the past dozen years she has devoted 100 percent of her time to orthopedics and sports medicine.

It’s the efforts of staff members like Dr. C and Tracy that allow those of us who work at FORMA to establish a definitive solution for you — our patients — in the form of a comprehensive treatment plan. This can’t be done without a staff that stays on top of the latest developments in our specialty.

Not only is our staff committed to excellence through continuing education, we also enjoy learning and being challenged. Being competent at what we do makes the practice fun and exciting, which everyone benefits from, including you, our patients!