Joining t he dot s on t he m ap of success

Within the past couple of months, we have mourned the loss of George McAndrews It is impossible to overstate the magnitude of his contribution to the success - and survival - of the chiropractic profession in the United States As a child, he experienced humiliation, scorned as being the son of a quack. As a young lawyer, he experienced criticism from his peers for his choice to act for a chiropractor who had taken the decision to sue one of the most powerful organizations in America. As an advocate, he found himself facing a front line of some of the best, money-no-object legal minds in the land

The odds were insurmountably stacked against McAndrews and his legal team. Yet with barely believable resilience and fortitude, a never-say-die attitude and repeated appeals to be heard in the Supreme Court, after 14 years fighting the AMA, he and his colleagues triumphed

The story of George McAndrews' tireless campaign in the courts is reflected in the words of Abraham Lincoln: "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other "

By their nature, chiropractors are resilient They get knocked down, but get back up again The story of Wilk v AMA has not played out in such prolonged or dramatic style, but around the world, pockets of persecution remain. The medical establishment still wields considerable power in many jurisdictions. Restrictions on scope and freedom to practice still exist

Despite persisting injustice, as a profession we have learned what it takes to achieve success. The pages of the QWRare filled with stories of achievement by teams of chiropractors, practicing in all regions of the world, celebrating successes that our forefathers would never have dreamed of Working as part of the medical services team at the Olympic Games. Being credentialed in a children's hospital Having a seat at the table at the World Health Organization Being part of international research teams at some of the most renowned universities in the world Becoming embedded as a core service within the USDepartment of Veterans Affairs Being not just listened to by governments but being welcomed to join the conversations.

These are just some of the successes we can report and of which we can be proud But success is never accidental Behind many of these achievements for the profession lie years of struggle. Years of knocking on doors. Years of patiently going back, time after time, and persuading those in power to give minutes of their valuable time. Just like George McAndrews, it is the spirit of never giving up that is eventually rewarded with a favorable outcome

For the chiropractic profession, there are many dots to join on the map of success. The big ticket items are, unsurprisingly, the ones that are the hardest to get over the line: legislation, continued

regulation, education and accreditation Each of these components has multiple challenges embedded within them, which can consume years of effort on their own.

In this QWR, we tell the story of legislation on the island nation of Mauritius, which has been enacted in the past few months Sadly, the pioneer of chiropractic in the country and architect of the profession's development, Dr Rajeshwar Roy, never lived to see his dream fulfilled, yet his memory will endure with the statutory framework of chiropractic legislation that is now in place.

Regulation

enforced We know that setting of standards, whether they be of education, conduct or practice are fundamental to chiropractic being trusted, accepted and integrated into health systems around the world

A commitment to critical thinking, professionalism, research and evidence-based practice must be the hallmarks of any health profession, for it is these elements that contribute to continuous development and the safe and effective care of patients

Like practice, chiropractic education must continuously evolve to keep pace with pedagogical developments and the learning needs, characteristics and preferences of students This evolution must be centered upon educational and clinical research A shift to a competency based model that is focused around an interprofessional, collaborative, biopsychosocial framework brings chiropractic into line with other health professions' education, and must be underpinned by accreditation and testing that reflect contemporary thinking.

Joining the dots on the map of chiropractic success may sound straightforward yet it is anything but Just as it is said to take a village to raise a child, it will take the efforts of our entire global chiropractic community to sustainably develop our profession The effort may need to be monumental, but the success is undoubtedly worth it. RB

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World Federation of Chiropractic, 2 St. Clair Avenue West,Toronto, Ontario M4V1L5, Canada

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