Career Mentor – Kimberly Barton

Dr. Kimberly Barton [BSc/07] is one of 700+ Career Mentor volunteers who devote time to meeting University of Manitoba students. Each year, career mentors share their knowledge and advice to guide the career plans and contribute to the success of students. In celebration of 25 successful years, 25 career mentors have agreed to share their career stories and advice…

Briefly, tell us about your job.  What do you find most rewarding? What are your greatest challenges within this profession?

As a chiropractor, my job is to detect and correct vertebral subluxations which are subtle misalignments in the spine that cause pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.

The most rewarding part of my job is seeing my patients’ lives transform as they move towards health.

The greatest challenge within this profession is sharing the true purpose of chiropractic. Most people associate chiropractic to just neck and back pain. And although we do help greatly with those things, our main goal is to help the body achieve optimal, overall health by removing interference to the nervous system.

While you were completing your degree, what experiences and activities helped bring you to your career decision or helped you succeed in your occupation?

While completing my biochemistry degree at the U of M, I began to realize that I wanted to pursue a career that would help others reach their highest state of health naturally. I always have had a great intent and curiosity for the profession, as at a very young age I had watched my mom’s life transform by being under chiropractic care.

Describe your career planning journey. Please include any highlights, bumps or roadblocks.

One of the roadblocks that I experienced was making the decision to move abroad for school. Since there were no chiropractic colleges in Manitoba, it meant that I would have to move away from my family, friends and home. Now looking back, I see chiropractic college as one of the best experiences I’ve had. Although it was challenging, I learnt that pushing myself out of my comfort zone allowed me to grow and reach my potential.

What inspired you to be a Career Mentor?

I’ve always enjoyed sharing my vision for chiropractic with others, especially students who were interested in following it as a career. I know how challenging it can be going through university while trying to make one of the most important decisions in your life. Providing students with a resource that allows them to gain first-hand experience, is something I would have valued when I was going through school.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in following in your footsteps?

The best advice I could give to a student interested in chiropractic would be to talk to others in the profession, job shadow, ask as many questions as possible and choose a school with a firm philosophical base.

What career advice do you have for university students?

For anyone who is looking for the right career path, I think the most important part of choosing a profession is to have a genuine passion for it. When you love what you do, success comes easy.

Stay tuned for more career mentor profiles! From September 25 to November 2 the Career Mentor Program will be profiling 25 dedicated and wonderful mentors from across several sectors. To view more career mentor profiles and learn about the anniversary event on November 2, 2015, please visit the CMP 25th Anniversary website.

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