Jason Potash Makes the Most of his Chiropractic Education and Time in the Finger Lakes
Potash received the following awards at Northeast's (then NYCC) Transitions Ceremony, a celebration recognizing seventh-tri students as they begin the clinical phase of their education: Distinguished Service Award, Technique Award and Dean's Recognition of Achievement.
Meet Jason Potash.
Hometown: Peabody, Mass
Undergrad degree: bachelor’s in marketing, University of Massachusetts Amherst
It’s a three-way tie, said Doctor of Chiropractic student Jason Potash (D.C. '21), for his favorite class at Northeast College of Health Sciences: Dr. Brett J. Carnevale’s fourth-tri technique, Director of the Anatomy Center Dr. Michael P. Zumpano's Gross Anatomy 2 and Dr. Hunter Mollin’s seventh-tri technique.
Finding his way to the classrooms at Northeast, though, would take a nudge from his parents, a career reality check and a trip to a chiropractic office.
Quest for fulfillment leads to Northeast College.
It was about two years into his sales career when Potash’s mom commented that he looked unfulfilled. He took stock of his daily life and realized something was missing – his love for fitness and healthy living.
Potash did an about-face and quit his job to work at a gym and study massage therapy. Learning more about the body and solidifying his goal to help people live and feel better, his “light-bulb moment” came during a chiropractic visit at the age of 25. Even as he was getting adjusted, he could see himself on the other side of the table. The thought of becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic fulfilled Potash’s immediate desire to study more about the body, as well as his future goals to help others live healthy.
Potash’s vision of success includes being a well-respected chiropractor and helping others in his community, ideally some place with a mountain range nearby so he can spend his free time rock-climbing.
Potash looks forward to the day when he’s a trusted expert in the field. For now, if he's not in class or studying, he can be found hiking near the gorges in the High Tor Wildlife Area of Naples, the wetlands and woodlands of Mendon Ponds or the waterfall areas of Letchworth State Park, all nearby in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
Quick Questions for Dr. Jason Potash.
What attracted you to NYCC?
All of the chiropractors who I was treated by when I was younger went to NYCC. Also, when I researched successful practices that I would like to emulate, I found more chiropractors had graduated from NYCC than any other school.
What’s a typical school day look like for you?
Most days I'm in class from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a one or two-hour break for lunch. After class, I stick around the school and go to open adjusting a few nights. I also tutor a few nights in the anatomy lab. My favorite class to tutor is Gross Anatomy 1 because the students are extra enthusiastic and they show so much growth from the first to last week.
As a student of such a rigorous D.C. program, how do you find balance?
I schedule activities every week that I enjoy and help me to slow down and take my mind off of school, like yoga, motion palpation club and open adjusting. I also set boundaries on when to stop working for the day, so I can get a full night’s sleep. I take at least one-and-a-half days off each week, usually Friday afternoon and Saturday.
What’s a day off look like for you in the Finger Lakes?
I typically go hiking or rock climbing with friends in and around the many parks, preserves and trails of the Finger Lakes region.
How about a day off in the winter?
I usually spend the majority of the day at RocVentures Climbing Gym in Rochester.
