Powerful, Science-Informed Healthcare Education is Assistant VP’s Focus
Dr. Jean-Nicolas Poirier
Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs
As an accomplished high school and college athlete, Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Jean-Nicolas Poirier learned all about sports injuries and rehabilitation. "I knew very early that I wanted to help others with musculoskeletal problems," he said.
Drug-free treatment options combined with the scientific rigor of chiropractic sold him on the profession. He earned his doctor of chiropractic degree at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (Canada) and completed a residency in diagnostic imaging at Parker University in Texas. In 2014, he augmented his specialty training with a doctorate of education in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College (Rochester, N.Y.).
Poirier joined NYCC in 2008 as an assistant professor and director of the Master of Science in Diagnostic Imaging Program. "Chiropractic radiologists need to be well versed in anatomy and pathology to effectively analyze imaging manifestations of disease," he said. He subsequently went on to positions of increasing responsibility as dean of academic programs and services and, later, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Education.
Named assistant vice president of academic affairs in early 2021, Poirier oversees the daily operations of the chiropractic program, including the delivery of the curriculum, program assessment, Council on Chiropractic Education accreditation and student interactions. He works closely with faculty and staff to ensure students graduate as competent, caring and ethical practitioners ready to practice in a collaborative healthcare environment.
The combination of scientific, evidence-based and natural approaches to healthcare were the main factors that originally drew me to chiropractic.
Quick Questions with Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs Jean-Nicolas Poirier
What led you to pursue a residency in radiology?
In chiropractic school, I fell in love with radiology. The subject appealed to me because I enjoyed the challenge of diagnostic imaging interpretation. After I completed my residency and board certification, I enjoyed training residents and reading studies to help health care providers with challenging situations. Even though my current responsibilities have taken me away from diagnostic imaging, I still enjoy challenging myself occasionally with interesting cases.
What do you love most about your job?
My day-to-day responsibilities are very process- and data-driven. While I enjoy that work, I like it even more when I get to escape my office and interact with the students and faculty. The academic vibe that surrounds teaching, learning, testing, and patient care is exciting. Students are eager to learn and are filled with promising goals and aspirations. Faculty share stories about experiences they had in class. Their positive energy is contagious.
How would you describe the Northeast community?
I had the chance to visit different institutions as part of my professional journey. Nowhere else have I seen the level of collegiality and professional respect that Northeast enjoys within its community. As the saying goes, our Northeast community is a real family. We support each other, teach each other, debate subjects with one another, and at times, argue among ourselves. We certainly do not always see eye to eye on everything but we manage to value and respect the opinions of others to help us improve. The culture is what makes for a healthy college environment. The NortheastBlue is a real thing!
