By Libby Hopkins
It takes hard work and determination to be a doctor. You have to go to school longer than the average college student and you have more studying to do as well. Med school is a difficult task for any student, but what if you are a student who has dyslexia? According to LD Online (www.ldonline.org) “A staggering five to 15 percent of Americans, 14.5 to 43.5 million children and adults, have dyslexia which is a learning disability that makes it difficult to read, write, and spell, no matter how hard the person tries or how intelligent they may be.” Dr. Michael Holt of Healthsource of Brandon has dyslexia but he didn’t let it stop him from becoming a doctor. “It’s not that I found a way to cheat dyslexia, I just work harder than everyone else,” Holt said. He is originally from Tennessee but he got his chiropractic degree from Life University in Georgia. He joined the staff at Healthsource of Brandon in September 2012.
Holt wanted to become a chiropractor after he befriended a chiropractor while bartending in Tennessee. He told the chiropractor he wanted to come to his office and shadow him for the day. After he spent the day with the chiropractor, he knew that being a chiropractor was his destiny. “The light bulb went on in my head and I knew I was supposed to go to chiropractor school but I didn’t know how to make it happen,” Holt said. He attended chiropractic school in Texas but then transferred to Life University. He met Dr. Chad Polley, the owner of Healthsource, while he was at Life University. After he graduated, Polley suggested to Holt that he come and work for him in Brandon. “I love the philosophy of Healthsource because it’s more than just chiropractics,” Holt said. “We also do things like spinal decompression and exercise planning.”
The mission of Healthsource is to make its patient’s health its top priority. It is the largest provider of chiropractic care in the world, which means you’re never too far from feeling like yourself again and living pain free. Holt and Polley also give back to the Brandon community. “We do school sports physicals for the standard $35 just like everyone else, but the difference with us is that 100 percent of that fee goes right back to the local schools’ different programs,” Holt said. Healthsource has also donated to the World War II Veterans’ Honor Flights. If you would like to learn more about the different services offered at Healthsource of Brandon, you can visit its website at www.healthsourceofbrandon.com or call 654-7121. The office is located at 166 E. Bloomingdale Ave. Suite B.
