Since it’s back-to-school season, I thought this would be the perfect time to launch something new: my September Rebel Series.
Every week this month, I’m pulling back the curtain on my Osteo Rebel Rules — the so-called “rules” I broke in practice and how they actually made me a stronger, freer practitioner. Because sometimes the biggest growth doesn’t come from following the rules… it comes from rewriting them.
Let’s start with Osteo Rebel Rule #1: Don’t let anyone decide if you’re good enough.
Here’s the thing: I was the good girl.
I studied late into the night.
I changed my colours like a chameleon, always trying to fit in.
I lived for approval and recognition— especially from people in authority.
And I truly believed that if they liked me, if I followed the rules just right, that would make me worthy and ultimately "successful".
For a while, it worked. In my first year of osteo school, I scored 100% on my final exam. One teacher even singled me out in front of my class as "the only one to score 100%" - and in that moment- I was mortified 😰.
Instead of making me feel confident, I felt paralyzed. I was flooded with anxiety, believing that if my grades "dropped" every teacher would notice - they'd realize I wasn't that smart after all and that I was in no way fit to be a practitioner. That anxiety hung around for the rest of my days in school.
Fast forward to my final year. By then, I had poured everything into this profession. I’d been running a student practice full-time since my second year, devoting my entire life to becoming the best practitioner I could possibly be. No side hustle - just surviving (and supporting my husband through law school) on pure student osteo income.
And then came the final exam: a 500-question multiple-choice test. I scored an 86 (or maybe it was 82 — the exact number is fuzzy, but what happened next is crystal clear).
I walked into the office to find out if I passed or failed, and without a rubric, without any clear standard, they barely lifted their eyes to tell me:
“On a scale of 1 to 5, we rate you a 1 as a practitioner. Goodbye.”
Not only a 1… the lowest rating in my entire class.
I was devastated. Years of work, commitment, and sacrifice — reduced to someone else’s arbitrary judgment. That moment crushed me. And honestly? It took me years (and a lot of therapy) to work through it.
But here’s the plot twist: that moment is also what freed me.
Because once the “good girl” in me was shattered- once I realized there was no way to contort myself into approval - my rebel finally had room to step forward. And she’s the one who built the career I have today.
15 years, 25,000+ treatments, and a thriving practice later… I’ve built a body of proof that no exam or rating could ever take away. And here’s the mic drop:
👉It's likely I've treated more patients and have significantly more clinical experience at this point in my career than the very people who let me know what a "shitty" practitioner I was all those years ago.
So, if anyone has ever told you you’re “not enough”? Let this be your reminder: their opinion is not your truth. Sometimes the harshest rejection is what releases the most authentic version of you.
✨ Rebel Homework: (yes - even rebels get assigned homework!)
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Think back to a moment when someone in authority made you feel “not enough.”
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Write it down (yes, actually write it).
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Then list 3 pieces of evidence from your own career that prove them wrong — patient wins, number of treatments you’ve done, people you’ve helped, the skills you’ve built.
👉 Keep that list somewhere you can see it the next time imposter syndrome sneaks in.
With love + rebellion,
Gen 💫
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