PASSAGE

The international chiropractic community lost an advocate, administrator, teacher, colleague, and dear friend with the passing of Dr. Glynn Till, a 1962 graduate of Lincoln College of Chiropractic (Indianapolis, 1926 to 1971) and a 1988 graduate of CMCC’s Clinical Sciences Graduate Program. He later served as an Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education along with his spouse, Dr. Hettie Till. The two joined Dean John Mrozek in transitioning CMCC’s Doctor of Chiropractic program into an evidence-informed, outcomebased format.

Dr. Till served as an important advocate for the profession from his early days of practice. In 1971, roughly a decade after he graduated, the Chiropractors Act was passed in South Africa. The act provided for the licensing of only existing chiropractors and chiropractic students. Meeting with South Africa’s Ministry of Health in 1977, Dr. Till produced a rebuttal to the

Glynn Till Class of '62

Lincoln College of Chiropractic (Indianapolis)

outstanding questions regarding the profession and in 1982, the Ministry passed the Allied Health Professions Act, an important step in the future licensure of chiropractic in the country.

Dr. Till and colleagues later travelled to North America and the UK and presented a report of findings to the Department of Health that eventually led to the development of chiropractic studies at Technicon Natal in Durban, now known as the Durban University of Technology. To ensure the program reflected international standards, Dr. Till moved to Toronto, Ontario for graduate studies at CMCC. He returned to the program in South Africa and became the country’s first academic chiropractic department head. Some years later, he relocated to Canada for his role as associate dean at CMCC.

After his tenure at CMCC, Dr. Till moved to Scotland for a short retirement. He returned to South Africa in 2012, resuming practice and volunteering as a consultant to the Senior Advisory Panel of the Chiropractic Association of South Africa.

As a member of CMCC faculty during a pivotal time, Dr. Till became close with a number of faculty and colleagues, some of whom have been kind enough to share their memories here.

Dr. Kim Ross, CMCC Director of Assessment:

I remember meeting Glynn in my third year as a CMCC faculty member as he was completing his residency program at CMCC.

When he returned in 2001 as Associate Dean of CMCC, as department Chair, I reported to him. He wanted to see an integrated curriculum at CMCC and the first step was to align topics in the courses so that the prerequisite basic science material was delivered immediately prior to the clinical application.

I remember a curricular planning meeting at a hotel at Mt. Pleasant and Eglinton in Toronto. Every course coordinator had written their course topics on index cards. The basic science crew loaded a giant table first, working together to arrange the cards so that similar things were being taught at the same time. Anatomy got the ball rolling because dissection was used in the course, and therefore the order of topics was not terribly flexible. Since the focus of chiropractic is spine, nothing could get off the ground (including technique) until the back was covered. Since the back delivers structures to the lower limbs, that became the next topic as students continued their journey through the human body. Then the semi-clinical application courses (like biomechanics) placed all their cards on the table to align just slightly after the anatomical content delivery. This meant the students could easily follow the biomechanics of the joints because the anatomy had already been covered. Finally, the pure clinical courses placed their cards on the table (e.g., Diagnosis, Orthopaedics and Radiology). The cards were photographed, and these were used to generate the student schedule.

Later, the curriculum was broken down into topical modules. To be honest, even with all the changes to the curriculum since, the basic structure remains the same to this day.

The other benefit of this exercise was to ensure that the material delivered in basic science courses was relevant to a chiropractic practice. CMCC’s curriculum has always been voluminous, but from this moment, coordinators had to justify content by showing where it fit in the program. With a final outcome of patient assessment, diagnosis and treatment, it became clear which content would not be helpful in generating competencies required of a practicing chiropractor. I remember removing material from the course I was teaching because the material was relevant to a biomechanist, but would not help a student become a health care practitioner. Many years after Glynn left CMCC, the foundation just described led to the seven roles and key competencies that CMCC uses today.

What I remember most about Glynn's role at CMCC was his contribution to the degree granting status that CMCC enjoys today. Since Glynn had done similar work at Durban, he was the logical choice to get things off the ground at CMCC. I didn't work directly on this task, but whenever he needed curriculum data to support documentation, Glynn would tell me what he needed, and I would provide him the information with little idea of how it would help. When it was completed, I could see all the parts that I had passed over to him in the finished product.

As such, the DC designation following the name of a modern CMCC graduate represents a degree as opposed to a diploma. This was a critical step in generating future relationships with other academic institutions, also enjoyed by CMCC today.

Dr. Silvano Mior, Director Research Partnerships

I was the coordinator of the Clinical Sciences Program when Glynn was a resident. As a mature student, his clinical and life experiences enhanced our program. He was the consummate gentleman, always respectful and rarely imposing his personal, professional and worldly experiences upon those around him. His gentle, yet commanding manner could settle a room and bring individuals into conversation, regardless how controversial the topic - and oh, did he enjoy debating such topics.

Glynn was passionate about the profession and his roots, but wise enough to appreciate the importance of changing with the times.

I will miss regular emails from Glynn but am comforted by having known and shared laughs with him, and the privilege of his friendship. Missed but not forgotten.

Dr. John Mrozek – former Dean of Undergraduate Education CMCC Glynn Till was a friend, leader and pioneer. His breadth of experience in chiropractic as practitioner, teacher and administrator was exemplary. He was in a constant quest of greater knowledge and understanding of chiropractic, chiropractic education and healthcare.

I met Glynn when he was a CMCC resident, over 30 years ago. The residency formed part of his preparation for the development of a chiropractic program at Technicon Natal in Durban, South Africa. Years later as Dean, I had the pleasure of working with him in his role as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education at CMCC. I also had the pleasure of working closely with Glynn’s spouse, Hettie, also an Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education.

Glynn’s experience and knowledge impacted the rollout of our revised curriculum. His leadership style and experience contributed to making CMCC a leader in chiropractic education, a legacy that lives on.

A bon vivant, Glynn loved cooking, fine dining, great wine and entertaining. If you needed information on growing roses, he was your source. If you wanted to taste fabulous cuisine, Glynn could provide it. He was also king of his Mongolian grill.

Glynn is survived his wife, Hettie, and siblings on both sides of the family in South Africa. His contribution to chiropractic spans several continents and his influence lives on in the students he taught, the patients he treated, and the people he met. May he rest in peace.

Dr. Jeffrey Quon, Associate Professor at the School of Population and Public Health, UBC Faculty of Medicine

I met Glynn in 1986, when we started our residency program together. At first glance, we had little in common – I was young, brash and naïve; he was mature, humble, and worldly. Who’d have thought we’d become such good friends?

During our first year of postgraduate work, we did almost everything together. We shared an office space, studied and planned our teaching activities, walked to and from CMCC, attended clinical rounds and regularly had dinner together.

Glynn was a wonderful cook, foodie, and wine enthusiast. He loved to entertain. In Toronto, we would host each other at our respective apartments, especially on weekends. Glynn was the consummate philosopher. Even 30 years later he would send me personal essays and notes on various topics, including Eastern religion, karma, reincarnation, and determinism.

Glynn and I completed our hospital-based residency rotations together in Saskatoon. As co-residents and roommates, we became thick as thieves. We bought bicycles and rode everywhere, year-round, even in sub-zero temperatures. During warm weather, we played tennis and occasionally golf. On a resident’s salary, our lifestyle was modest, but Glynn made sure we ate like kings. He cooked extravagant meals, often Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine. And he always knew how to pair a lovely bottle of wine with whatever was being served.

I can’t remember which year it was when he came to visit in Vancouver with his wife, Hettie, for the first time. I instantly saw that she was his perfect match. After many years of not seeing each other, I visited Glynn in South Africa. Had I waited a month longer, the pandemic would have denied me this reunion.

When I was in Cape Town, Glynn and Hettie drove all the way from Franschhoek to visit for the evening. A week later, I stayed with them in Franschhoek. I had once read that it was the food and wine capital of South Africa. Glynn wholeheartedly agreed. He and Hettie had a beautiful life there with a gorgeous home, surrounded by vegetation and a garden. The food was exquisite and the conversation even more so.

Glynne was a scholar on so many subjects, but was especially wise on the topics of love, life and friendship. He also taught me about humility, kindness, and gratitude and I am grateful for his friendship.

Please see cmcc.ca/GlynnTill for his full tribute, abridged here.