Manulife Initiates Wellness Program

I read in the Toronto Star a few days ago but forgot to write about it here.

Manulife is the first one who started this and it may soon be followed by other insurers.

Manulife understands that a healthy person uses less of the extended health benefit insurance coverage. So they have started a wellness program to improve health of the people that are insured with them.

I do not recall the detail but apparently they will track your movements and analyze your activities such as how often you go to a gym. And then the more active you become the more discount you get in your premium and/or a card that gives you discounts towards movies, and other things.

They want through incentives to motivate people to have a healthier lifestyle.

It is a nice approach and I admire Manulife for caring about wellness. I wish more insurers initiate wellness programs.

NUMSS Student Mails Me a Painting

I was so surprised today to find out that my student at National University of Medical Sciences Dr William Goggin Cobb (from United Kingdom) mailed me a painting.

This is so kind of you doctor. I am eternally grateful for this beautiful painting.

Government of India invited NUMSS to invest in India.

Invitation from India Minister of Tourism

I just received a letter from the Minister of Tourism in India to invest in India. I am honoured by this request. I had no idea the Government of India knows about National University of Medical Sciences!

Here is part of the letter:

Dear Dr. Shawn
We are proud to invite you to India, an incredible land steeped in beauty, myths and legends.................India, offers you a world of exciting business possibilities...............Invest in India, discover a world of opportunities, and take your business to stellar heights!

I am so impressed with this NUMSS student from Germany!

I was so impressed by one of my students. She is so brave! This student is a massage therapist in Germany who is studying the dual degree bachelor of science in osteopathy/doctor of osteopathy program at National University of Medical Sciences (Spain).

She loves my business lectures and in them I recommend to my students to travel the world, work in other countries for a while before settling in their home countries if they have the chance. Travelling opens your mind and horizon. It is a beautiful world out there.

She recently contacted me and told me she purchased a one way ticket on November 29th, 2018 to Panama City! And since August she is taking Spanish lessons.

I do hope she works for the Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada there once she graduates.
I know it must have been a hard decision for her. I myself cannot sleep well in the past few days.
 Time usually flies for me but it is going so slow these days! I want tomorrow come faster so I could get on the airplane and get on with my new life in Panama.

I will be back in the last two weeks of February to attend the practical technique class of National Academy of Osteopathy and its graduation day.

The first two weeks of February will be the practical technique classes of National University of Medical Sciences, and its graduation day in Toronto.

I am excited to see so many of my students in February!
Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 27th, 2018 at 8AM starts a new chapter of my life. I am sad, happy, nervous, and excited all at the same time!

افتتاح یک دانشگاه دو زبانه در کشور پاناما

  هموطنان عزیز
باعث افتخار من است که به اطلاع برسانم که ما توانستیم مجوز افتتاح یک دانشگاه دو زبانه را در کشور پاناما بگیریم

این سومین دانشگاه ما خواهد بود بعد از اسپانیا و آمریکا. تدریس در این دانشگاه به زبان اسپانیایی و انگلیسی خواهد بود
مدارس من باعث پیشرفت بسیار زیاد رشتهٔ آستئوپاتی در کانادا شدند. الان بیشتر از نصف منوال آستئوپات‌های کانادا دانشجوی ما هستند. الان در تمام استانهای کانادا دانشجویان ما در حال کار هستند. اما این رشته در آمریکای جنوبی و لاتین شناخته شده نیست. یکی از اهداف زندگی من این است که این رشته را در تمام شهرهای جهان داشته باشیم. این رشته در درمان دردهای مزمن اعجاز می‌کند. برای همین ما تصمیم گرفتیم که در کشور پاناما دانشگاه بزنیم تا بتوانیم این رشته را در کشورهای اسپانیایی زبان ترویج دهیم

من بعد از ۳۲ سال زندگی در کانادا به کشور پاناما این هفته مهاجرت خواهم کرد تا بتوانم از نزدیک مدیریت این دانشگاه را به عهده بگیرم

هر ۲ ماه یک بار البته من به کانادا خواهم برگشت. و باز طبق گذشته به دانشگاه‌های ما در آمریکا و اسپانیا سر خواهم زد

هموطنانی که به کشور پاناما مسافرت میکنند قدمشان روی چشم. به دانشگاه ما سر بزنید وقتی آمدید به پاناما. از دیدن شما خوشحال خواهیم شد

What a beautiful world!

I just found out a teacher from another Canadian osteopathy school registered to study osteopathy at National Academy of Osteopathy!

We have currently presidents of 4 osteopathic schools and a number of their teachers as alumni.
Our method of osteopathy is based on scientific principles. This along with our 200 business lectures attracts many manual osteopaths to study osteopathy again with us.

We graduate successful manual osteopaths because we teach them everything we know about business.

On a separate topic, the best Balsamic vinegar in the world is from the town of Modena in Italy. It is aged for a long time and has complex sweet taste. The good ones sell about $60 for a small bottle. They are expensive but a worthy treat. Add one teaspoon to your salad and see magic happen!

Thank you Dasha!

We are one step closer to getting approval to open our first campus in Florida, USA. And this is thanks to the hard work of our staff, specially office manager, manual osteopath Dasha Veprjitska, DOMP, BSc(O), MBA for helping us prepare the necessary documents.

Dasha is a former ballerina and an Ontario dance champion who after finishing the DOMP program of National Academy of Osteopathy went on to obtain a bachelor of science in osteopathy and a master of business administration from National University of Medical Sciences. 

She will be in Panama City in December to train the new NUMSS (Panama) staff. She will then travel to Florida to help with our new campus approval process.

My Sister: Dr Shirin Pourgol

Did you know my sister Dr. Shirin Pourgol, BA, DOMP, DO (Spain) is a manual osteopath?

Good Bye My Love

Canada, my love, after 32 years of being with you, osteopathy is taking me away from you.
I just bought a one way ticket to Panama City for November 27, 2018.

This is the first time in my life that I purchased a one way ticket in Canada! I do not know when I will be back in Canada. It all depends on how much work is waiting for me in Panama City.
It is a lot of work setting up an office overseas. However I am excited and love doing it while also being sad for leaving Canada. It is a mix of different emotions in my heart.

Osteopathy is well established in Canada. In Latin America however we can expand the profession greatly by having a university there offering multilingual programs.

I will be by myself in Panama City. I would feel lonely there and would love to see any of you there. If you visit Panama make sure to drop by to say hello!      

My students love me!

Osteopath, Ann Shivas (an ex-member of Canada’s national soccer team) has sent me this message today: 

Thanks for the continual support Dr Pourgol. I’m so happy you were my professor - I don’t think you know how life changing you were for me.  

Ann is a member of Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada. She is quite successful in treating complex chronic pain cases. I received a number of testimonials from patients who had seen many other osteopaths without help who became pain free after being treated by Ann. One of these patients who is a massage therapist became one of my students as well after many other osteopaths failed to treat his shoulder pain.

Passed 15,000 followers!

Facebook has a limit of 5,000 friends for personal pages. When I reached this limit I opened a public figure Facebook page which can have unlimited followers. In less than 6 weeks I am happy to see that my page now has over 15,280 followers!
Thank you everyone for reading my posts. I do my best to become number one in whatever I do.

NUMSS DPT with the World Karate Champions in Spain

NUMSS (Spain) DPT Student is the official physiotherapist of the 2018 Karate World Champions in Spain. 

 Congratulations goes to our DPT student Dr Hamidreza Ashrafi, who is the official physiotherapist for the Iranian National Karate Team, for keeping the 2018 World Karate Champions healthy and in top shape.

Over 400 of the best physiotherapists in Iran are alumni of National University of Medical Sciences (Spain) and we are so proud of them. Their leadership in the field of physiotherapy has elevated the profession greatly.

Moving to Panama with $1000

Panama is one of the most popular retirement destinations because of its Retirement Visa (Visa Pensionado) program. 

If you are retired and receive at least $1000 (US) monthly in pension from your employer (employers can be private companies, government, insurers, bank or other income sources) you can obtain Panama residency. The $1000 can be lowered to $750 US if you buy a house in Panama that is $100,000 or up.

Once you are approved you receive a retirement card (pensionado card) that offers you discounts on almost everything, for example 50% off all hotels. All businesses within Panama must give these discounts. There are no exceptions. 

This card, among the lower cost of living, excellent healthcare, great infrastructure, safety and growing economy are what make retirement so popular in Panama. 

Here is a summary of the benefits of the Panama retirement visa:

• One time Duty tax exemption for household goods up to a total of $10,000.
• Duty exemption for importing a new car every two years.
• 50% off entertainment anywhere in the country (movies, concerts, sports)
• 30% off bus, boat, and train fares
• 25% off airline tickets
• 50% off hotel stays from Monday through Thursday
• 30% off hotel stays from Friday through Sunday
• 25% off at restaurants
• 15% off at fast-food restaurants
• 15% off hospital bills (if no insurance applies)
• 10% off prescription medicines
• 20% off medical consultations
• 15% off dental and eye exams
• 20% off professional and technical services
• 50% reduction in closing costs for home loans
• 25% discounts on utility bills
• 15% off loans made in your name
• 1% less on home mortgages for homes used for personal residence

There is no age limit in Panama to be considered a retiree.

Our university office view?

While I have not decided myself to reside in a mountain view or waterfront property in Panama, it has been decided that the new admissions office of National University of Medical Sciences should be waterfront.

To be in Panama and not see the water on a daily basis is a sin!

I am visiting Panama in a couple of weeks to see a number of high rise offices within Panama City that have views of the Pacific ocean.

Here are the views of one of the offices that I will visit.

Mountainview or Waterfront?

In Panama within an hour you can be either at a mountain or on a beach. Ontario is flat. After 32 years of being here I wish to see mountains!

I am undecided where to reside in Panama. I am lucky that National University of Medical Sciences is paying for my accommodation in Panama!



When I was a kid I like mountains more than the beach. As adult I like the beach more. But after living for decades in a flat province, now I miss the fresh air of mountains.

Which one do you prefer? Living on top of a mountain or in front of a beach?

Interested in working in Panama?

Manual osteopaths needed in Panama for Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada (permanent full time position, starting in 2019)

We are currently working to set up a campus for National University of Medical Sciences there within the next 3 months. Once the university is up and running we plan to also own an osteopathy clinic there as part of the OCPCC.

Obtaining work permit and residency in Panama is easy for Canadians, Americans and Europeans under their "Friendly Nations Visa". It costs about $3700 and within a couple of months you can legally become a Panamanian resident. After 5 years you become a citizen and get a passport.

The priority for this position is given to bilingual (Spanish/English) graduates of National Academy of Osteopathy (Canada), National University of Medical Sciences (Spain) and National University of Medical Sciences (USA). If we cannot find interested bilingual alumni then we will accept other alumni.

If none of our alumni are interested, we would consider other manual osteopaths.
This is a permanent long term position. If interested please send me a private message on Facebook or email me at pourgol@pourgol.com.

Thank you.

 

I love driving to New York in the fall.

The rustle of my tires on fallen leaves are like songs of the time past.

The leaves in the air dance with me as I drive through. They tell me secrets of the land far away, a life gone by.

The yellow of these leaves shimmer in my eyes and then they kiss me to put a spell on me.

These leaves make me love them. And they make me wait every year for one more kiss.

 

 

To Live is to Travel

Life is too short! So I travel often to see the world, to open my horizon and the mind.

I travel often not to get away, but to embrace life, to experience it, to immerse myself in the joy of the world. I travel to learn and to feel. I travel to stay alive.

How else could I get a chance to see olive trees? They do not grow in Canada. I can sit down and look at these trees for hours. They are ancient, exotic and majestic. They are life itself.

NUMSS Graduation Ceremny

The graduation ceremonies of NUMSS will be held in Panama City, Panama or Madrid, Spain from now on. They will not be held in Toronto any more.

NUMSS Practical Technique Classes

The practical technique classes of NUMSS will be held in Panama City, Panama or Madrid, Spain.

We no longer offer NUMSS practical classes in Toronto.

I am moving to Panama

I will be residing in Panama City for awhile to help set up the new multilingual campus of National University of Medical Sciences.

While there I will be travelling regularly to US, Canada and Spain to supervise our schools in these countries.

The year 2019 will be a super busy year for me, but I love it! I am happy that I have the chance to expand osteopathy everywhere.

Our New Campus in Panama

Panama has been chosen as the site of the new CAMPUS of National University of Medical Sciences.
I have the dream job! Who would have thought that a teenager from city of Rasht in Iran who moved to Canada 32 years ago and was washing dishes for $3.75 per hour could one day have a university campus in Panama?!

I love this life! I washed dishes. I was homeless sleeping in shelters when I came to Canada 32 years ago. Many nights I had no food to eat. The first time I saved my money to buy a cup of coffee was after a year of being in Canada. The first time I saved money to buy a kid hamburger at McDonald's for about $1 felt like the best food ever!

I worked in McDonald's and Burger King and now I own universities, and the largest pain clinic in the world!

This is a dream come true for me!
 
I owe all this to you my students who made me a success story. You are my everything. And I love every one of you!