How Knowledgeable is My Chiropractor?
A recent Gallup Poll demonstrated that one of the reasons that patients do not go to chiropractors is that they are unsure of their education level. Hope this article clears this unknown up.
Most applicants to chiropractic college have already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work. Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, most programs are 4-5 years long. Because of the hands-on nature of chiropractic, and the intricate adjusting techniques, a significant portion of time is spent in clinical and hands-on training. Doctors of chiropractic, who are licensed to practice in all 50 states and in many nations around the world, undergo a rigorous education in the healing sciences, similar to that of medical doctors. They have extensive education in anatomy including dissection, physiology, rehabilitation, nutrition, and public health. This is necessary because as chiropractors, we work with our hands so we need to know what bones, joints, ligaments that we are working with. We also need to know when it is time to refer to other health care providers when conditions are out of our scope. Like other primary health care providers, chiropractic students spend a significant portion of their curriculum studying clinical subjects related to evaluating and caring for patients. As a part of the professional training, chiropractic students must complete a minimum of a one-year clinical-based program dealing with actual patient care. In total, the curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience. The course of study is approved by an accrediting agency which is fully recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This has been the case for more than 25 years.
Chiropractors also have to pass 4 National Board Examinations and 1 State Board Examination before they receive their license. The extensive educational program prepares doctors of chiropractic to diagnose health care problems, treat the problems
when they are within their scope of practice and refer patients to other health care practitioners when appropriate.
