Kirkland Chiropractor, Chiropractic care, Redmond, Bellevue, Bothell, Totem Lake, Washington.

Often times, I get asked the question “So what kind of training did you receive to become a Chiropractor”? And I’ve found that some people have a misconception as to what’s involved. Or, others that might be contemplating taking on the challenge to become a Chiropractor don’t understand the dedication it takes. So here’s the story on the journey one takes to become part of the third largest health care profession in the United States.

Undergraduate 

There are specific prerequisite courses which all accredited chiropractic colleges require you to have in order to be considered a candidate. The courses required generally follow the first two years of a general science degree, requiring calculus, biology, chemistry, physics, organic chemistry and usually English and other arts credits. All colleges require a minimum of 30 credits with at the very minimum a 2.5 GPA in the aforementioned courses to apply (Generally a 3.0 GPA is considered competitive). However, more and more colleges and State Boards have been moving towards requiring an undergraduate degree not only as an entrance requirement but in some cases as a licensing requirement. Most recently, statistics have reflected this in that a greater percentage of first year chiropractic students begin there education with an undergraduate degree. 

Entrance Requirements 

Apart from the academic requirements that all chiropractic colleges require, each college has its own set of requirements used to evaluate potential candidates. Usually, a written statement of purpose and other written essays are required. Other qualities which are looked upon for a successful candidate are previous volunteer or other life experiences and membership in different clubs, etc. Some colleges require you to at least visit the school and sit down with some members of the entrance committee for an informal meeting, other colleges require a formal interview. As of yet there is no entrance exam required however, one is in the works, much like the MCAT for medical school, the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners is doing some preliminary testing to develop the CCAT or Chiropractic College Admissions Test. 

Chiropractic College

Once accepted to Chiropractic College, the real work begins, with a 4 year journey! To say that the course work is rigorous is an understatement. The first two years of study are heavy into the basic sciences. I remember one of my professors saying, “Chiropractic College is like drinking from a fire hose”. The third and fourth years are focused on the clinical sciences, radiology/bone pathology, biomechanics, neuromusculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment, adjustive technique, patient management. Practical training also begins with providing care on campus in the student clinic. 

In fourth year, students continue their practical training in their respective outpatient clinics, taking care of the public. Most colleges also have programs where students do rotations at offsite clinics to vary their experiences. Some students can become eligible to also pursue a community based internship where they work with a doctor in private practice for a period of time before graduating. Upon graduation, chiropractors pursue associate positions with experienced doctors, start their own practice or enter post-graduate residency programs. 

Licensing 

There are two levels of licensing in Chiropractic, at the National level and at the State/Provincial level in North America. 

National Board Exams 

The national board exams in the United States are conducted by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. There are 4 parts. Part I is taken between the first and second years of school and is based on the basic sciences. Part II and III are usually taken between the third and fourth year and are clinically based. Part IV is entirely a practical exam, testing patient scenarios and radiology diagnosis. 

In Canada, the same process is undertaken by the Canadian Board of Chiropractic Examiners and there are 2 parts to the exam a written which lasts 3 days and a practical, each of which are considered absolutely grueling, to say the least. 

State / Provincial Licensing 

Each State has different laws pertaining to the practice of chiropractic. Thus, upon passing the national boards, graduates are eligible to take the Jurisprudence/Ethics exam specific to the State/Province they’d like to practice in.

Continuing Education 

As part of requirements for re-licensure by each State/Province, a Doctor of Chiropractic must take a certain number of continuing education hours to keep up to date with the latest developments in chiropractic as well as in general health care. 

Post – Graduate Training

Apart from the education in chiropractic, some doctors choose to pursue additional board certification in a specific area of study. These diplomate programs are offered by the various colleges and can be done in orthopedics, neurology, radiology, sports, rehabilitation, pediatrics and applied chiropractic science. Most of the programs are designed such that you can attain board certification while you are in private practice and all of them are roughly 3 years long. 

A Comparison Between Curriculum Hours In Chiropractic College and Medical School

Subjects	Class Hours Chiropractic Students	Subjects	Class Hours Medical Students
Gross Anatomy I-III	288	Gross Anatomy	190
Spinal Anatomy	24	Histology	84
Histology	144	Medical Biochemistry	145
Biochemistry	120	Human Physiology	149
Physiology	132	Developmental Biology	40
Neurophysiology	72	Neuroanatomy	84
Neuroanatomy	96	Nutrition	20
Embryology	24	Opthamology	36
Nutrition	48	Otolarynology	72
Clinical Nutrition	24	Medical Psychology	49
Physical Diagnosis	144	Introduction to Psychiatry	43
Clinical Psychology	36	General Pathology	68
General Pathology	120	Medical Genetics	32
Clinical Pathology	36	Cardiopulmunary Resuscitation
Genetics	48	Introduction to Medical Microbiology	90
CPR / Emergency Care	24	Introduction to Public Health	26
Microbiology & Public Health	72	Pubic Health and Epidemiology	40
Clinical Microbiology & Public Health	84	Immunology	35
Toxicology/Pharmacology	48	Pharmacology	72
Dermatology & Infectious Disease	24	Pathophysiology of Skin/Bone/CT	69
Clinical Lab	60	Blood/Reticuloendothelial Pathophys.	117
Correlative & Differential Diagnosis	48	Pathophysiology of CNS/Muscle/Sensory Organs	158
Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis/ Treat	252	Neurology and Neurosurgery	216
Physiotherapy	120	Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology	123
Soft Tissue Therapies	48	Respiratory Pathophysiology	79
Gastroenterology Diagnosis/Treatment	60	Cardiovascular Pathophysiology	117
Cardiorespiratory Diagnosis/Treatment	60	Endorcrine Pathophysiology	43
Genitourinary Survey	60	Reproductive Pathophysiology	55
Obstetrics	36	Renal Pathophysiology	117
Jurisprudence & Ethics	24	Law and Medicine	24
Radiographic Anatomy I-III	84	Radiographic Diagnosis	24
Bone Pathology I-IV	120
Radiographic Report Writing	12
Roentgenometrics I, II	24
Radiographic Technique I-III	120
Patient/Practice Management I-III	84
Clinical Pediatrics	24	Child Health (CON 620, lecture)	48
Clinical Geriatrics	24
Biomechanics & Palpation I-IV	204
Adjustive Technique I-IX	408
Eye/Ear/Nose/Throat	24
Narrative Report Writing	24
Radiology Report Writing	12
Clinical Research Methodology I, II	60
Principles of Chiropractic I-V	96
Minor Surgery/Proctology	36
Total Class Hours	3732	Total Class Hours	2465
		Patient Evaluation	192
Clinical Observation	60	Third Year Medicine	432
Clinical Phase I - III	180	Child Health	384
Clinic Phase IV A-C	765	Psychiatry Clinical Clerkship	216
		Obstetrics & Gynecology	216
		Surgery	432
		Special Programmed Instruction	540
Total Clinic Hours	1005	Total Hospital Hours	2412
Total D.C. Requirements	4737	Total M.D. Requirements	4877