In
some recent surveys it was surprising to note that some people were unaware
of the educational level of a Doctor of Chiropractic. The basic question
was, "Is the education of a Doctor of Chiropractic at the same level
as a Medical Doctor?" The correct answer is, of course, yes. Doctors
of Chiropractic undergo a rigorous and demanding professional education
equivalent to any other primary care provider. To obtain a Doctor of Chiropractic
degree, they must complete several years of prerequisite undergraduate education
and spend nearly the same number of classroom hours at a fully-accredited
chiropractic college as MDs do in medical schools. Student doctors are thoroughly
trained in the appropriate use of sophisticated analytical equipment including
X-rays, examination procedures, and state of the art chiropractic investigative
technologies. Before they can practice, all Doctors of Chiropractic must
pass a series of National Boards, as well as a licensing exam for the state
in which they choose to practice. Even after all that, most states require
the doctors to attend clinical continuing education programs for annual
relicensure.What does it take to become a Chiropractor?
According to many sources Chiropractic is the second largest health care profession. Some articles and authors have referred to chiropractic as alternative . This label may not fit in the face of the growing numbers of people seeking chiropractic care. In the 1998 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine is an article on chiropractic that makes a profound statement, Even to call chiropractic alternative is problematic, in many ways it is distinctly mainstream.
Even with all this growth and increased usage, many people are unaware of the rigors of a chiropractic education.
In order to become a Doctor of Chiropractic chiropractic students must go through college and a chiropractic program every bit as strenuous and in-depth as other health care practitioners. To help demonstrate this better, the following charts are given.
Comparison of Hours of Basic Sciences Education in Medical and Chiropractic Schools
| Chiropractic Schools | Medical Schools | |||
| Hours | % of Total | Hours | % of Total | |
| Anatomy Biochemistry Microbiology Public Health Physiology Pathology Total Hours |
570 150 120 70 305 205 1,420 |
40 11 8 5 21 14 100 |
368 120 120 289 142 162 1,200 |
31 10 10 24 12 14 100 |
Comparisons of the Overall Curriculum Structure for Chiropractic and Medical Schools
| Chiropractic Schools | Medical Schools | |||
| Mean | Percentage | Mean | Percentage | |
| Basic science
hours Clinical science hours Chiropractic science hours Clerkship hours Total Contact Hours |
1416 3406 1975 1405 4822 |
29% 71% 41% 29% 100% |
1200 3467 0 3467 4667 |
26% 74% 0 74% 100% |
Source for both above charts: Center for Studies in Health Policy, Inc., Washington, DC. Personal communication of 1995 unpublished data from Meredith Gonyea, PhD.
subject to change, not liable for errors or omissions. Copyrighted! © by eweb.net,
ChiroWeb.net, DrSantoro.com, HealthRC.com and other parities. All rights Reserved!