How Do Doctors of Chiropractic Measure Up?

Educational requirements for doctors of chiropractic are among the most stringent of any of the health care professions.

The typical applicant at a chiropractic college has already acquired 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, the requirements become even more demanding — four to five academic years of professional study are the standard. Because of the hands-on nature of chiropractic, and the intricate adjusting techniques, a significant portion of time is spent in clinical training.

Doctors of chiropractic — who are licensed to practice in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and in many nations around the world — undergo a rigorous education in the healing sciences, similar to that of medical doctors. In some areas; such as anatomy, physiology, and rehabilitation, they receive more intensive education than most medical doctors or physical therapists.

Like other primary health care doctors, chiropractic students spend a significant portion of their curriculum studying clinical subjects related to evaluating and caring for patients. Typically, as part of their professional training, they 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.

Before they are allowed to practice, doctors of chiropractic must pass national board examinations and become state-licensed. Chiropractic colleges also offer post-graduate continuing education programs in specialty fields ranging from Neurology, Orthopedics, sports injuries, occupational health, Nutrition, Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Radiology, etc. These programs allow doctors of chiropractic to specialize in a healthcare discipline or meet state re-licensure requirements.

This extensive education 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.

Copyright 2006-2008. American Chiropractic Association. All Rights Reserved.

*Note—4200 total credit hours is the average across the United States. St. Louis University Medical School requires just over 4200 total hours in order to receive a MD degree. Logan University in St. Louis, Missouri, currently requires over 5300 total hours in order to receive a DC degree.

Comparison of Medical and Chiropractic Education, Basic Science Hours

Source: Center for Studies in Health Policy, Inc., Washington, DC. Personal communication of 1995 unpublished data from Meredith Gonyea, PhD.