Education
The practice of chiropractic is licensed and regulated in all 50 of the United States and in over 30 countries worldwide. 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.
A chiropractic program consists of four academic years of professional education averaging a total of 4,822 hours of course work. Several areas of study are emphasized during the course of chiropractic education:
- adjustive techniques/spinal analysis
- principles/practices of chiropractic
- physiologic therapeutics
- biomechanics
| Subject | Chiropractic Schools | Medical Schools | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours | % of Total | Hours | % of Total | |
| Anatomy | 570 | 40 | 368 | 31 |
| Biochemistry | 150 | 11 | 120 | 10 |
| Microbiology | 120 | 8 | 120 | 10 |
| Public Health | 70 | 5 | 289 | 24 |
| Physiology | 305 | 21 | 142 | 12 |
| Pathology | 205 | 14 | 162 | 14 |
| Total Hours | 1,420 | 100 | 1,200 | 100 |
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. Standards for chiropractic education have been established and are monitored by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE), which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The CCE accredits Chiropractic colleges, sets standards for curriculum, faculty, facilities, patient care and research. 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. Additionally, 47 states require that doctors attend clinical continuing education programs for annual relicensure.
