A Chiropractor’s Education

Chiropractors are educated as primary contact health care practitioners, with an emphasis on musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment.  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 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, 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 must complete four to five years at an accredited Chiropractic college. The complete curriculum includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience. Approximately 555 hours are devoted to learning about adjustive techniques and spinal analysis in Chiropractic college. In medical schools, training to become proficient in manipulation is generally not required of, or offered to, students. The Council on Chiropractic Education requires that students have 90 hours of undergraduate courses with science as the focus.

Those intending to become Doctors of Chiropractic must also pass the national board exam and all exams required by the state in which the individual wishes to practice. The individual must also meet all individual state licensing requirements in order to become a Doctor of Chiropractic.

An individual studying to become a Doctor of Chiropractic receives an education in both the basic and clinical sciences and in related health subjects. The intention of the basic Chiropractic curriculum is to provide an in-depth understanding of the structure and function of the human body in health and disease. The educational program includes training in the basic medical sciences, including anatomy with human dissection, physiology, and biochemistry. Thorough training is also obtained in differential diagnosis, radiology and therapeutic techniques. This means that a Doctor of Chiropractic can both diagnose and treat patients. This separates chiropractors from non-physician status providers, like physical therapists. According to the Council on Chiropractic Education, Doctors of Chiropractic are trained as Primary Care Providers.