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Chiropractor Education
Learn About The Education Chiropractors Need To Succeed
Find Chiropractic Schools | Natural Healers Career Resource Center
| | Chiropractic medicine offers an alternative treatment for a variety of health conditions and serves as a natural means for achieving long-term wellness. Trained in techniques that focus on structural and neurological aspects of the body, chiropractors require extensive training and education in clinical sciences and relevant health subjects. Additionally, the education chiropractors receive provides practical experience that helps improve their chances for success when they begin their practices. |
Chiropractic School Prerequisites
Different states have different standards for the education chiropractors obtain. So it is important to review your state's requirements before you choose a chiropractic program.
At this time, only a handful of states require a 4-year bachelor's degree in addition to a 4-year Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree to qualify for licensure. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that the number of states settling for just two years of undergraduate education for chiropractors continues to decrease.
In effect, many chiropractic colleges (and the BLS) recommend that future chiropractors earn a 4-year bachelor's degree. And you will find schools, like Logan College of Chiropractic, where students can complete a bachelor's degree, or fulfill undergraduate science requirements, concurrently with their DC.
What You Will Study at Chiropractic School
According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), the education that chiropractors receive involves significant study of clinical subjects that relate to examining and caring for patients. In regard to specific coursework, the ACA indicates that DC students can expect to take classes in these subjects:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Pathology
- Rehabilitation
- Nutrition
- Public health
- Chiropractic research
Typically, chiropractic programs also include at least a 1-year clinical training program that provides future DCs with hands-on experience treating actual patients. And after you begin your career, continuing education, a requirement to maintain licensure, will become a cornerstone to keeping abreast of your field and achieving ongoing success.
Average Length of Chiropractic Study
As the ACA and the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) describe, earning a DC involves a minimum of 4,200 hours of combined classroom, laboratory and clinical experience. Programs typically take an average of four years to complete.
Generally, the first two years focus on classroom and lab work in physiology, pathology, anatomy and other sciences. And the last two years are typically dedicated to clinical practice, giving you experience performing patient evaluations, diagnoses and spinal adjustments.
Learn About chiropractic continuing education.
Average Tuition for Chiropractic Education
Becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic involves rigorous study and a serious commitment to the field. Depending on the DC program, the tuition to earn a DC can range from $11,000 to $20,000. Remember, your education at chiropractor college is an investment in your future and will help you build a career in a field where salaries remain strong.
Data from Salary.com shows that the median annual income for chiropractors is $85,273, with those in the top 25 percent earning over six figures. Taking your income potential into consideration can help put that tuition price into perspective.
Spreading Health and Wellness
Chiropractors deliver the human touch and individualized health care that can help their patients attain true wellness. And significant personal and professional rewards await those who practice this holistic philosophy of wellness care, one patient at a time.
Learn more about chiropractor education, chiropractor certification and chiropractor careers, and start your search for the right chiropractic program for you.
Sources:
The Council on Chiropractic Education, 2009
Educational and Career Opportunities in Alternative Medicine, 2007
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009
American Chiropractic Association, 2009
CareerOverview.com, 2008
Salary.com, 2009
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