Chiropractic Education

The chiropractic programs leading to Doctor of Chiropractic Degrees consist of 4 years of undergraduate education totaling approximately 4,800 contact hours. The medical programs consist of 4 undergraduate years, with approximately the same number of contact hours (4,667), but typically with an additional 3-year residency to meet the requirements for practice.

Medical schools require at least 3 years of college education prior to admission, while chiropractic colleges require a minimum of 2 years. In fact, most medical students complete 4 or more years of college. However, national data on graduate chiropractors show that 78 percent have degrees other than chiropractic, of which 54 percent are Bachelor's or higher. Most chiropractors completed these degrees prior to the D.C. degree.

There is considerable overlap in the two professions in terms of the courses they require as prerequisites for entrance. Both require biology, general inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and general physics. In medicine it is common to require mathematics, which is not required in chiropractic. Both require a humanities prerequisite with chiropractic also requiring a social science/psychology credit as well as English and/or communication skills.

Basic science comprises 25-30 percent of the total contact hours in both the chiropractic and medical programs and the two programs have roughly similar contact hours in biochemistry, microbiology, and pathology. Chiropractors receive substantially more hours in anatomy education and physiology but many fewer in public health.

Thus, on average, medical students receive twice the number of hours in clinical experience but receive over 1,000 fewer hours in lectures and laboratory education. If the medical residency is included, the total number of hours of clinical experience for medicine rises to 6,413.

Chiropractors must meet stringent educational requirements, including approximately 600 hours of externship, which qualifies us for licenser in all US states, Canadian provinces, and many foreign countries. In many US states, we must pass a basic science examination - the same examination that is given to medical students. We must also pass a rigid chiropractic board examination. And all US states requires continuing educational seminars for annual license renewal. If you have friends who are uninformed or misinformed about chiropractic education, why not share this knowledge with them. They, too, may benefit from today's scientific chiropractic care.

Other required subjects for Doctors of Chiropractic: adjusting, manipulation, kinesiology, and other similar basic subjects related to their specialty.

Other required subjects for Doctors of Medicine: pharmacology, immunology, general surgery, and other similar basic subjects related to their specialty.

4,800 Total Classroom Hours

Including Other Basic Subjects

4,667 Total Classroom Hours

> The Class hours for basic science comparisons were compiled and averaged following a review of curricula of 18 chiropractic colleges and 22 medical schools, based on the 1988-89 Association of American Medical Colleges Curriculum Directory (AAMC), Vickie Ahari, Editor, and the Chiropractic College Admissions and Curriculum Directory 1988-89, K. Magarian and K. McNamee, editors.

>> Pathology includes Geriatrics and Pediatrics.

>>> Included EENT and Dermatology.

Your Doctor of Chiropractic is fully qualified. ASK ABOUT ANY CONDITION. . .

OR EVEN ABOUT A CAREER IN CHIROPRACTIC!

I encourage you to review the following sites of some of the Chiropractic Colleges in the United States. If you are interested in a career in chiropractic, please feel free to ask me to provide you with more information.

Send mail to Dr. Glendon with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: May 11, 2001, Friday.