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 Chiropractic
Education
In some recent surveys it was surprising
to note that some people were unaware of the educational
level of a Doctor of Chiropractic. The basic question
was, "Is the education of a Doctor of Chiropractic
at the same level as a Medical Doctor?" The correct
answer is, of course, yes. 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. 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. 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. Even after all that,
most states require the doctors to attend clinical continuing
education programs for annual relicensure.
What does it take to become a Chiropractor?
According to many sources Chiropractic
is the second largest health care profession.
Some articles and authors have referred to chiropractic
as “alternative”. This label may not
fit in the face of the growing numbers of people seeking
chiropractic care. In the 1998 issue of the Archives
of Internal Medicine is an article on chiropractic that
makes a profound statement, “Even to call chiropractic
alternative is problematic, in many ways it is distinctly
mainstream.”
Even with all this growth and increased
usage, many people are unaware of the rigors of a chiropractic
education.
In order to become a “Doctor of Chiropractic”
chiropractic students must go through college and a chiropractic
program every bit as strenuous and in-depth as other health
care practitioners. To help demonstrate this better,
the following charts are given.
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