Chiropractors go through an immense amount of education prior to receiving a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree. A chiropractor’s education begins by earning a 4-year college bachelor’s degree with coursework including:
- Biology (General Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Cell Biology, Microbiology, Human Biology)
- General Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry
- Physics
- In addition to core college requirements
Upon acceptance to a graduate program at one of the 18 national chiropractic colleges, chiropractic students take a total of 3,390 hours of didactic classroom work and at least an additional 1,305 hours in a clinical residency setting for a total of 4,695 hours of advanced education.
A summary of some of the course hours that Dr. Glenn Molin completed as a Doctor of Chiropractic graduate student at New York Chiropractic College include:
- Anatomy – 585 hours
- Biochemistry – 75 hours
- Physiopathology – 330 hours
- Microbiology and Public Health – 135 hours
- Diagnosis – 540 hours
- Diagnostic Imaging – 270 hours
- Clinical Laboratory – 75 hours
- Associated Studies – 150 hours
- Chiropractic Philosophy – 195 hours
- Chiropractic Technique – 615 hours
- Ancillary Therapeutic Procedures – 90 hours
- Clinical Practice Issues – 195 hours
- Clinical Experience and Outpatient Services – 1,305 hours
- Elective Courses – 135 hours
Total – 4,695 hours
Then, before a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) can begin practicing, he or she must successfully pass both written and oral national boards (parts I through IV & PT) and demanding individual State boards.
A Chiropractor’s educational requirements are rigorous and his or her education doesn’t stop after graduation. Almost all State Chiropractic Boards require advanced continuing education throughout the doctor’s career. In Maryland, the Maryland Board of Chiropractic mandates a minimum of 48 hours of approved classwork in addition to provider level CPR training every two years.
Chiropractic is the largest natural healing profession in the world. It has grown over its history because it is safe, it works and its providers, 60,000+ chiropractors nationally, are well educated in the art, science and philosophy of chiropractic.