CHIROPRACTIC EDUCATION
Many people are unaware of the educational level of a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) and wonder how it compares to other health care professionals. The training that they undergo is a rigorous and demanding professional education equivalent to other primary care providers. Both Dr. Purser and Dr. Jones attended the Western States Chiropractic College, which was started by DD Palmer the founder of Chiropractic, in 1904.
To obtain a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, a student must complete a bachelors degree in pre-med 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, the state of Montana requires the doctors to attend clinical continuing educations programs for annual relicensure.
To help demonstrate this better, the following chart that compares the hours of basic sciences education in Medical and Chiropractic Schools is provided:
Subject |
Chiropractic Schools |
Medical Schools |
|||
|
|
Hours |
% of total |
Hours |
% of total |
|
Anatomy |
570 |
40 |
368 |
31 |
|
Biochemistry |
150 |
11 |
120 |
10 |
|
Microbiology |
120 |
8 |
120 |
10 |
|
Public Health |
70 |
5 |
289 |
24 |
|
Physiology |
305 |
21 |
142 |
12 |
|
Pathology |
205 |
14 |
162 |
14 |
|
TOTAL HOURS |
1,420 |
100 |
1,200 |
100 |
The following is a comparison of the overall curriculum structure for Chiropractic and Medical schools:
|
Chiropractic Schools |
Medical Schools |
|||
|
|
Mean |
% |
Mean |
% |
|
Basic science hours |
1416 |
29% |
1200 |
26% |
|
Clinical science hours |
3406 |
71% |
3467 |
74% |
|
Chiropractic science hours |
1975 |
41% |
0 |
0 |
|
Clerkship hours |
1405 |
29% |
3467 |
74% |
|
TOTAL CONTACT HOURS |
4822 |
100% |
4667 |
100% |
The source for the above chards: Center for Studies in Health Policy, Inc.,
Washington, DC
Dr. Purser and Dr. Jones both graduated from the Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Oregon. For more specific information about their education and curriculum please go to: http://www.wschiro.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=44
