Chiropractic Education
Are chiropractors real doctors?
Chiropractors go through a very rigorous and thorough educational program that varies by State. A minimum of 6 years is required, though many states require 8 years. At least 4 years are on the graduate level, attaining a doctorate degree in Chiropractic. Chiropractors are real doctors in the sense that they have a doctorate, are a license health care professional, and are highly trained in their specialty; but they are not medical doctors, or MD’s. Chiropractors are trained to treat the body naturally, without the use of drugs or medicine.
- Orthopedics
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Sports medicine
- Rehabilitation
- Nutrition
- Spinal and Extremity Manipulation
- Pathology and Diagnostics
- Public Health
This is a partial list.
In addition to general education requirements, a year of interning at a chiropractic clinic is also required to attain a license in chiropractic.
DCs are educated in nationally accredited, four-year doctoral graduate school programs through a curriculum that includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical internship, with the average DC program equivalent in classroom hours to allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools.